Daniel F. Suslak
Indiana University
Ayapanec Gulf Zoquean (often referred to as “Ayapaneco”) is a moribund Mixe-Zoquean language spoken by a handful of elderly residents of the town of Ayapa, Tabasco. Its speakers call it Numte Oote ‘the true language.’ They call themselves Nyi’nta’ ‘people from here’ or Ndxaxjonta’ ‘people from this land.’ Ayapa is located in the municipality of Jalpa de Méndez, in a region of Tabasco known as the Chontalpa. The Chontalpa is a contact zone in which Ayapanec has been spoken side by side with Gulf Nahuatl (Uto-Aztecan) and Chontal (Mayan) for centuries both before and after the Spanish Conquest.
Manuel Segovia Jiménez told Suslak the story
Uudzu Tzu’ Mbüünyi ‘Monkey and Thunder’ on several occasions during the time they worked together. This particular version was recorded in Don Manuel’s home in the summer of 2007 and transcribed and translated with his help later that fall. Don Manuel was born in 1936 and continued to speak Ayapanec every day, long after all of his friends and neighbors had given it up. In 2015 Manuel, Isidro and their group of speakers worked with INALI to produce an animated version of Monkey and Thunder featuring Ayapanec voice acting and Spanish subtitles.
1
1)
 |
Por ejemplo el, como se llama, el mono, |
‘For example it, what do you call it, the monkey,’ |
2)
 |
este, se sabe que el mono es un animal que grita muy fuerte. |
‘um, you know that the monkey is an animal that shouts very loudly.’ |
3)
 |
Pero el trueno grita más. |
‘But thunder shouts even more.’ |
4)
 |
Entonces el mono estuvo gritando en un árbol. |
‘So then the monkey was shouting up in a tree.’ |
5)
 |
Uudzu ich ninhwej yu tu kuy. |
ʔuː¢u |
ʔit |
nǝ=y=ŋ•weh |
yu |
tu |
kuy |
monkey |
exist |
HAB=3A=MOUTH•cry |
in |
one |
tree |
‘Monkey is shouting in a tree.’ |
6)
 |
Todo rato. |
‘All the time.’ |
7)
 |
Ke jejn makput. Makndüj mbeʹ ii maknhwej maj. |
que |
heM |
mak=put |
mak=nǝh |
meʔ |
ʔiː |
mak=ŋ•weh |
más |
that |
there |
CMP=exit |
CMP=go |
DIST |
who |
CMP=MOUTH•cry |
more |
‘He left. He went looking for someone who could shout louder.’ |
8)
 |
Pero nümidxa jejn ich uno jejn ninyoxyeaj, si ninhwejyaj maj. |
pero |
nǝm–haY–ta |
heM |
ʔit |
uno |
heM |
nǝ=y=yoš=ʔaM |
sí |
nǝ=y=ŋ•weh=ʔaM |
más |
but |
say–APPL–PASS |
there |
exist |
one |
there |
HAB=3A=work=IAM |
yes |
HAB=3A=MOUTH•cry=IAM |
more |
‘But there is one, they say, there working, who does shout more.’ |
9)
 |
Maknduʔk yukko mbeʹ lugar. |
mak=nuʔk |
yukːo |
meʔ |
lugar |
CMP=arrive |
aboveRN |
DIST |
place |
‘Monkey arrived in that place.’ |
10)
 |
Mandxüüma, chi günhweaj? |
ma=y=nǝm–haY |
či |
kǝ=yn=waT |
CMP=3A=say–APPL |
what |
PROG=2A=do |
‘He said to him, “What are you doing?” ’ |
11)
 |
Üts gaʹayooxü. I mits? |
ʔǝ¢ |
kǝ=ʔa=yoš–ǝ |
ʔi |
mi¢ |
1PRO |
PROG=1S=work–INTR |
and |
2PRO |
‘ “I’m working. And you?” ’ |
12)
 |
Üts agwichpa. |
ʔǝ¢ |
ʔa=wit–pa |
1PRO |
1S=walk–INC |
‘ “I’m out walking.” ’ |
13)
 |
Tantu taʹa chi nyox? |
tantu |
taʔa |
či |
yn=yoš |
so.much |
NEG |
what |
2A=work |
‘ “You have so little work to do?” ’ |
14)
 |
Pweeej, ʹnxuj chi ʹnyoxpa pero maʹaput agwiidx. |
pues |
ʔn=šuT |
či |
ʔn=yoš–pa |
pero |
ma=ʔa=put |
ʔa=wit–ǝʔ |
well |
1A=have |
that |
1A=work–INC |
but |
CMP=1S=exit |
1S=walk–INTR |
‘ “Weeell, I have work to do but I went for a walk anyway.” ’ |
15)
 |
Güjnooʹ ndü’ü tenhwaj tu pwesto—a bver ii ninhwyej maj ke tu… |
kǝ=ʔn=hoːʔ–ǝʔ |
nǝʔǝ |
ten=waT |
tu |
puesto |
a |
ver |
ʔiː |
nǝ=y=ŋ•weh |
más |
que |
tu |
PROG=1A=know–INTR |
FUT |
1A.INCL=do |
one |
bet |
to |
see |
who |
HAB=3A=MOUTH•cry |
more |
than |
one |
‘ “Let’s make a bet—let’s see who shouts louder than a… .” ’ |
16)
 |
Üts nüʹnhwej maj ke tu püüsi! |
ʔǝ¢ |
nǝ=ʔn=ŋ•weh |
más |
que |
tu |
pǝːsiN |
1PRO |
HAB=1A=MOUTH•cry |
more |
than |
one |
man |
‘ “I shout louder than any man!” ’ |
17)
 |
De jejn entonsej, niyoo, |
de |
heM |
entonces |
nǝ=y=ʔotoŋ |
from |
there |
then |
HAB=3A=say |
‘So then, he says to him,’ |
18)
 |
mbüünyi, Üts kasi taa nüʹnhwej, |
mǝːñi |
ʔǝ¢ |
casi |
taː |
nǝ=ʔn=ŋ•weh |
lightning |
1PRO |
almost |
NEG |
HAB=1A=MOUTH•cry |
‘the lightning says, “I don’t shout often,’ |
19)
 |
pero mbaya. |
pero |
mbaya |
but |
well |
‘ “but what the heck?’ |
20)
 |
Ndüʹkxü yukku mbeʹk gwütkuy gwekxü yukko. |
nǝʔkš–ǝ |
yukːu |
meʔ=k |
gwǝt•kuy |
gwekš–ǝ |
yukːo |
go–IMP |
aboveRN |
DIST=REL |
big•wood |
climb–INTR |
aboveRN |
‘ “Go climb up on that branch.’ |
21)
 |
Jeʹma gaʹandüüʹ. |
heM=ʔaM |
kǝ=ʔa=nǝh–ǝʔ |
there=IAM |
PROG=1S=go–INTR |
‘ “I’m going presently.’ |
22)
 |
Ndüʹü tsak ayoox. |
nǝʔǝ |
¢ak |
ʔa=yoš–ǝʔ |
FUT |
leave |
1S=work–INTR |
‘ “I am going to stop working.’ |
23)
 |
Ndüʹü goj ʹnxuuye jeʹma gaʹandüüʹ. |
nǝʔǝ |
koT |
ʔn=šuːye |
heM=ʔaM |
kǝ=ʔa=nǝh–ǝʔ |
FUT |
put.on |
1PSR=shirt |
there=IAM |
PROG=1S=go–INTR |
‘ “I’m going to put on my shirt, and I’ll be right there.” ’ |
24)
 |
Makndüj cheegoj. |
mak=nǝh |
y=¢eːk–hoh |
CMP=go |
3A=stomach–insideRN |
‘He went home.’ |
25)
 |
Makyoj syuuye. |
ma=y=koT |
y=šuːye |
CMP=3A=put.on |
3PSR=shirt |
‘He put on his shirt.’ |
26)
 |
Maaa mbeʹe, esteee, makyoj mbiiʹma lo ke ndüʹü kyoj. |
ma=meʔe |
este |
ma=y=koT |
miiʔma |
lo |
que |
nǝʔǝ |
y=koT |
CMP=DIST |
this |
CMP=3A=put.on |
all |
3PRO |
what |
FUT |
3A=put.on |
‘He dressed himself.’ |
27)
 |
Mapyengedüʹk espaada. |
ma=y=pen•ketǝʔk |
espada |
CMP=3A=grab•enter |
sword |
‘He grabbed his sword.’ |
28)
 |
Puute tügünaaga anhgüʹü, |
put–e |
tǝkǝ•ŋ•naːka |
ʔaŋkǝʔǝ |
exit–NOM |
house•MOUTH•skin |
patio |
‘Out the door into his patio,’ |
29)
 |
mandxakxgwiʹibu. |
ma=y=nakš•wiʔipuh |
CMP=3A=hit•spin |
‘he swung it around.’ |
30)
 |
Mandxakxgwiʹibu de makeʹndeene. |
ma=y=nakš•wiʔipuh |
de |
mak=keʔn•ten–e |
CMP=3A=hit•spin |
of |
CMP=shine•stand–NOM |
‘He swung it around and fired a bolt of lightning.’ |
31)
 |
Makndüj direkto de ndxeʹ kuy. |
mak=nǝh |
directo |
de |
y=neʔ |
kuy |
CMP=go |
direct |
of |
3A=forRN |
tree |
‘It went right for the tree.’ |
32)
 |
Machünhgüboʹ axta tu laa. |
ma=y=tǝŋ•kǝpoʔ |
hasta |
tu |
lado |
CMP=3A=chop•split |
until |
one |
side |
‘The bolt split the tree in half.’ |
33)
 |
De jejn tejeʔ nye’a ni se sabe judaʹk ndüʹü xuuʹgü uudzu. |
de |
heM |
teheʔ |
nnyeʔa |
ni |
se‿sabe |
huta=ʔk |
nǝʔǝ |
xuk–ǝʔ |
uː¢u |
from |
there |
NEG |
3PRO |
NEG |
be.known:3SG:PRES
| where=REL |
FUT |
end–INTR |
monkey |
‘And from there no one knows where the monkey will end up.’ |
34)
 |
Makyakx akeʹayüj kuy küʹm. |
ma=y=kakš |
ma=y=kaʔY–ǝʔǝY |
kuy |
kǝʔm |
CMP=3A=hit.with.branch |
CMP=3A=die–CAUS |
tree |
below |
‘A branch hit him and killed him below the tree.’ |
35)
 |
Entonces niyooo, |
entonces |
nǝ=y=ʔotoŋ |
then |
HAB=3A=say |
‘Then he says,’ |
36)
 |
Niyodoj mbüünye, jut ich myüüʹnyeʹago? |
nǝ=y=ʔotoŋ |
mǝːnye |
yut |
ʔit |
yn=mǝːʔnye‿ʔago |
HAB=3A=say |
lightning |
where |
exist |
2PSR=courage |
‘Lightning says, “Where is your courage?’ |
37)
 |
Mits ninyodoj ninhwyej maj? |
mi¢ |
nǝ=yn=ʔotoŋ |
nǝ=yn=ŋ•weh |
más |
2PRO |
HAB=2A=say |
HAB=2A=MOUTH•cry |
more |
‘ “You say you shout louder?’ |
38)
 |
Ndaʹanhwej de una vej, pero taʹa |
nǝʔǝ=ʔa=ŋ•weh |
de |
una |
vez |
pero |
taʔa |
FUT=1S=MOUTH•cry |
of |
one |
time |
but |
NEG |
‘ “I was going to shout at once, but no.’ |
39)
 |
Taʹa mi ii. |
taʔa |
mi |
ʔiː |
NEG |
little |
who |
‘ “Not one little bit.” ’ |
40)
 |
Maktsüʹy kyüʹmda kuy. |
mak=¢ǝʔy |
y=kǝʔm–ta |
kuy |
CMP=stay |
3A=below–PASS |
tree |
‘Monkey remained there below the tree.’ |
41)
 |
Eso es lo que. [laughter] |
‘That’s what.’ (laughter)’ |
Notes