Coyote and Beaver, Mescalero Apache Text excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes |
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 | Coyote and Beaver, Mescalero Apache Text |  |
Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer
Shóͅóͅdé goghaͅ sidáee dábiłgóͅghéná'a 'Coyote was very tired of staying at home'. goghaͅ 'his home'; sidá 'he is sitting' [3rd person si- perf. neut. intr.]; -ee 'at'. dá- 'very'; bi- 'him'; ł- 'to, with'; góͅghé 'there is weariness, tiredness; there is danger' [imp. neut. intr. with the place subject and the adj. prefix ni-].
doonch'ahgoshchíí'át'éda 'I cannot tell you'. doo-...-da negative; nch'ahgoshchíí > nch'ahgoshchí 'I tell you' plus the relative -í; 'át'é 'it is so'. Literally: 'it is not so that I tell you'; that is, 'it is not possible that I tell you'. Cf. this with the similar constructions in notes 1.4, sect;1 and 1.5.
1. tółánésikáͅná'a 'there was a big lake'. tó 'water'; łáné, relative in -é of łáͅ 'much, many'; sikáͅ 'something in a container lies' [3rd person si- perf. neut. intr.].
2. dziłíbibaͅaͅjiͅ ch'éńyáná'a 'he had reached the edge of the mountains'. dził 'mountains'; bibaͅaͅ 'their edge'; -jiͅ 'to'; ch'éńyá, the 3rd person perf. of ch'é-ni-...[ni- perf.]-yá 'one person comes out' [act. intr.].
1. 'it'ahneełdáͅdaná'ago 'while it was still early morning'. 'it'ah 'still'; neełdáͅ 'early morning' [no analysis]; -da 'even'; -ná'a narr.encl.; -go subord. encl.
2. dees'á 'a hill'. di- inceptive plus the si- perf. neut. of -'á 'a rigid object extends' [?].
3. haayáná'a 'he climbed'. 3rd person perf. of ha- |...[si- perf.]-yá 'one person moves up' [act. intr.].
4. ditsiͅnádáńkaaná'a 'there was a big grove of tress'. ditsiͅ 'trees'; -ná 'just, only' [?]; da- 'just' [?]; ńkaa 'a clump extends horizontally' [3rd person ni- perf. neut. intr.].
5. 'iłánákáná'a 'they were moving about'. 3rd person imp, of 'ił-á-ná-...[si- perf.]- ká 'several move about' [act. intr.]. 'ił- reciprocal; á- ?; ná- 'around, in a circle' [?].
6. doobiłdaagóͅt'édago 'he was not afraid and'. doo-...-da negative; bił- 'to him'; daagóͅt'é, distrib. place subj. plus ni- adj. prefix and the stem -t'é 'to be' [imp. neut. intr.]; -go subordinating enclitic.
7. dá'iłts'égoosdoné 'straight'. dá- 'just' plus the relative in -é of 'iłts'égoosdoͅ 'it is straight' [si- perf. neut. intr.]. I cannot isolate the prefix 'iłts'é- but see note 3.42, §1.
1. tábaͅaͅee 'at the edge of the water'. tá- is a compounded form of tó 'water'; -baͅaͅ 'edge'; -ee 'at'. See tághe'yá 'in the water' in the text line below.
2. 'iłáná'iłkoͅoͅná'a 'they were swimming around'. 3rd person imp. of 'ił-á-ná-'i-...[si- perf.]-ł-koͅoͅ 'several swim around' [act. intr.]. For 'ił-á-ná-, see note 3.8, §5. See also note 3:18, §2.
1. dábíshé 'just among themselves'. dá- just'; bí- independent 3rd person pronoun; -shé, 'side, party'.
2. daa'íiłdiłkiná'a 'they asked questions of one another'. daa- distrib. and 'ił- reciprocal plus the 3rd person imp. of hí-di-...[hi- - perf.]-ł-ki 'to ask, inquire of' [act. tr.]. hí- ?; di- referring to sound. I cannot explain why daa- + hi- + 'íił- becomes daa'íił-.
ntaań'a 'where is your father?' ntaa 'your father'; -ń relative; -'a interrog. encl. [?].
1. t'iis'idaa'áí 'those cottonwoods standing there'. t'iis 'cottonwoods'. 'idaa'á 'several stand erect' [3rd person distrib. si- perf. neut.]. 'i- indef: subj.; -'á 'a rigid object has extension'. Note the loss of the -s- perf. prefix.
2. ńdaagoidiyałkał 'they are felling them'. 3rd person distrib. prog. of ní-di-...[si- perf.]-ł-kaa 'to fell [trees]' [act. tr.]. -ł-kaa, causative of -kaa 'a long rigid object falls' [act. intr.]. ni- terminative [ní- because it precedes di-, see note 2.25, §3]: di- ?.
1. tááhyóͅóͅshóí 'he had dragged into the water'. Relative in -í of the 3rd person perf. with 3rd person obj. of tááh-|...[hi- perf.]-ł-zhoo 'to drag into the water' [act. tr.]. tááh-| 'into the water', a combination of tó 'water' and some unknown prefix.
2. Three verbs based on the theme -ł-koͅoͅ 'to swim' have so far been used. 'ił-á-ná-'i-...[si- perf.]-ł-koͅoͅ 'several swim about' [act. intr.; see note 3.9, §2]; 0-ł-'i-di-...['si- perf.]-ł-koͅoͅ 'to begin to swim with something' [act. intr.; see line 2 of this passage]; and 0-ł-ni-'i-ni-...[ni- perf.]-ł-koͅoͅ 'to swim to [a place] with something; to stop swimming with something' [act. intr.; see line 3 of this passage]. In all of them, it will be noted, occurs the prefix 'i- which cannot be defined.
3. tsiͅ'iłk'idáͅheesndilí 'that pile of logs that had already been made'. tsiͅ 'logs'; 'iłk'idáͅ 'long ago'; heesndil 'several lie' [si- perf. neut. intr. with prefix hi-].
yiłnaadaa'iziinńne 'those with whom he had been working'. yił- 'with them'; naadaa'izii, 3rd person distrib. imp. of naa-'i-...[si- perf.]-zii 'to work' [act. intr.; see Linguistic Note to Chiricahua text , 6.11, §1); -n past tense encl.; -ń relative; -ne 'people of such and such a group'.
1. shóͅóͅdó 'friend'. A vocative of shóͅóͅdé [?].
2. nóshch'íshíͅ 'come here'. An unanalyzable exclamation.
ha'shíͅheená 'where did you come from?' ha'- 'where'; -shíͅ 'from'; -hee interrog. encl.; -ná emphatic encl.
This passage is literally as follows: "Nothing / but / I am coming to you [pl.]. / you / I am coming to you [sg.]."
1. dánant'iͅ' 'quietly' [no analysis].
2. nkeenáádaa'idiidziiná'a 'they began to work again'. 3rd person distrib. perf. of nkee-ná-'i-di-|...[ni- perf.]-d-zí 'to begin to work again' [act. intr.]. nkee- di| 'to begin to'; náá- 'again' [requires the -d- class]; 'i-, see Linguistic Note to Chiricahua text 6.11, §1.
ghe'dénł'eedznáhé 'you are wearing.'. 2nd person of ghe-di-...-l-'eedz 'to wear shoes, moccasins' [si- perf. neut.]. ghe'- 'in'; di- ?. -l-'eedz 'to have one's feet in position' [?]. See note 2.6, §3. -náhé exclamatory enclitic.
The third line of this passage is literally as follows: "And / to the bottoms of his feet / the water / backward / he was doing in that way to it with them, it is said."
yee- 'by means of them'; ha'yóo > ha'yá 'in some way' plus -go subord.; 'áił'íͅ, 3rd person imp. with 3rd person obj. of á-...[hi- perf.]-ł-'íͅ 'to do to' [act. tr.].
1. koͅ'ídó 'a match also'. koͅ ', a variant of koͅoͅ 'fire' [cf. note 1.13, §2]; -í relative; -dó 'also'.
2. The sixth line of this passage is literally as follows: "The tobacco / holding them against each other / a cross / in the form of to the four directions / he raised his hand with it, it is said."
3. 'iłéyóółtaͅgo 'holding them against each other'. 'ił- reciprocal; é- 'against'; yóółtaͅ [also heard yóótaͅ], 3rd person of hó-ni-...-ł-taͅ 'to hold, have hold of [imp. neut. tr.].
4. tsiͅ'iłnóozidí 'cross'. tsiͅ 'wood' [?]; 'iłnóozidí, an archaic relative of 'iłnóozi '[e. g., two sticks] move across each other' [3rd person prog.; see Linguistic Note to Chiricahua text 42.1, §3]. Cf., also, nát'ohí koͅ'íyił 'iłnóozigo 'the crossed cigarette and match' in line 4 of passage 38.
5. gozóleee 'on his chest'. -zóle 'chest'; -ee 'on'.
6. yee'iłdéńdáyágo 'a cross with it'. yee - 'with it'; 'iłdéńdáyágo 'cross-wise, in the form of a cross' [no analysis].
7. goch'iͅiͅdahin'iͅiͅná'a 'he held them up to him'. goch'iͅiͅ- 'to him' plus the 3rd person perf. with 3rd person obj. of dah-di-|...[ni- perf.] -'iͅiͅ 'to hold up an unknown object' [act. tr.]. Note that the 3rd person object pronoun is hi-; possibly dah- + yi- > dahi-.
1. hiidisí 'cigarette'. Literally; 'that which has been rolled'. hiidis, pass. perf. of hi-|...[si- perf.]-dis 'to roll' [act. tr.].
2. bách'iͅiͅłtsooná'a 'he took it from him'. bá- 'for him' plus the 3a person perf. of hi-|...[ni- perf.]-ł-tsó 'to hold, seize' [act. tr.].
1. shnłtłaná'a 'he ignited it'. 3a person perf. of di-|... [ni- perf.]-ł tłá 'to burn, to ignite' [act. tr.]. di-| 'fire' [?].
2. hach'óͅóͅłt'óná'a 'he inhaled it'. 3a person perf. of ha-|...[hi- perf.]-ł-t'o 'to suck, to draw out by sucking' [act. tr.; ha-| 'out'].
3. łidíłáͅgo 'a great deal of smoke'. łidí, relative of łi 'smoke'; łáͅ 'much'.
4. beeshdeeyolná'a 'he blew it'. 3a person perf. of 0ee-di-...[si- perf.]-yóół 'to blow' [act. intr.]. Is this, literally, 'to blow by means of something'?
1. 'iłts'édéńł'éés 'stretch out your legs'. 2nd person imp. of 'iłts'é-di-ni-...-l-'éés 'to stretch out one's legs, to straighten one's legs' [mediopas.]. 'iłts'é- ?; di-ni- ?; -l-'éés 'to move one's legs, feet'.
2. The last line of this passage is literally as follows: "His feet / from his ankles / downward / all / being yellow / pollen / he did so to them with it for him, it is said."
-kétsiͅiͅ, a variant form of -kétsin 'ankles'. Cf. -kétsíń 'ankles' [Linguistic Note to Chricahua text 14.5, §3].
1. nkeeí beetáńł'éés 'put your feet into the water'. nkeeí 'your feet': bee- 'by means of them' plus the 2nd person imp. of tá-di-...[hi- - perf.]-l-'éés 'to step into the water, to move one's feet into the water', [mediopas.]. tá- 'in the water'. [?]; di- ?. Cf. note 3.42, §1.
2. nshndáshíné 'right' [see note 2.8, §1]. Cf. also náánánshtł'áshédó 'the left one also' in line 2 of this passage. nááná- 'again, also'; -dó 'also'. nshtł'á 'left' [no analysis]; -shé 'side'.
bikélátajiͅ 'to the tips of his toes'. -ké 'feet, toes'; -láta 'tips'; -jiͅ 'to'.
1. tóná'iłch'áͅ'ándáyá 'with a splashing of water'. tó 'water'; -ná- emphatic encl.; 'iłch'áͅ'ándá, 3rd person imp. of 'ił-ch'áͅ-á-...[? perf.]- ndá 'to open, to spread apart' [act. intr.]; -yá postposition.
2. 'i'nóͅóͅziiná'a 'he dived in'. 3rd person perf. of 'i-'i-ni-...[hi- perf.]-zí 'to dive in' [act. intr.]. 'i- 'away, in'; 'i-ni- ?.
3. dá'ákoyá diłts'íͅná'a 'he struck out wildly'. dá'ákoyá 'just anywhere'. diłts'íͅ, 3rd person imp. of di-...[si- perf.]-ł-ts'íͅ 'to begin to move one's arms, to begin to strike out aimlessly' [act. intr.; di- inceptive].
4. diyatałná'a 'he was kicking'. 3rd person prog. of di-...[si- perf.]-taał 'to start to kick' [act. intr.].
5. dáhaͅhnáo tóí bee'inłhíͅná'a 'just as he was drowning'. dáoͅ 'just'; haͅh 'quickly'; -ná emphatic encl.; -go subord. encl. tóí 'the water'. bee'inłhíͅ, perf. of 0ee-'i-ni-|...[ni- perf.]-l-ghé 'to be killed' [pass.]. The theme is the pass. of -ł-ghé 'to kill' [act. tr.]. I cannot define the prefixes.
6. The eighth line of this passage is literally as follows: "Very much / a shout / he had done it in vain, it is said."
gondéí 'a shout' is a relative in -í of the 3rd person imp. of go-...[si- perf.]- ndé 'to shout' [act. intr.].
7. bidáashdéńłteelná'a 'it spread over him'. bidáa 'over him' [?] plus the 3rd person perf. of ch'i-di-ni-...[ni- perf.]-ł-teeł '[water, sand] streams, slides' [act. intr.]. I am not certain of this analysis.
[Hoijer translation of the last line of this passage departs from the literal construction of the Apache sentence, in which "Borrt" is the reported utterance of Coyote. A more literal translation of the sentence would read: "'Borrt...' was the only sound he made"--MEC].
1. goch'iͅiͅtágoch'iyeezhoojná'a 'they jumped into the water after him'. goch'iͅiͅ 'toward him' plus the 3rd person dual perf. of tá-ch'i-...[si- perf.]zhóósh 'several jump into the water' [act. intr.]. tá- 'into the water' [?]. The combination ch'i-...zhóósh 'several move en masse'.
2. The fourth line of this passage is literally as follows: "From in the water / he holding his head out / they made him so, it is said."
3. náshdeeyolná'a 'he began to breathe'. 3a person perf.of ná-di-...[si- perf.]-yoł 'to start to breathe' [act. intr.]. ná- ?; di- inceptive. -yoł is the repetetive imp. of -yooł 'to blow'.
1. 'áíí yee'ádzaa 'that is why it happened'. 'áíí 'that'; yee- 'by means of it'; 'ádzaa 'it did so' [3rd person perf. with prefix 'á- 'so'].
hábénáágoodziͅiͅ 'will you try it again?' há- interrog. pronoun [?]. I cannot analyze the rest of the form.
The second line of this passage is literally as follows: "'So / it is just so with you / let it go / it is just so,' / Coyote / he said to him, it is said."
1. The fourth sentence within the long quotation is literally as follows: "Just to my mind / I cannot do it / that it is so."
2. baanaashá 'I tried'. Literally: 'I went about to it'.
3. bénáágodaadziͅiͅł 'I will try again'. Apparently a 3rd person future form but otherwise unanalyzable. See note 3.50, §2.
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