In this lesson we will learn Nahuatl greetings. People in Nahua towns of Chicontepec, greet each other by hand and they do not look each other in the eyes, especially between a man and a woman. In general, adults do not say each other’s firsts names when greeting.
Cihuatl ica Cihuatl
A: Nimītztlahpaloz ahui.
B: Aah (they greet each other), ¿tipaxaloti?
A: Quēna, niquittati noichpōcauh.
B: Ah, cualli.
A: Na niyohua.
B: Ooh.
Tlācatl īcā Tlācatl
A: Tlayi, nimītztlahpaloz.
B: Nimi7tztlahpaloz.
A: ¿Tlen ticchīhuaz mōztla?
B: Mōztla nipixcaz, ¿quēnque?
A: Pampa nicnequi niquittaz tlan hueliz tinēchpalehuia.
B: ¿Huan tlen ticchīhuaz?
A: Nitōcaz.
B: Axcanah nihueliz mōztla.
A: Huāccā timomelahuah
B: Timomelahuah.
Woman with woman
A: Greetings, aunt / ma’am.
B: Aahh, you are visiting?
A: Yes, I am seeing my teenage daughter.
B: Ah, good.
A: I am leaving now.
B: Ooh.
Man with man
A: Uncle / sir, greetings.
B: Greetings.
A: What are you doing tomorrow?
B: Tomorrow I harvest, why?
A: Because I need to see if you can help me.
B: And what are you doing?
A: I am planting corn.
B: I am not able tomorrow.
A: Then we will see each other later.
B: We will see each other.
Quēmman motlahpaloah moilliah (When you greet you say)
¿Tlen ticchīhua? Nitlahtzoma.
¿Tlen inquichīhuah? Titlahtzomah.
¿Titequiti? Quēna, nitequiti.
¿Timociahcāhua? Quēna. Nimociahcahua.
Quēmman mācēhualli zan quināhuatihtēhua cē ācahya īnechca quiillia (When you say farewell to someone near to you, you say)
Mācēhualli tlen tēnāhuatihtēhua quihtoa (The person saying farewell says)
A: Neca nionyāuh.
B: Niyōhua.
A: Tiyōhuihya.
Mācēhualli cihuātl tlanānquilia quihtoa (A woman responds by saying)
Huenoh.
O’ooh / A’aah / Ho’ooh.
Titlanānquilia cequin tlahtlanliztli (Respond to the following greetings)
A: Niyōhua
B:
A: Tiyohuihya
B:
A: Piyalli
B:
A: Mōztlayoc
B:
A: Timomelahuah
B:
A: Niyōhua (Cihuātl īcā tlācatl)
B: