Confessonario en lengua mixe : con una construcción de las oraciones de la doctrina christiana y un compendio de voces mixes para ensenarse a pronunciar la dicha lengua
Contributor:
Berendt, C. Hermann 1817-1878 (former owner); Brinton, Daniel G. 1837-1899 (former owner)
Name:
Quintana, Augustin de
Timespan:
Early works to 1800
Date:
1872
Description:
C. Hermann Berendt's transcription, made in a notebook of lined paper, of Quintana's work published in 1733. Part 1 of the book (p. 1-102) presents model language for the Catholic sacrament of confession, in Spanish and Mixe versions, generally in the form of dialogues between confessor (C) and penitent (P), including exchanges about each of the 10 commandments; supplemental exchanges about faith, hope, and charity (p. 93); and vocabulary of family relationships (Parentesco; p. 98). Part 2 (p. 103-168) contains parallel Mixe-Spanish texts of 13 Catholic prayers, or recitations of doctrine; each prayer is followed by a grammatical discussion, structured in numbered paragraphs, in which Mixe words and passages from the prayer are explicated in terms of grammar. The texts include the Lord's prayer (p. 107), the Ave Maria (p. 112), the Apostles' Creed (Credo, p. 115), the Ten commandments (p. 127), and the Act of contrition (p. 161). Part 3 (p. 169-185) is mainly devoted to pronunciation, with an exposition of 7 voices or tones (voces; p. 169-173), along with vocabulary exemplifying them (p. 174-182); an account of diphthongs (p. 183); and vocabulary lists for cardinal and ordinal numbers (p. 186-190), time expressions (p. 191-192), and parts of the body (p. 193-199). The appearance of the title page, which is carefully pencilled on a separate leaf of thin paper (tipped in, f. 1r), suggests that it may have been traced from the printed book. In a notice from the copyist (Advertencia del copiante; p. [III-IV]), Berendt summarizes the content, including permissions and conventional praises, of several preliminary leaves that he does not reproduce; his copy begins with the prologue of the author (Prologo; p. [V]-VII). He notes that remarks by Fray (Brother) Estevan de Roxas and Fray Antonio Meneses make allusions to other works by the author in the Mixe language. He also explains some aspects of his copying procedure: his copy matches the printed text line for line, with the page numbering of the printed work noted in the margins; errata given on the last 2 pages of the book have been emended in the text during copying; annotations in red ink are Berendt's own (p. 9, 173); and words noted by him in blue ink in the margins are in the Zoque language of Tecpatán, Mexico. Other annotations made in pencil (p. 35, 130, 192) are evidently also by Berendt. In addition, toward the beginning of part 2, Berendt interposes a note in the same brown ink as the main text, under the heading: Nota del copiante (p. 106), in which he explains that the full texts of the prayers are not found in the original work; the implication is that he constructed them himself, by putting together the passages scattered throughout Quintana's grammatical discussion. See Ms. Coll. 700, Item 100 for Berendt's compendium of the Mixe versions of these texts, as a separate manuscript. In another note in the same ink and without a heading, Berendt reports that he is omitting the Spanish verses that Quintana said he had inserted only to fill out the page (p. 102). At the back is the table of contents (Indice; p. 201-202) as in the printed work, except that page numbers refer to Berendt's manuscript. The tipped-in leaves contain notes and/or vocabulary lists in Mixe and Spanish, with occasional reference to Zoque (lower leaf, p. [218]; verso of leaf on p. [219]). A folder shelved with the manuscript contains the following 2 items that were laid in: 1 oversize leaf with a draft version of the Advertencia del copiante; and a small cut-out square of blue paper printed with a score of music under the title: Tres entre cuatro, o los Zacatecas, subtitled as a country dance (contradanza), composed by R[aimundo] Valenzuela; under the music is the printed line: Luis Susini e hijo (a Cuban cigarette manufacturer).; 1. p. [1]-102: Confessonario en lengua mixe.; 2. p. [103]-168: Construcción y explicación, o regimen del mixe, en que están traducidas las oraciones de la doctrina christiana.; 3. p. 169-199: Compendio de voces mixes : util para comenzar a estudiar la lengua mixe.
Language:
Spanish; Castilian
Provenance:
From the collection of C. Hermann Berendt, later acquired by Daniel Garrison Brinton (ex libris stamp on title page, inside upper cover, and p. VII).
114 leaves : paper; 243 x 190 (182-200 x 130-135) mm bound to 245 x 193 mm 2 notes
Geographic Subject:
Mexico -- Languages -- Early works to 1800; Mexico
Rights:
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Notes:
Ms. codex.; Title from title page (tipped in, f. 1r).; Pagination: Paper, i + 114 + i leaves; [I-V], VI-VII, [VIII], [1], 2-102, [103], 104-128, [129], 130-199, [200], 201-202, [203-219], 222; contemporary pagination in ink, upper center, except p. 222, in pencil, upper outer corner. The stub of a leaf cut out is evident between p. 138 and 139; p. [VIII], 200, 203-217, and 222 are blank. The following are tipped in: 1 bifolium and 1 partial leaf (inside upper cover); 1 oversize bifolium (folded; front free endpaper); 1 partial leaf constituting title page (f. 1r); 2 partial leaves (p.[218]); and 1 partial leaf (p. [219]).; Layout: Mostly written in 22 lines; the majority of text in two parallel columns, generally with Spanish version on the left and Mixe on the right, but sometimes the reverse (in Berendt's added texts of prayers), and interspersed commentary (mostly in Spanish, but sometimes with Mixe words and expressions) in long lines.; Script: Written in the hand of C. Hermann Berendt.; Decoration: drawing of circle circumscribed inside a square, with 8 radii and various shading and decorative marks, and, on either side of it, 4 small cloud-like shapes creating a diamond-shaped configuration (lower half of title page, beneath and visually associated with the dedication to Saint Vincent Ferrer). The illustration may be meant to suggest the emblem of the Dominicans (Orden de Predicadores).; Binding: Contemporary boards, with spine covering mostly wanting; covers, endpapers, and many leaves at the front and back detached or nearly detached.; Origin: Written in New York (Nueva York) from February 1872 (p. IV) to 11 May 1872 (p. 202).; Spanish and Mixe, with some Zoque words noted in margins.
Physical Location:
Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscripts, Ms. Coll. 700
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