Vetancurt, Agustin de (1620-1700).

4to (191 x 127mm.), ff. [6], 49 (i.e. 50), [8], illustration: title within typographic border, woodcut illustration on title-page, woodcut initials, woodcut tailpiece, typographic headpieces, binding: eighteenth-century vellum-backed marbled boards, spine slightly chipped

Palau 361209; Sabin 99385; Medina, Mexico 1103

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Agustin de Vetancurt, a native of Mexico who became a Franciscan missionary at a very early age, based at the chapel of San José de los Naturales in the Franciscan monastery in Mexico City, spent nearly the whole of his life among the Indians. He composed this grammar of the Nahuatl language for the use of other missionaries in Mexico. Although admitting that it was not a method eminently applicable to New World languages, Vetancurt does follow the quinpartite method of discussing language that Antonio de Nebrija had propounded in his ground-breaking Gramática Castellana (1492). Vetancurt provides a highly detailed index to his grammar and an appendix including the sacraments of the Church and a catechism.