"Tule,
(5.42)[42]
-
"Teeł,
-
teełts'ódzí,
-
teełdishk'áͅí,
-
teeł'áłts'oͅoͅsí,
-
'óók'aaí,
-
tághe'tł'oh'iitooí,
-
tł'oh'iigaaí,
-
tł'oh'iitsooí,
-
tł'oh'iichíí,
-
tł'ohdiitł'ishí,
díík'eh, łi' 'édiͅgo, dáhaadí tághe'shíͅ
hanádant'íͅí díík'eh dooleeł."
Shóͅóͅdé biłch'indiná'a.
Dá'áíná yégóͅsiͅgo 'ách'íͅsiͅná'a.
- "Tule,
- spike rush,
- sedge,
- slender tule,
- carrizo,
- watercress,
- white violet,
- asphodel,
- side oats grama [var.],
- blue-eyed grass,
[and] everything, though it does not [now] exist, of
whatever sort that grows in the water will be created."
[the voice]
said to Coyote.
[The voice] made him think only of these things.[5]
[_]
(5.42) Linguistic Notes
Following is an analysis of the plant names mentioned in this passage. Those terms not
listed cannot be analyzed. For a more precise definition of the botanical terms given in
this text, see the publication by Castetter and Opler cited in Ethnological Notes to
Chiricahua Apache text 39.9, note 9.
teełts'ódzí 'spike rush'. teeł 'tule'; -ts'ódz, cf. hits'ódz 'it is tapered, pointed' [imp. neut. intr]; -í relative.
teełdishk'áͅí 'sedge'. dishk'áͅ 'it is blackish, clump-like, clod-like'.
teeł'áłts'oͅoͅsí 'slender tule'. 'áłts'oͅoͅs 'it is slender' [imp. neut. intr.; prefixes 'á-ni-].
tághe'tł'oh'iitooí 'water cress'. tá- 'water'; -ghe' 'in'; tł'oh 'grass,
plant'; 'iitoo, perf. of 'i-|...[ni- perf.]-tó 'to become
red' [act. intr.].
tł'oh'iigaaí 'white violet'. 'iigaa, perf. of 'i-|...[ni- perf.]-gá 'to
become white' [act. intr.].
tł'oh'iitsooí 'asphodel'. 'its'oo, perf. of 'i| ...[ni-
perf.]-tsó 'to become yellow,' [act. intr.].
tł'oh'iichíí 'side oats grama [var.]'. 'iichí, perf. of 'i-|...[ni- perf.]-chí 'to become red' [act. intr.].
tł'ohdiitł'ishí 'blue-eyed grass'. diitł'ishí, cust. of di-|...[ni- perf.]-tł'íísh 'to become blue' [act. intr.].
[_]
Ethnological Note 5
In this phase of creation Coyote is merely the
instrument. The power which is working through him is that of Child of the
Water. The voice or power, by repeating these names to Coyote, causes him to
think about them and, in that way, to create them.