1884.] 363 (Brinton, 
hi, hiate, or hiawel, the son-in-law. These approximate to verbal forms, 
and appear to be confined to nouns indicating family affinity. 
Abstract nouns may be constructed by adding the termination a to the 
concrete. They do not form plurals, but contain the notion of plurality. 
Thus, nw tzam, is ‘my nose,’’ but tzamah, is “the nose,’’ without. refer- 
ence to person, So 2a, hand, nw Za, my hand, Sabah, the hand, which 
alsomeans the two hands, as they are always associated in nature. 
§ I. On the Use of Adjectives. 
The adjective noun is always placed first, and then the sub- 
stantive noun, and between adjective and substantive is placed 
one of the following particles, which by themselves have no 
signification : 
a,—y,—tlah,—olah,—lah,—ah,—olah,—vlah,—elah. 
Examples: nim, large, nima che, large stick; q’/,much, qija 
gaXul, much fruit; gak, white, gaki qui, white cloak; naht, 
high, nahtik vinak, great persons; vtz, good, vizilah ya, good 
water; q,l, dirty, q,ilolah qui, a dirty cloak ; 
; meXen, hot, me- 
Zenalah ya, hot water; chaom, pretty, chaomalah Nopoh, a 
pretty girl; tew, cold, tewlah ya, cold water; qay, bitter, qaylah 
ya, bitter water; ytzelulah huyu, a bad descent; loX, beloved, 
loxolah tata, beloved. father; chug,huh, maimed, chugq,huhilah 
ahauh, a maimed ruler; ache, sterile, acheelah yxok, a sterile 
woman, 
4. Other words add ie, as qulan, joined or married, qulante 
yxok, a married woman; hebel, something pretty and pleasant, 
hebelic qul,* pretty clothing. 
§|. Note that when one substantive noun is united to another 
substantive noun, with the signification of an adjective, one of 
these particles, alah or ylah, is placed between them; as abahi- 
lah bei, a stony road; gixalah huyu, a thorny mountain; chico- 
pilah vinak, a bestial person. 
{{. The particles elah and vlah are also placed between such 
substantives, as q,echelah ticon, a cacao field neglected and 
overgrown; eivanilah bet, a rough road. 
4. And take notice that the least important substantive is 
placed first, and used as the adjective; as, gi, a thorn, bez, a 
road, giwalah bei, .a thorny road. 
*The generic word for clothing is qui; the specific term is Sw, the 
latter is varied, the former is not. (Coto.) 
