6 Lessons in Tzutujil: Difficult
In Part 1, I asked you to have a pen and paper in front of you.
For Part 2, you will also need to be in front of a computer of laptop screen. This is because you will need a second tab with Part 1.
These lessons are derived from: Dayley, Jon P., Tzutujil Grammar (Berkeley: University of California Press 1985)
Any mistakes are entirely my own.
Lessons 1 – 3: A Recap Course
Here is an expanded form of a sentence which we met in Part 1, Lesson 3:
Jaa7 xinchejy wmaal. = She was hit by me.
Use the Set B Prefix table in Part 1 to connect the Tzutujil Pronouns with their English equivalents:
-maal is a Relational Noun which means by or because of.
Use the Set A Prefix table in Part 1 to complete this exercise:
For this next exercise, you must take the relevant form of –maal and insert it into these two sentences:
Ja tzyaq xti7j ______ ch’ooyaa7. = The clothes were eaten by rats.
Xjech’eb’a7xi ja jaay ______ ja b’anol jaay. = The house was built uneven by the carpenter.
By this point, I have hopefully filtered out any filthy casuals. Let us continue.
Lesson 4 & 5: Possessives
In Tzutujil, Possession is indicated through use of the Set A Prefixes.
Using the pre-consonantal forms, translate all the possessed forms of aj, which means ear of corn:
______Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â = my ear of corn
aawaj = ____________
______Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â = his/her ear of corn
qaj   = ____________
______ = all of yours’ ear of corn
kaj   = ____________
In some cases, however, the Ergative Prefix is shortened. With this in mind, translate all these possessed forms of the Noun wi7, which means head or heads.
awi7Â = ____________
ewi7 = ____________
kwi7 = ____________
nwi7 = ____________
qwi7 = ____________
rwi7Â = ____________
(I hope you looked closely at the last exercise, and didn’t just assume that they were in the same order as the one before that.)
Kaxlaan xinb’aqb’ej nwi7. = It was soap with which I washed my head.
kaxlaan is a Noun which means soap.
The harrumphing xinb’aqb’ej is built from four components:
1.      x-                    = the Completive Prefix.
2.      in-                   = the B1 Prefix.
3.      b’aq               = a Verb which means wash.
4.      -b’ej               = the Instrumental Voice Suffix.
nwi7, meanwhile, is built from two components:
1.      n-                    = the shortened A1 Prefix.
2.      wi7                 = a Noun which means head.
Using the SET B Prefixes, and your answers to the previous exercise, translate these sentences:
a.      It was soap with which you washed your head. =Â
b.      It was soap with which he washed his head. =
c.      It was soap with which we washed our heads. =
d.     It was soap with which all of you washed your heads. =
f.      It was soap with which they washed their heads. =
Answer Key:
Lesson 1
(1f – 2a – 3b – 4c – 5e – 6d)
Lesson 2
(1c – 2e – 3b – 4f – 5d – 6a)
Please let me know if I have the diagrams or their keys do not match.
Lesson 3
Ja tzyaq xti7j _kumaal_ ch’ooyaa7. = The clothes were eaten by rats.
Xjech’eb’a7xi ja jaay _rumaal_ ja b’anol jaay. = The house was built uneven by the carpenter.
A more literal translation of these sentences would be:
Ja tzyaq xti7j kumaal ch’ooyaa7. = The clothes were eaten by them rats.
Xjech’eb’a7xi ja jaay rumaal ja b’anol jaay. = The house was built uneven by him the carpenter.
Lesson 4:
waj  = my ear of corn
aawaj = your ear of corn
raj    = his/her ear of corn
qaj   = our ear of corn
eewaj = all of yours’ ear of corn
kaj   = their ear of corn
Lesson 5:
awi7Â = your head
ewi7 = all of your heads
kwi7 = their heads
nwi7 = my head
qwi7 = our heads
rwi7Â = his/her head
(In Tzutujil, Possessed Nouns do not take Plurality. This, naj can mean either my ear of corn or my ears of corn.)
Lesson:
a.      It was soap with which you washed your head. = Kaxlaan xatb’aqb’ej awi7.
b.      It was soap with which he washed his head. = Kaxlaan xb’aqb’ej rwi7.
c.      It was soap with which we washed our heads. = Kaxlaan xoqb’aqb’ej qwi7.
d.     It was soap with which all of you washed your heads. = Kaxlaan xixb’aqb’ej ewi7.
f.      It was soap with which they washed their heads. = Kaxlaan xeeb’aqb’ej kwi7.
This was my first attempt at this 2-part format. Time will reveal how this works.
The next language posts will revolve around the Tundra Nenets language of Siberia. This will take a few weeks, but there will be a brief analysis of some Victorian literature during the interlude.