The Foolish People Imitate the Crow, Chiricahua Apache Text excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes |
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25. The Foolish People Imitate the Crow as told by Sam
Kenoi
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 | The Foolish People Imitate the Crow, Chiricahua Apache Text |  |
25. The Foolish People Imitate the Crow as told by Sam Kenoi
There were many of them encamped on a flat.
Daabigootaná'a.
Łáͅná'a, góńteelyá.
Bánant'áń 'ándiná'a:
'Idiͅiͅgo baa'ándiidihndiná'a.
Their chief spoke thus:
They were very obedient.
The first line of this passage is literally as follows: "Their camps, it is said / many, it is said / on the flat."
Łáͅná'a, góńteelyá. 'flat, plain' is the ni- perf. neut. of the theme -teel 'to be flat' with place subject. Cf. ni-...-teel 'to be broad, flat' [imp. neut. intr.].
2. bánant'áń 'their chief'. bánant'á 'chief, he commands', 3rd person of naa-ni...t'a 'to command, direct' [imp. neut. intr.]. . báá- 'for them'.
3. 'idiͅiͅgo baa'ándiidihndiiná'a [this appears as 'idiͅiͅgo baa'ándiidihndiná'a within the text--MEC] 'they were very obedient'. 'idiͅiͅ [also 'ídiͅiͅ] 'very, exceedingly'. baa'ándiidihndii 'they are obedient, they do what they are told' cannot be analyzed. Cf. shaa'ándiidihndii 'I am obedient'.
Just the men hurriedly came together
Dáhaͅhgo łee'ésilíͅná'a, dándéíná.
'I'óó'áͅgoná'a.
'It'a gat'íͅgoná'a, łáͅná'a.
Bánant'áń bich'iͅiͅhodzíná'a.
The sun had set [but] one could still see that there were many.
Their chief spoke to them.
1. Dáhaͅhgo łee'ésilíͅná'a 'they came together hurriedly'. da- 'just'; haͅh 'quickly'. łee'é 'together' plus the 3rd person perf. of ...[si- perf.]-laa 'to become' [act. intr.].
2. hadaahákago 'when you have intercourse'. 2nd person distrib. perf.of ha- hi-...[si- perf.]-ká 'several go out' [act. intr.], a euphemistic expression for 'to copulate'. In the second person dual, the dual prefix a- combines with the si- perfective to form á- .
3. gaa'ye dábí'dałndí 'make a noise like the crow'. gaa'ye 'crow' [also heard gaadé]. dábí 'just him' plus the 2nd person dual imp. of 'i-di-...[si- perf.]-ł- ndí 'to make a noise' [act. intr.]. 'i- ?; di- noise[?].
Then [the council] was over.
'Ákoo 'énágoosdiͅiͅná'a.
'Inádaajiyeezhoozhná'a.
Gołnééjíͅná'a.
Nágo dá'ádáͅ, gaa'ye łi' deesndiiná'a.
Dáłe'yá góńteelyá bigootaní, gaa'ye bizaa hagodóódláná'a.
They went back.
Twilight had come.
Then, just at that time, some crow called.
[Then] from all their camps on the flat together, the voice of the crow was heard[1]
bizaa hagodóódláná'a. 'his voice was heard'. - zaa 'voice'. hagodóódlá, perf. of ha-fo-di- ...[hi- perf.]-dlaa 'a noise is heard' [act. intr.]. ha- 'out'; go- ?; di- noise. The theme occurs only with this prefix complex.
To remark, in pointed context about the crow's call, is a jest understood by all Apache on the Mescalero Reservation.
Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer
The first line of this passage is literally as follows: "Their camps, it is said / many, it is said / on the flat."
Łáͅná'a, góńteelyá. 'flat, plain' is the ni- perf. neut. of the theme -teel 'to be flat' with place subject. Cf. ni-...-teel 'to be broad, flat' [imp. neut. intr.].
2. bánant'áń 'their chief'. bánant'á 'chief, he commands', 3rd person of naa-ni...t'a 'to command, direct' [imp. neut. intr.]. . báá- 'for them'.
3. 'idiͅiͅgo baa'ándiidihndiiná'a [this appears as 'idiͅiͅgo baa'ándiidihndiná'a within the text--MEC] 'they were very obedient'. 'idiͅiͅ [also 'ídiͅiͅ] 'very, exceedingly'. baa'ándiidihndii 'they are obedient, they do what they are told' cannot be analyzed. Cf. shaa'ándiidihndii 'I am obedient'.
1. Dáhaͅhgo łee'ésilíͅná'a 'they came together hurriedly'. da- 'just'; haͅh 'quickly'. łee'é 'together' plus the 3rd person perf. of ...[si- perf.]-laa 'to become' [act. intr.].
2. hadaahákago 'when you have intercourse'. 2nd person distrib. perf.of ha- hi-...[si- perf.]-ká 'several go out' [act. intr.], a euphemistic expression for 'to copulate'. In the second person dual, the dual prefix a- combines with the si- perfective to form á- .
3. gaa'ye dábí'dałndí 'make a noise like the crow'. gaa'ye 'crow' [also heard gaadé]. dábí 'just him' plus the 2nd person dual imp. of 'i-di-...[si- perf.]-ł- ndí 'to make a noise' [act. intr.]. 'i- ?; di- noise[?].
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