Some grammar doubts

[Mizton Pixan]

Hello people, I'm new here, and I'm liking this lil group a lot :)

Hm... I really have to differ about that H. They do pronounce it, but it's
pretty subtile, I have spoken to several native people and they do pronounce
it. Of course, not in every case.
And "chanequeh" is a short form for "ohuican chanequi" (those who live in
dangerous places). The term describes little spirits that protect nature....
pretty much like goblins, but they are usually not bad, just mischievous.

See ya!


On Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 9:40 AM, Michael McCafferty <mmccaffe at indiana.edu>wrote:

> Cualli tonalli, Susana,
>
>
> Quoting Susana Moraleda <susana at losrancheros.org>:
>
> > Sorry if I'm being too primitive and elementary (I'm not an expert in
> > Nahuatl, but I love it), but in revising my Nahuatl grammar I came across
> > the following doubts which I tried to clear reading several sources, but
> > with no success.
> >
> > 1 - I found NOCXI and NOCXIUH for "my foot". Which one is correct?
>
>
> The latter NOCXIUH is definitely the "classic" Nahuatl form. The h,
> despite what people might say today in Mexico (your #2 below), is
> orthographic, i.e., it is not pronounced. The old Spaniards used "uh"
> to write /w/. Phonologically, the term is
>
> /nok$iw/, where /$/ is the sound written "sh" in English.
>
> NOCXI sounds modern dialectal, baby talk...or... just plain funny.
>
>
> >
> > 2 - Should the H be pronounced as in English? Many people in Mexico do
> not
> > pronounce it, while some others do.
> >
> > 3 - ALTEPETL comes from water and hill. I can understand the "hill" part
> and
> > the A for "water", but why do we have an extra L?
>
> The "water" morpheme in this term takes the form /al-/. In other words,
> in this term AL is 'water'.
>
> >
> > 4 - CALEH is one who has a house. Does this have anything to do with
> Spanish
> > "calle"?
>
> Nope. The two words just happen to sound the same, the same as French
> "ici" and Nahuatl "ici". No relationship.
>
> >
> > 5 - I believe CHANEHQUEH is people who have homes. Why and how did this
> word
> > come to mean those imaginary little men residing in the forests?
>
> Ahmo nicmati. :-)
>
> >
> > I would appreciate any comments.
> >
> > Thank you.
> > Susana Moraleda
> >
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> >
>
>
>
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-- 
Si la vida te da la espalda... agárrale las nalgas. If life turns its back
on you... grab its butt. Si la vie te tourne le dos... saisis lui les
fesses. Wenn das Leben dir den Rücken zukehrt... ergreif seinen Po. Se la
vita ti volta le spalle... afferragli il sedere. 人生に背を向けられれば... 尻を握ってやれ。
Intla in nemiliztli mitzneci icuetlapan... xquitzqui itzin :)
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