The Old Woman's Grandson, Chiricahua Apache Text excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes |
 |
38. The Old Woman's Grandson
as told by Duncan Belacho
|
| 38.1. |
| 38.2. |
| 38.3. |
| 38.4. |
| 38.5. |
| 38.6. |
| 38.7. |
| 38.8. |
| 38.9. |
| 38.10. |
| 38.11. |
| 38.12. |
| 38.13. |
| 38.14. |
| 38.15. |
| 38.16. |
| 38.17. |
| 38.18. |
| 38.19. |
| 38.20. |
| 38.21. |
| 38.22. |
| 38.23. |
| 38.24. |
| 38.25. |
| 38.26. |
| 38.27. |
| 38.28. |
| 38.29. |
| 38.30. |
| 38.31. |
| 38.32. |
| 38.33. |
| 38.34. |
| 38.35. |
| 38.36. |
| 38.37. |
| 38.38. |
| 38.39. |
 | The Old Woman's Grandson, Chiricahua Apache Text |  |
38. The Old Woman's Grandson[1] as told by Duncan Belacho
Long ago, near the time when the earth had been made,
'Iłk'idáͅ, ndi'ágojílaaí 'áháánédáͅ, sáͅná'ań bichóná'ań
'icheeshkéná'ań dá'áko yiłnaa'aashná'a.
'Ákoo kiͅsijaaná'a.
'Áee yiłń'áázhná'a.
'Itéjisiinéná'a.
An old woman traveled about alone with her daughter's child, a boy.
And the two of them came to a town.
They were very poor.
1. The first line of this passage is literally as follows; "Long ago / the earth which has been made / near that time / an old woman, it is said / her daughter's child, it is said / a boy, it is said / just so / she was going about with him, it is said."
2. kiͅsijaaná'a 'a town'. kiͅ, 'houses'; sijaa 'a mass or clump lies' [3rd person si- perf. neut. intr.]. Note, in the first line of passage 2, that kiní, the relative form of kiͅ is used alone to mean 'town'.
3. 'itéjisiinéná'a. 'they were very poor'. 3a person of 'ité- ...-ł-ziiné 'to be poverty-stricken' [imp. neut. intr.]. No further analysis.
Then this old woman went into the town.
'Ákoo díń sáͅń kiní 'ighe'yá 'oołghoná'a.
'Ákaa 'indaa yátá'dił'eełná'a.
Naakizháálí hiyaałbiͅiͅłná'a, łi' jíͅgo.
Naakizháálí náyíń'áͅná'a.
There she washed for the white people.
She earned twenty five cents that day.
She brought the twenty five cents back [home].
1. yátá'dił'eełná'a 'she washed for them'. yá- 'for them' plus the 3rd person imp. with indefinite object of tá-di-...[hi- perf.]-ł-'eeł 'to wash' [act. tr.]. tá- 'in the water' [?]; di- ?. The theme alone: 'to cause to float, to cause to become wet'.
2. naakizháálí 'twenty five cents'. A compound of naaki 'two' and zháálí > Spanish real plus the relative -i.
3. hiyaałbiͅiͅłná'a 'she earned it'. 3rd person prog. with 3rd person obj. of ho-| [or hi- |]...[si- perf.]-ł-biͅiͅ 'to win [a wager]' [act. tr.].
Then she gave it to her grandson.
Then he went there.
'Ákoo 'ákaa 'oołghoná'a.
Chíͅ'báyahá 'áhołghoná'a.
Dooháń 'á'sidádaná'a.
'Ákoo kéjaabizáͅáͅyéí dzaͅaͅshíͅ sitíͅná'a.
'Ábiiłndíná'a:
He went into the store.
No one was there.
But a little dog lay there.
He spoke thus to him:
1. chíͅ'báyahá 'to the store'. chíͅ' 'goods of all kinds' plus `bi- 3rd person pronoun; - áyah 'place for' and the postposition -yá.
2. kéjaabizáͅáͅyéí 'a little dog'. kéjaa 'dog', probably a compound of ké- 'toes' and the stem of the verb -jaa 'a mass or clump lies' [si- perf. neut. intr.]. bizáͅáͅyéí 'little' [see linguistic note to Chiricahua text l.5, §7].
Then the white storekeeper returned.
'Ákoo 'indaań 'indaań baanaa'indiiń náłghoná'a.
'Ákoo:
Then:
baanaa'indiiń 'storekeeper'. naa'indii 'it is bought, purchased', 3rd person imp. with prefixes naa-'i- . Cf. naahi-...[si- perf.]-ndii 'to be bought, purchased' [act. intr.]. The text form is literally: 'he from whom things are bought'.
Then he gave him the twenty five cents and [the storekeeper] gave him [the dog].
'Ákoo naakizháálí yaayíń'áͅná'a.
'Ákoo bayíńłtíͅná'a.
Kooghaͅyá bichóń yaanáyíńłtíͅná'a.
'Ákoo bichóń 'ábiindíná'a:
He took it back home to his grandmother.
Then his grandmother spoke thus to him:
Then, the next day, that old woman washed for the white people again.
'Áshíͅ, hiiskáͅgo, 'áń sáͅń 'indaa yátánáádił'eełná'a.
'Ákoo naakizháálí náyíń'áͅná'a.
Bichóń yaanááyíń'áͅná'a.
And she brought the twenty five cents back [home].
She again gave it to her grandson.
Then the boy went to the store again.
'Ákoo 'icheeshkéń cjíͅ'báyahá 'ináánóołghoná'a.
Kéjaabizáͅáͅí:
Náánaayeesndiiná'a.
The little dog:
He bought him also.
Then:
1. kiͅ'ízisí 'the big town'. kiͅ 'house, town' plus 'ízis 'big, superlative, chief'.
2. 'indaazhíígoń 'a rich white man'. 'indaa 'white man' plus zhíígo > Spanish rico 'rich'.
Then that boy went to the rich white man.
'Ákoo 'áń 'icheeshkéń 'indaazhíígoń yańyáná'a.
'Ákoo 'áyiiłndíná'a:
And he spoke thus to him:
gostsah naada'si'áͅí 'the ring that you are wearing'. gostsah 'ring'. naa- 'to you'; da'- 'on'; si'áͅí 'a round object lies' [3rd person si- perf. neat. intr.]; -í relative.
Then this white man:
'Ákoo díń 'indaań:
Then this boy:
'Ákoo díń 'icheeshkéń:
Then this white man spoke thus:
'Ákoo 'ádíń 'indaań 'ándíná'a:
Then the boy:
Then the white man:
'Ákoo 'indaań:
Then the boy:
'Ákoo 'icheeshkéń:
Then this white man:
'Ákoo díń 'indaań:
Then the boy:
'Ákoo 'icheeshkéń:
Then he gave him the ring.
'Ákoo gostsaí baajíń'áͅná'a.
'Ákoo gostsahí náyíń'áͅná'a.
'Ákoo kéjaaí 'ábiiłndíná'a:
Kéjaabizáͅáͅí 'ábiiłndí.
And [the boy] took the ring back [home] .
Then the dog spoke to him:
The little dog spoke thus to him.
ntsiigháhá 'on your pillow'. -tsiighá 'pillow', a compound of -tsii 'head' and -ghá ?. Note that . ntsiighá plus - yá becomes ntsiigháhá which indicates a final -h on -ghá. This -h however, appears only when the form is followed by - yá.
Then this boy:
'Ákoo 'ádíń 'icheeshkéń:
1. biyách'ee' 'his daughter'. -yách'ee' 'daughter'. Also -ch'ee'.
2. biłsisjoolgo 'lying with her'. bił- 'with her' plus the 1st person of -l- jool 'two persons lie' [si- perf. neut. intr.].
Then he awoke lying with the daughter of the rich man.
'Ákoo ndézhíígoń biyách'ee'ń yiłsijoolgo ch'ínájíná'a.
Gostsahí dáha'yá 'áiłndiyá 'ágoyandííłná'a.
'Ákoo dá'aghádzaaná'a.
Whatever he said to the ring happened so.
And it happened so.
zhííshgogo 'I, being rich', zhííshgo, 1st person of zhíí-...-go 'to be rich' [imp. neut. intr.]. This is an interesting example of how a borrowed word may be adapted to the formal structure of the borrowing language. The Chiricahua apparently borrowed the Spanish rico 'rich' pronouncing it zhíígo. But, since most Chiricahua adjectives are verbal in form [see Grammatical Sketch, part 13], zhíígo was treated as the 3rd person of a verb with prefix zhíí- and stem -go and therefore conjugable. The same thing has happened in the case of Spanish loco 'crazy' which has become Chiricahua ló-...- go 'to be crazy' [imp. neut. intr.].
Then this girl learned about the ring.
'Akoo díń 'it'éekéń yégoosiͅiͅná'a, gostsahí.
'Ákoo díń ndéń 'iiłhaazná'a.
'Ákoo díń 'it'áͅekéń gostsahí hayóó'áͅná'a.
'Ákoo bígo bitsiigháhá nyíń'áͅná'a.
'Ákoo 'it'éekéń 'ándiná'a:
'Ákoo dá'ághádzaaná'a.
Then this man fell asleep.
Then this girl took the ring.
Then she put it on her pillow.
And the girl spoke thus:
And it happened so.
1. tóhíga'í 'ocean'. tó 'water'; híga'-, bound form of híga 'there is a streak of whiteness' [ni- perf. neut. intr.; prefix hi-].
2. ndiibizáͅáͅí 'island'. Literally: 'land that is little'.
Then the ring had been lost to this boy.
'Ákoo díń 'icheeshkéń gostsah baaha'oołtoͅná'a.
'Ákoo 'ádíń nndézhíígoń bégoosiͅiͅná'a.
'Ákoo:
And this rich man found out about it.
Then:
The boy:
'Icheeshkéń:
Then:
'Ákoo:
biiłndiná'a.
1. t'óonán'áͅdago 'if you do not find it'. Literally: 'if you have not picked the round object up'.
2. 'áń ńtee 'you will be put in'. This phrase cannot be analyzed. It is probably a mishearing for 'áhntee 'you will lie in', 2nd person imp. of 'áh- |...[hi- perf.]-tee 'one being lies in' [act. intr.; 'áh- 'in'].
3. béshts'aaí 'iron pot'. bésh- bound form of béésh 'iron, metal' plus ts'aa 'basket'.
Then [the boy] said to both the little dogs:
'Ákoo kéjaabizáͅáͅyéí dá'iłk'eh:
Then both the little dogs went to every place that the white men lived on the earth but they did not find it.
'Ákoo kéjaabizáͅáͅyéí dá'iłk'eh ndibikáee 'indaa daagólíní díík'een 'iłha'oołghoná'a.
Ndah t'óonáin'áͅdan'á'a.
'iłha'oołghoná'a 'they went together'. 'ił- 'together'; ha- 'out' 'i-| 'away'; plus the hi- perf. of -l- ghee 'to go' [act. intr.].
Then only one day had passed.
'Ákoo dáłee'é hiiskáͅná'a.
'Ákoo díń ndéń béshts'aantsaaí 'ighe'shíͅ sizíͅná'a.
Bikeeí tágheezhiͅ daheeshtł'óͅná'a.
'Ákoo tó hayiłt'ooná'a.
'Ákoo, doohayiłt'oodago, tóbiiłhé.
And this man stood in a big iron pot.
His feet were tied up in the water.
And he was pumping out the water.
And, if he does not pump out the water, he will drown.
1. hayiłt'ooná'a 'he was pumping it out'. 3rd person imp. with 3rd person obj. of ha- |...[hi- perf.]-ł-t'oo 'to cause to be sucked out' [act. tr.; ha- 'out'].
2. tóbiiłhé 'he will drown'. Literally: 'he will be killed by water'.
Then [to] the little dogs:
'Ákoo kéjaabizáͅáͅyéí:
hánáádahgaał 'search for it again'. 2nd person dual imp. of há-náá- di...[si- perf.]-d-ghaał 'to look for again' [act. intr.]. Cf. di-...[si- perf.]-ghaał 'to look' [act. intr.].
Then the dogs searched for the ring for four days.
'Ákoo kéjaaí gostsahí háyintágo díͅíͅ' hiskáͅná'a.
Then, on the shore of the ocean, there were some Frog soldiers.
'Ákoo tóhíga'í tábaͅaͅyá, Chíͅ'nshtłodé siláádo sijaaná'a.
'Ákaa kéjaaí gostsahí yé'ijiłkiná'a.
There the dogs asked about the ring.
1. tábaͅaͅyá 'on the shore'. tá- compounded form of tó 'water'; -baͅaͅ, 'edge, border'.
2. chíͅ'nshtłodé 'frog' [no analysis]. Also chíͅ'ishtłodé, see passage 33 of the story.
Then one of them spoke thus:
'Ákoo łi' 'ándiná'a:
Then [to] the Frog chief:
biłhanannshká 'I'll go across with them'. bił- 'with them'; hanan 'across'; ni- completive and the 1st person imp. of -ká 'several move' [act. intr.]
Then he gave him some [soldiers].
'Ákoo baa'ń ndilná'a.
'Ákoo kiͅ nzhóní si'áͅí binájiist'iná'a.
'Ákoo Lóó'sts'oͅoͅsé siláádoí bijoosndeená'a.
'Ádíń 'it'éekéń biłdahdeestł'óͅná'a.
'Ákoo Chíͅ'istłodé Lóó'stsoͅoͅsé siláádo ch'édégoda 'ádaandáná'a.
'Ákoo daanádéńtaní ghá'ii'áńyá ch'édahighákáná'a.
And they surrounded the beautiful house that lay there.
Then the Mouse soldiers helped them.
This girl had locked up [the house].
Then the Frog [and] Mouse soldiers didn't know what to do.
And they tried in vain to go through the keyhole of the door.
1. binájiist'iná'a 'they surrounded it'. 3a person perf. of 0-ná-...[si- perf.]-t'é 'to stand in a line around' [act. intr.]. The theme: 'to stand in line, to be strung in a line'.
2. lóó'sts'oͅoͅsé 'mice'. Cf. lóó'stso 'wood rats' and lóó'stsontsai 'oppossum'. lóó's- ?; ts'oͅoͅsé is probably related to -á-ni-...-ł-ts'oͅoͅsé 'to be slender' [imp. neut. intr.].
3. biłdahdeestł'óͅná'a 'she had locked it up'. 3rd person perf. of 0-ł-dah-di-...[si- perf.]-tł'ó 'to lock up, to tie up' [act. intr.]. The theme means 'to tie up, to bind' and it is usually transitive. I do not understand this form.
4. ghá'ii'áńyá 'the keyhole'. ghá-, 'through' plus 'ii'áń 'hole'.
5. ch'édahighákáná'a 'they tried in vain to go through'. ch'éda- 'in vain' plus 0-ghá-ni-...[ni- perf.]-ká 'several go through' [act. intr.].
Then the Black Ants came to them.
'Ákoo Góoshzhiné baahíkaná'a.
Góoshzhiné daanádéńtan ghá'ii'áńyá 'ighájíńzhoozhná'a.
'Ákoo 'ándee daanádéńtan ghaháá'áílaaná'a.
The Black Ants went through the keyhole of the door.
And then they opened the door.
góoshzhiné 'black ants'. Also heard góó'zhiné. See linguistic note to Chiricahua text 15.1, §1.
Then the girl was asleep.
'Ákoo 'it'éekéń 'ákaa 'iłhoshná'a.
'Ákoo, tsé'isk'eh bitł'áhyá, bikáyáda, díík'een Lóó'sts'oͅoͅséí Góoshzhinéíyił naanádaajizjoshná'a, gostsahí bíká.
Then, under the bed, on top of it, [and] everywhere the Mice and Black Ants ran about [searching] for the ring.
tsé'isk'eh 'bed, sleeping place'. Cf. téesk'eh 'bed, sleeping place' [linguistic note to Chiricahua text 18.2, §4].
Then one of the Mice spoke thus:
chíílí...hóók'áͅí 'chili powder'. chíílí > chili. hóók'áͅí 'that which has been ground', relative of the 3rd person perf. of ...[hi- perf.]-d- k'á 'to be ground' [pass.].
Then he thrust his tail in it.
'Ákoo bitseeí yéideeshiizhná'a.
Gondiiyá yéisláná'a.
'Ákoo 'étoné jiislíͅná'a.
'Ákoo gostsahí goghe'shíͅ hahaataná'a.
'Ákoo kaahanájít'áͅná'a.
And he put [his tail] against her face.
Then she sneezed.
Then the ring flew out from inside her.[2]
And it was taken away from her.
1. yéideeshiizhná'a 'he thrust it into it'. yé- 'against it'; -i- > yi- 3rd person pronoun; dee- > di- ? plus si- perf., 3rd person; -shiizh > -ł- zhiizh, perf. of -ł-zhíísh 'to thrust a spear-like object' [act. tr.].
2. yéisláná'a 'he put it against it'. 3rd person perf. with 3rd person obj. of 0é-...[si- perf.]-lé 'to put a rope-like object against' [act. tr.].
3. 'étoné jiislíͅná'a 'she sneezed'. 'étoné a particle denoting the sound of a sneeze; jiislíͅ, 3a person perf. of ...[si- perf.]- laa 'to become' [act. intr.].
4. hahaataná'a 'it flew out'. 3rd person perf. of ha-hi- ...[hi- perf.]-tá 'to break out and scatter' [act. intr.]. This analysis is uncertain.
Then the two dogs ran off with the ring.
'Ákoo kéjaaí gostsahí yił'iładeest'áázhná'a.
Gogostsahí náyíń'áͅná'a.
'Ádíń ndézhíígoń baanájíń'áͅná'a.
'Ákoo gok'ená'óó'aná'a.
Kát'égo, 'isdajóóyáná'a.
They brought his ring back [home].
He gave it back to the rich man.
Then he turned him loose again.
In this way, he escaped.
Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer
1. The first line of this passage is literally as follows; "Long ago / the earth which has been made / near that time / an old woman, it is said / her daughter's child, it is said / a boy, it is said / just so / she was going about with him, it is said."
2. kiͅsijaaná'a 'a town'. kiͅ, 'houses'; sijaa 'a mass or clump lies' [3rd person si- perf. neut. intr.]. Note, in the first line of passage 2, that kiní, the relative form of kiͅ is used alone to mean 'town'.
3. 'itéjisiinéná'a. 'they were very poor'. 3a person of 'ité- ...-ł-ziiné 'to be poverty-stricken' [imp. neut. intr.]. No further analysis.
1. yátá'dił'eełná'a 'she washed for them'. yá- 'for them' plus the 3rd person imp. with indefinite object of tá-di-...[hi- perf.]-ł-'eeł 'to wash' [act. tr.]. tá- 'in the water' [?]; di- ?. The theme alone: 'to cause to float, to cause to become wet'.
2. naakizháálí 'twenty five cents'. A compound of naaki 'two' and zháálí > Spanish real plus the relative -i.
3. hiyaałbiͅiͅłná'a 'she earned it'. 3rd person prog. with 3rd person obj. of ho-| [or hi- |]...[si- perf.]-ł-biͅiͅ 'to win [a wager]' [act. tr.].
1. chíͅ'báyahá 'to the store'. chíͅ' 'goods of all kinds' plus `bi- 3rd person pronoun; - áyah 'place for' and the postposition -yá.
2. kéjaabizáͅáͅyéí 'a little dog'. kéjaa 'dog', probably a compound of ké- 'toes' and the stem of the verb -jaa 'a mass or clump lies' [si- perf. neut. intr.]. bizáͅáͅyéí 'little' [see linguistic note to Chiricahua text l.5, §7].
baanaa'indiiń 'storekeeper'. naa'indii 'it is bought, purchased', 3rd person imp. with prefixes naa-'i- . Cf. naahi-...[si- perf.]-ndii 'to be bought, purchased' [act. intr.]. The text form is literally: 'he from whom things are bought'.
1. kiͅ'ízisí 'the big town'. kiͅ 'house, town' plus 'ízis 'big, superlative, chief'.
2. 'indaazhíígoń 'a rich white man'. 'indaa 'white man' plus zhíígo > Spanish rico 'rich'.
gostsah naada'si'áͅí 'the ring that you are wearing'. gostsah 'ring'. naa- 'to you'; da'- 'on'; si'áͅí 'a round object lies' [3rd person si- perf. neat. intr.]; -í relative.
ntsiigháhá 'on your pillow'. -tsiighá 'pillow', a compound of -tsii 'head' and -ghá ?. Note that . ntsiighá plus - yá becomes ntsiigháhá which indicates a final -h on -ghá. This -h however, appears only when the form is followed by - yá.
1. biyách'ee' 'his daughter'. -yách'ee' 'daughter'. Also -ch'ee'.
2. biłsisjoolgo 'lying with her'. bił- 'with her' plus the 1st person of -l- jool 'two persons lie' [si- perf. neut. intr.].
zhííshgogo 'I, being rich', zhííshgo, 1st person of zhíí-...-go 'to be rich' [imp. neut. intr.]. This is an interesting example of how a borrowed word may be adapted to the formal structure of the borrowing language. The Chiricahua apparently borrowed the Spanish rico 'rich' pronouncing it zhíígo. But, since most Chiricahua adjectives are verbal in form [see Grammatical Sketch, part 13], zhíígo was treated as the 3rd person of a verb with prefix zhíí- and stem -go and therefore conjugable. The same thing has happened in the case of Spanish loco 'crazy' which has become Chiricahua ló-...- go 'to be crazy' [imp. neut. intr.].
1. tóhíga'í 'ocean'. tó 'water'; híga'-, bound form of híga 'there is a streak of whiteness' [ni- perf. neut. intr.; prefix hi-].
2. ndiibizáͅáͅí 'island'. Literally: 'land that is little'.
1. t'óonán'áͅdago 'if you do not find it'. Literally: 'if you have not picked the round object up'.
2. 'áń ńtee 'you will be put in'. This phrase cannot be analyzed. It is probably a mishearing for 'áhntee 'you will lie in', 2nd person imp. of 'áh- |...[hi- perf.]-tee 'one being lies in' [act. intr.; 'áh- 'in'].
3. béshts'aaí 'iron pot'. bésh- bound form of béésh 'iron, metal' plus ts'aa 'basket'.
'iłha'oołghoná'a 'they went together'. 'ił- 'together'; ha- 'out' 'i-| 'away'; plus the hi- perf. of -l- ghee 'to go' [act. intr.].
1. hayiłt'ooná'a 'he was pumping it out'. 3rd person imp. with 3rd person obj. of ha- |...[hi- perf.]-ł-t'oo 'to cause to be sucked out' [act. tr.; ha- 'out'].
2. tóbiiłhé 'he will drown'. Literally: 'he will be killed by water'.
hánáádahgaał 'search for it again'. 2nd person dual imp. of há-náá- di...[si- perf.]-d-ghaał 'to look for again' [act. intr.]. Cf. di-...[si- perf.]-ghaał 'to look' [act. intr.].
1. tábaͅaͅyá 'on the shore'. tá- compounded form of tó 'water'; -baͅaͅ, 'edge, border'.
2. chíͅ'nshtłodé 'frog' [no analysis]. Also chíͅ'ishtłodé, see passage 33 of the story.
biłhanannshká 'I'll go across with them'. bił- 'with them'; hanan 'across'; ni- completive and the 1st person imp. of -ká 'several move' [act. intr.]
1. binájiist'iná'a 'they surrounded it'. 3a person perf. of 0-ná-...[si- perf.]-t'é 'to stand in a line around' [act. intr.]. The theme: 'to stand in line, to be strung in a line'.
2. lóó'sts'oͅoͅsé 'mice'. Cf. lóó'stso 'wood rats' and lóó'stsontsai 'oppossum'. lóó's- ?; ts'oͅoͅsé is probably related to -á-ni-...-ł-ts'oͅoͅsé 'to be slender' [imp. neut. intr.].
3. biłdahdeestł'óͅná'a 'she had locked it up'. 3rd person perf. of 0-ł-dah-di-...[si- perf.]-tł'ó 'to lock up, to tie up' [act. intr.]. The theme means 'to tie up, to bind' and it is usually transitive. I do not understand this form.
4. ghá'ii'áńyá 'the keyhole'. ghá-, 'through' plus 'ii'áń 'hole'.
5. ch'édahighákáná'a 'they tried in vain to go through'. ch'éda- 'in vain' plus 0-ghá-ni-...[ni- perf.]-ká 'several go through' [act. intr.].
góoshzhiné 'black ants'. Also heard góó'zhiné. See linguistic note to Chiricahua text 15.1, §1.
tsé'isk'eh 'bed, sleeping place'. Cf. téesk'eh 'bed, sleeping place' [linguistic note to Chiricahua text 18.2, §4].
chíílí...hóók'áͅí 'chili powder'. chíílí > chili. hóók'áͅí 'that which has been ground', relative of the 3rd person perf. of ...[hi- perf.]-d- k'á 'to be ground' [pass.].
1. yéideeshiizhná'a 'he thrust it into it'. yé- 'against it'; -i- > yi- 3rd person pronoun; dee- > di- ? plus si- perf., 3rd person; -shiizh > -ł- zhiizh, perf. of -ł-zhíísh 'to thrust a spear-like object' [act. tr.].
2. yéisláná'a 'he put it against it'. 3rd person perf. with 3rd person obj. of 0é-...[si- perf.]-lé 'to put a rope-like object against' [act. tr.].
3. 'étoné jiislíͅná'a 'she sneezed'. 'étoné a particle denoting the sound of a sneeze; jiislíͅ, 3a person perf. of ...[si- perf.]- laa 'to become' [act. intr.].
4. hahaataná'a 'it flew out'. 3rd person perf. of ha-hi- ...[hi- perf.]-tá 'to break out and scatter' [act. intr.]. This analysis is uncertain.
This tale, a plain case of diffusion from Mexican sources of Western European folk-lore, is told by the Warm Springs Apache, one of the three Chiricahua bands. Before the United States reservation period was inaugurated the Warm Springs Apache were on friendly terms with nearby Mexican towns and in close contact with them.
| The Old Woman's Grandson, Chiricahua Apache Text | |