Eighth - Caliwvn (Greetings)

Usual Greetings.

The standard greeting among the Mapuce people is "mari mari".
It cannot be translated literally as it just repeats twice the numeral "mari" = ten.
After this phrase, it is usually added the word "brother/sister" that presents certain particularities.
Women should call both men and women using the word: "lamgen" (also pronounced "lamien" or "lamuan" depending on the local varitations)
Men say "lamien" ("lamgen" / "lamuan") to women BUT "peñi" to other men.

1. Gvxamkan: Conversation:

- Mari mari
- Mari mari, ¿cumleymi?
- (Iñce) kvmelen, ¿eymi kay?
- Iñce kafey

- Mari mari, ¿cumleymi?
Note the use of the inverted question mark as in Spanish: ¿cumleymi?
This question is composed by the interrogative pronoun "cum-" = how; "-le-" as we explained in a previous entry (Seventh - Pronouns, 4.5.) this particle marks that what is being asked or mentioned is happening at the moment it is pronounced, a sort of Present Continuous marker, although it is also used to "verbalize" words, as in this case. "-ymi" is the suffix for the 2nd. Person Singular.
In her Mapuce Course[1] Maria Catrileo recommends the use of the Interrogative Particle "am", then this question should be: ¿cumleymi am?. According to Prof. Cañumil, the Particle "am" should not be used in this kind of constructions and this is the position I will take for this blog.

- (Iñce) kvmelen, ¿eymi kay?
Note: the Personal Pronoun "iñce" is between brackets to mark its use is not mandatory. The verbal suffix "-n" marks the 1st Person Singular and makes irrelevant the use of the Personal Pronoun.
The response to the previous question is "kvme-" (of "kvmen" good) + the particle "-le-" + the verbal suffix "-n".
The question "¿eymi kay?" consists of the Personal Pronoun for the 2nd. Pers. Singular.
The particle "kay" is used to "return" the previous question to the other speaker.

- Iñce kafey
Note: "kafey" means "too" (i.e. "me, too")

2. Other greetings:
When leaving. we can say: "Pewkajal" and to this greeting, we can add the usual address "lamien / lamgen / lamuan" or "peñi" depending on the sex of the other speaker, as explained previously in this entry.
Important!
At night or in the evening and not to "temp fate" this greeting should be reformulated and becomes "Pewkalekejal"
Notice the use of the particles "-le-" and "-ke-"

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[1] Catrileo, Maria, Mapudunguyu - Curso de lengua mapuche, Univ. de Chile, Facultad de Filisofía y humanidades, 1988