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The Pareni is perhaps a mixture of two tongues that belong to different families; like the Maquiritari, which is composed of the Maypure and the Caribbee; or, to cite an example better known, the modern Persian, which is allied at the same time to the Sanscrit and to the Semitic tongues. The following are Pareni words, which I carefully compared with Maypure words.* A star : Ouipo : Urrupu.
The devil : Amethami : Vasuri. Fire : Casi : Catti. Eno means in Maypure the sky and thunder. The eyes : Nopurizi : Nupuriki. The nose : Nosivi : Nukirri. The mouth : Nonoma : Nunumacu. The teeth : Nasi : Nati. The tongue : Notate : Nuare. The ear : Notasine : Nuakini. The cheek : Nocaco. The neck : Nono : Noinu. The arm : Nocano : Nuana. The hand : Nucavi : Nucapi. The breast : Notoroni.
In all these denominations of a great river, of a shore, and of a rainy country, I think I recognise the radical par, signifying water, not only in the languages of these countries, but also in those of nations very distant from one another on the eastern and western coasts of America. The sea, or great water, is in the Caribbean, Maypure, and Brazilian languages, parana: in the Tamanac, parava.
The Maypure tongue is still spoken at Atures, although the mission is inhabited only by Guahibos and Macos. At Maypures the Guareken and Pareni tongues only are now spoken. Veni, or weni, signifies water, or a river. A young Indian of Maypures, who called himself a Paragini, answered my questions almost in the same words that M. Bonpland heard from a Pareni.
The different Indian languages furnish words to designate this animal, which are scarcely derived from any European tongue. To this day the word auri, mentioned three hundred years ago by Alonzo de Herrera, is found in the Maypure.
Thus the Rio Turiva, near the Encaramada, has five names in the different parts of its course. Gili volume 1 pages 22 and 364. Caulin page 75. In most of the names of the rivers of America we recognize the root water. Thus yacu in the Peruvian, and veni in the Maypure tongues, signify water and river.
The tree which produces the cacao is not at present found wild in the forests of Terra Firma to the north of the Orinoco; we began to find it only beyond the cataracts of Ature and Maypure. It abounds particularly near the banks of the Ventuari, and on the Upper Orinoco, between the Padamo and the Gehette.
It seems surprising that a vegetable production so universally spread should have different names among neighbouring people. The following are the synonyms in thirteen languages. North America. Aztec or Mexican; yetl: Algonkin; sema: Huron; oyngoua. South America. Peruvian or Quichua; sayri: Chiquito; pais. Omagua; petema. Tamanac; cavas. Maypure; jema.
This people are connected by their language with the great branch of the Maypure nations. They are more industrious, we might also say more civilized, than the other nations of the Upper Orinoco. The missionaries relate, that the Guaypunaves, at the time of their sway in those countries, were generally clothed, and had considerable villages.
Cora : Taica : Maitsaca. Huasteca : Aquicha : Aytz. Yaruro : ditto : Goppe. Maypure : Kie : Kejapi. Lule : Inni : Allit. Vilela : Olo : Copi. Moxo : Sachi : Cohe. Chiquito : Suus : Copi. Guarani : Quarasi : Jasi. Mantchou : Choun : Bia. Tschaghatai : Koun : Ay. Tibetan : Niyma : Rdjawa. Chinese : Jy : Yue. Japanese : Fi : Tsouki.
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