718

and (2) variation in the incidence and usage of the sub-
ordinator -ipana, which in some dialects is a member of a
functioning four-person paradigm that has fallen or is
falling into disuse elsewhere.

While there is some cross-dialectal variation in
meaning or connotation of certain common roots and stems,
Aymara linguistic postulates are strong in ali dialects
except the heavily Spanish-influenced Missionary, Patr6n,
and Radio Aymara. The primary linguistic postulates (a
four-person system, a distinction of human and nonhuman,
and a distinction of direct and indirect knowledge) reinforce
the phonological and lexical unity already noted and make
for cross-dialectal comprehension even in the presence
of considerable lexical variation.

It is primarily on the basis of the phonological
shapes of a relatively few suffixes that Aymara dialects
may be grouped regionally. Incidence of certain morphemes
in a given dialect but not another and of differences in
meaning play a much less significant role in defining
regional groups, although they contribute to dialect
diversity and give the speech of each community its indi-

vidual stamp.

10-2 Regional Dialect Groups and Features

On the basis of regional patterning of certain

morphemes by shape of allomorphs, incidence, and meaning,