42 TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



Like the Aztec and other cultivated languages of the southern 

 part of our continent, the Zapoteca has reverential terms, that is, 

 terms of respect or of honor. This is accomplished by the use of 

 different pronouns, or words employed as pronouns. 



Naa^ ja, a, (I) is used w^hen equals speak to each other. 

 Zo/iuz, ioy, looy^ lo^ (thou, etc.) Tobina (your honor), a word 

 only used when speaking of superiors. Nikani, nike, nikoe^ 

 ni, ke, "he" or "they." The same system, as indicated, runs 

 through all the declensions and inflections. 



There are four conjugations of Zapoteca verbs; these are dis- 

 tinguished by the particles with which they commence. 



As a specimen of the written Zapoteca, I submit a Pater Nosier 

 from a catechism prepared by Leonardo Levanto : 



Bixoozetotioohe kiiebra nachiibalo 7iazitoo zirkani 



Father our heaven thou who art above great has been done 

 laalo kellakookii xtennilo kita zuika riiarii niliztques- 



thy name kingdom thine will come here thy will, 



lalo. Sec. 

 &c. 



The above is sufficient to illustrate the peculiar arrangement 

 of words into sentences employed among the Zapotecas. The 

 conjugation of a verb in this language would give school-boys 

 more trouble than to master the intricate inffection of the Greek 

 verbs of preciovis memory. 



