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Supplement 1: Nahuatl Prefixes

*NOTE: POSSESSIVE PREFIXES
The "o" of the possessive prefixes: "no", "mo", "to", or "amo" is dropped when nouns begin with short or long vowels: "o", "e", or "a" ; Conversely, for nouns beginning with short "i", the short "i," is dropped, thus retaining the "o" of the possessive prefix: "no", "mo", "to", or "amo" (Lockhart 2).

For nouns beginning with long vowel "i," the long vowel "i" is treated the same as other long vowels and retained, while the "o" of the possessive prefixes: "no", "mo", "to", or "amo" is dropped.
*NOTE: POSSESSIVE PREFIXES
The possessive prefix "im" precedes nouns beginning with vowels or with the letters m, or p; whereas, the use of its alternate form "in" precedes nouns beginning with consonants, except for the letters m and p.
*NOTE: SUBJECT PREFIXES
The "i" of the subject prefixes "ni" or "ti" is dropped when subject nouns begin with vowels.

Subject Prefixes for Verbs & Nouns
Singular
Translation
Plural
Translation
First Person
ni- (*n-)
I
ti- (*t-)
we
Second Person
ti- (*t-)
you
am- (an-)
you (plural)
Third Person
-
it, she, he
-
they

Updated 6/25/03


.LESSON ARCHIVES . Lesson 1. Lesson 2. Lesson 3. Lesson 4. Lesson 5. Lesson 6. Lesson 7. Lesson 8. Lesson 9. Lesson 10. Lesson 11. Lesson 12
SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES.. Supplement 1. Supplement 2 . Supplement 3
.

mp3 Listing. sunmono.mp3 . NAHUATLdays.mp3. NAHUATLnumbers.mp3

 

Possessive Prefixes of Nouns, Prepositions Adverbs,
Singular
Translation
Plural
Translation
First Person
no- (*n-)
my
to-
our
Second Person
mo- (*m-)
your
amo-
you (plural)
Third Person
i-
its, her, his
im- (in-)
their
  Singular & Plural Translation
indefinite
te-
one's, someone's, another's (animate)
indefinite (postposition use only)
tla-
 something's (inanimate)
Prefix +
Noun Nahuatl Translation
i +
 acalli = iacal its, her or his boat
i +
 xochitl = ixoch its, her or his flower
amo +
 nantli = amonan y'all's mother
im +
 amoxtli = imamox their book
in +
 colli = incol their grandfather
ni + mo +
 nantli = nimonan I am your mother
ti + no +
 textli = tinotextzin you are my brother-in-law (respectful -tzin is added)
an + to +
 machtli = antomachhuan you (all) are our nieces/nephews (-huan added for plural possessed animate nouns)
amo +
 tahtli = amotahhuan y'all's fathers (-huan added for plural possessed animate nouns)
WORKS CITED / REFERENCES

(nearly all of the books listed below are available through inter-library loan from the University of Utah or from your local university, which may carry copies as well. Links are provided for those who are able and interested in purchasing the resources listed.)

Andrews, J. Richard. Introduction to Classical Nahuatl. Austin: Univ. of Texas 1975 .

Campbell, R. Joe and Frances Karttunen. Foundation Course in Nahuatl Grammar. 2 vols. Morris: Univ. of Minnesota, 1989 .

Karttunen, Frances. An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl. 1983. Oklahoma: Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, 1992 .

Lockhart, James. Nahuatl as Written: Lessons in Older Written Nahuatl, with Copious Examples and Texts. Stanford Univ. Press: Stanford (2001).


Mithun, Marianne. The Languages of Native North America. 1999. New York: Cambridge, 2001 .

Sullivan, Thelma D. Compendium of Nahuatl Grammar.1976. Trans. Thelma D. and Neville Stiles. Ed. Wick R. Miller and Karen Dakin. Salt Lake City: Univ. of Utah, 1988 .

Webster's Dictionary. Random House. 1991.

EXAMPLES