Coyote and Turtle, Mescalero Apache Text excerpted from Chiricahua Apache Texts, with Ethnological Notes |
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4. Coyote and Turtle
as told by Charles Smith
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 | Coyote and Turtle, Mescalero Apache Text |  |
4. Coyote and Turtle as told by Charles Smith
Coyote was again at home.
Shóͅóͅdé kooghaͅ náánásdáná'a.
Shóͅóͅdé bi'isdzáńń 'áiłndiná'a.
Coyote spoke thus to his wife:
1. shádáͅnlá 'make food for me' . shá- 'for me' ; dáͅ-, incorporated form of dáń 'food' [?]; nlá, 2nd person imp. of -lá 'to do, make' [act. tr.]. See also dáͅńlaago 'when you have made food', the 2nd person perf. of the same verb followed by go- subord. [in this passage], and bádáͅíͅlaaná'a 'she had prepared food for him' [line 2 of passage 2].
2. Ts'isteeł 'Turtle'. No analysis.
His wife quickly went about preparing food for him.
Bi'isdzáńń dáhátide dáń báyaanaagháná'a.
Dáhaͅhéná díík'eh bádáͅíͅlaaná'a.
Soon she had prepared all the food for him.
báyaanaagháná'a 'she went about preparing it for him'. bá- 'for him'; yaa- 'to it'; naaghá, 3rd person imp. of naa-|...[si- perf.]-yá 'one person goes about' [act. intr.]. See note 3:53, §2.
It lay on the ground before him.
Bich'iͅiͅndiiyeeskáͅná'a.
Dáhátide 'ee'nyáͅná'a.
'Inaadáͅáͅ'í bách'iist'éná'a.
Bidáshíͅ bánch'íńkáͅná'a.
'Iyáͅgo sidáná'a.
'Ilóodií yi'aałná'a.
Dáhátide yi'aałná'a.
Ńnáhádoobiłhaͅhdaná'a.
'Ilóodií dábizéé'sijaago dá'átinyá dashnt'iná'a.
'Ilóodií yiłdeeskosná'a.
Bidághee'yá daadiyeestaná'a.
Haadziií ch'é'áił'iͅiͅná'a.
'Ákoo ch'édoch'iͅiͅdahdiłndiiná'a.
Dágé bizéé'ee 'iłch'áͅ'ágoot'éná'a.
Nankaaná'a.
Bi'isdzáńń bich'iͅiͅyaanách'iͅiͅt'iná'a.
Dahbiłt'eená'a.
Bíńghahyá yiistłoná'a.
Nágo'a bizéé'shíͅ 'ilóodií hadááheestaná'a.
Bindáaí 'iłch'áͅ'ádzaaná'a.
Hanóͅóͅyolná'a.
He quickly began to eat.
She had roasted corn for him.
She had put it down before him for him.
He sat there eating.
He was chewing roasted corn.
He was chewing it fast.
It was not fast enough for him.
With roasted corn still in his mouth he rushed for the door.
He coughed with the corn [in his mouth].
[The corn] flew down his throat.
He tried in vain to speak.
Then he vainly waved his arms to her.
His mouth just hung open.
He staggered.
His wife rushed to him.
She shook him.
She slapped him on the back.
Then the corn flew out of his mouth.
He opened his eyes.
He belched.
He breathed again.
1. 'inaadáͅáͅ' or naadáͅáͅ' 'corn'. For the etymology of this word, see Edward Sapir, "Internal Linguistic Evidence Suggestive of the Northern Origin of the Navaho" [American Anthropologist, Vol. 38, No. 2, April-June 1936], pp. 228-231.
2. 'ilóodi 'roasted corn, kernels of corn' the hispanicized Nahua word helote 'green corn'.
3. ńnáhádoobiłhaͅhdaná'a 'it was not fast enough for him'. ńnáhá- 'very' [procl.]; 'doo-...-da negative; bił- 'with him'; haͅh 'quickly, rapidly, fast'.
4. dábizéé'sijaago 'it being still in his mouth'. dá- 'just, only'; bizéé' 'his mouth'; sijaa- 'a mass lies' [si- perf. neut. intr.]; -go subord. encl.
5. yiłdeeskosná'a 'he coughed with it'. yił- 'with it' plus the 3rd person perf. of di...[si- perf.]-ł-kos 'to cough' [act. intr.]. di- ?.
6. bidághe'yá 'down his throat'. -dághe' 'throat' is 'a compound of -dá 'lip, chin' [used only in compounds] and -ghe' 'in, inside'.
7. daadiyeestaná'a 'it flew'. 3rd person distrib. perf. of di-|...[si- perf.]-d-tá 'to move suddenly, to start, to jerk' [act. intr.]. di-| ?.
8. dágé bizéé'ee 'iłch'áͅ'ágoot'éná'a 'his mouth just hung open'. dágé 'just, only' [part.] bizéé' 'his mouth'; -ee ?. 'iłch'áͅ 'from one another'; 'ágoot'é 'it was so' [?]. I cannot analyze 'ágoot'é.
9. nankaaná'a 'he swayed'. 3rd person imp of naa-ni-...[hi- perf.]-kaa 'to fall' [act. intr.]. -kaa 'a long, flat object falls'; naa- 'off, down'; ni- terminative.
10. bich'iͅiͅyaanách'iͅiͅt'iná'a 'she rushed to him'; literally, 'she jumped toward him'.
11. dahbiłt'eená'a 'she shook him'. 3rd person. imp. with 3rd person obj. of dah-|...[si- perf.]-ł-t'e 'to shake' [act. tr.]. dah-| 'up' [?]; the theme appears with no other prefixes.
12. bíńghahyá yiistłoná'a, 'she slapped him on the back'. -ńghah 'back'. yiistło, 3rd person perf. with 3rd person obj. of hi-|...[si- perf.]-ł-tło 'to strike with the hand' [act. tr.].
13. hadaaheestaná'a 'it flew out'. 3rd person distrib. perf. of ha-hi-...[si- perf.]-d-tá 'to move out suddenly' [act. intr.]. Cf. §7 above.
[Belching appears in the Apache sentence as the quoted utterance of Coyote. See editor's note to passage 3.48--MEC]
14. hanóͅóͅyolná'a 'he breathed again'. 3rd person perf. of ha-ná-...[hi- perf.]- yoł 'to breathe' [act. intr.]. ha-ná- ?. Cf. note 3.49, §3.
He sat there angrily.
Biłgóͅtoͅgo neesdáná'a.
'Ódziiná'a.
He cursed.
1. biłgóͅtoͅgo 'angrily'. -bił- 'with him'; góͅ- > go- place subject plus ni- adj.; -toͅ 'to be bad, evil' [imp. neut. intr.]; -go subord. See ńtoͅ'é 'you who are no good', a relative in -é of the 2nd person of this verb [line 2 of this passage].
2. dáné 'food'. This is an older form of this word than dáń 'food' which is also used. See Sapir's article referred to in note 4.3, §1.
3. nee'indáhásht'íͅn 'I wanted sustenance from you'. nee- 'by means of you'; 'indá 'life, there is life'; hásht'íͅ, 1st person of há-...-t'íͅ 'to want, desire' [imp. neut. intr.]; -n past tense encl.
4. doo'íłtséshíͅłhédaí bíká nee'nyáͅda 'when one has started to eat you, you are not to kill him first'. doo-...-da negative; 'íłtsé 'first'; shíͅłhé, 2nd person imp. of si-...[si- perf.]-ł-ghé 'to kill' [act. tr.]; -í relative. bíká 'because of it'. nee'nyáͅ, 3rd person perf. of 0ee-'i-ni- |...[ni- perf.]-yáͅ 'to begin to eat'; -da 'even, just'.
He was throwing the food that was lying there about.
Dáneí yaaheesndilí yeetaach'oondiłná'a.
Bi'isdzáńń:
His wife said:
yeetaach'oondiłná'a 'he was throwing it about'. yee- 'with it' plus 3a person imp. of taa-hoo- ...[hi- perf.]- ndił 'to throw several objects about' [act. tr.]. taa-hoo- ?; - ndił , rep. of - ndííł 'to handle several, objects'.
To throw food about or to handle it carelessly is thought very dangerous and unlucky. Even bones are not thrown around but are placed in a neat pile and disposed of at once. To do otherwise is to invite the loss of hunting skill and shortage of food.
Then, without speaking to her, he rushed out of the door.
'Ákoo, dádoogoch'iͅiͅhadziidahé, dá'tinyá ch'énéńgoná'a.
Dándásé hiiłteená'a.
Dádookégóͅsiͅda ndah 'íńtin nkeńyáná'a.
He went on farther.
He didn't know [where he was going] but he went down the road.
Then, at his camp, his wife and his children came out.
'Ákoo, bikooghaͅshíͅ, bi'isdzáńń bi'éłchinéyił ch'éͅkaná'a.
'Ákaa bikéyá daashdee'íͅná'a.
'Íńtiní yik'ech'óͅóͅt'iná'a.
T'óot'áͅyánádeesgaldaná'a.
From there they watched him.
He was going along the road.
He did not look back.
The second line of this passage is 1iterally as follows: "There / to after him / they looked, it is said:"
Then his wife:
'Ákoo 'áń bi'isdzáńń:
'Ákoo díík'eh daahichago naaheestáͅná'a.
Then all of them sat about weeping.
Then Coyote had gone out of sight.
'Ákoo Shóͅóͅdé'a haná'anyá 'ich'óͅóͅtiná'a.
Dándásé ch'at'iná'a.
nDásé 'íńtinyá Gólijenłchiné 'íńtinyá ch'atiná'a.
Yaach'íńt'iná'a.
Shóͅóͅdé goch'iͅnńyáná'a.
He kept on going farther.
Farther up the road, a Beetle was walking along the road.
He walked up to him.
Coyote stood before him.
"Aha!"
Just as [Beetle] said:
He also said:
dooshaa'isdánádáda 'you will not get away from me again'. The negative of the 2nd person imp. of 0aa-'isdá-ná-...[hi- perf.]-dá 'one person gets away from, escapes from' [act. intr.]. See Linguistic Note to Chiricahua text 15.8, §2.
[A literal translation of the Apache construction would read: "'Wait!' he [Beetle] said to him. Also [Coyote]: 'Wait!' he had said, 'You will not get away from me again!'--MEC]
This refers to a previous episode wherein Beetle made believe he was receiving a message concerning Coyote from people beneath the earth and thus out-witted and escaped from Coyote. See Chiricahua Apache Text 15: "Coyote and Beetle".
Coyote pounced on him.
Shóͅóͅdé goch'iͅiͅdahdiiłghoná'a.
Goosiłná'a.
Da'ch'ookaͅaͅgo, dándásé kee'niiłghałná'a.
'Áłghałná'ago:
He took hold of him.
As he begged, Coyote went right on eating him.
When he had finished eating, he said:
goch'iͅiͅdahdiiłghoná'a 'he pounced on him'. goch'iͅiͅ 'toward him' plus the 3rd person perf. of dah-di-|...[ni- perf.]-l-ghee 'one person jumps, one person moves upward' [act. intr.]. dah-di-| 'upward'; - l-ghee 'one person moves'.
Then he started off again.
'Ákoo dándásé nááhiiłteená'a.
Díͅíͅ'í hiiskáͅná'ago, dziłíghe'yá tółáníńlíͅná'a, tábaͅaͅyá ts'at'iná'a.
nDásé, tósikáͅná ch'éńyáná'a.
'It'ah neełdáͅná'a.
Tółánísikáͅshíͅ bich'iͅiͅneeł'áͅshíͅ tábaashíͅ 'iyáahee bindáantsaaí sidáná'a.
Four days having passed, he was walking along the bank of a big river in the mountains.
Farther on, he came out to a big lake.
It was still early morning.
Someone with big eyes was sitting facing him on the shore of the big lake.
1. tółáníńlíͅná'a 'a big river'. tó 'water'; łání, relative in -í of łáͅ 'much'; ńlíͅ 'it flows' [ni- perf. neut. intr.].
2. tábaͅaͅyá 'on the bank'. tá-, combining form of tó 'water'; -baͅaͅ 'edge'.
[a literal translation of the first few lines of this passage would read: "Then he started off again. / Four days having passed, a big river running through the mountains, he was walking along its bank. / Further on, he came out to a big lake. / ..."--MEC]
3. tósikáͅná 'a big lake'. tó 'water'; sikáͅ 'something in a container lies' [si- perf. neut. intr.]; -ná emphatic encl.
4. bich'iͅiͅneeł'áͅshíͅ 'facing him'. bich'iͅiͅ 'toward him' plus the 3rd person of ni-...-l-'áͅ 'to have one's head in position' [si- perf. ? neut.].
[Coyote] stopped before him.
Yich'iͅnńyáná'a.
"Coyote, I [simply] sit here. I am Frog man."
"Friend, show me the way to Old Man Turtle's camp."
"There on the east side of that land that is floating in the middle of the water is Old Man Turtle's camp."
dáho'ołí 'that which is floating'. dá- 'just' plus the relative in -í of the 3rd person prog. of -eeł 'to float' [act. intr.].
"Where is there a road to it?"
"Right there, straight ahead, there is a road across."
haná'ítin 'there is a road across'. Cf. bich'iͅiͅ'i'ítin 'there is a road to it' [passage 18]; 'íńtinyá 'on the road' [passage 9]; da'tinyá '[out of] the door, entrance way' [passage 6]. All of these seem to be composed of the theme -'ítin or 'íńtin plus prefixes which vary the basic meaning 'road, passage'. Thus: haná- 'across'; bich'iͅiͅ 'toward it'; 'i- 'away'; dá- ? [in da'tin 'doorway'].
Frog is not referring to an actual road over to the island. As Coyote's answer shows, he is suggesting that Coyote swim across.
"I do not know how to swim, friend."
"Sit down right here; I'll look over there for him for you."
Then Coyote sat down right there.
'Ákoo'a Shóͅóͅdé dá'áshíͅ neesdáná'a.
Chíͅ'nshtłodéń tágheejiͅ yaanáhiitłeená'a.
Nzhónéo bijádí 'iłch'áͅ'ádzaaná'a.
Tóí dáłeen yíńtal.
Nágo tághe'yá kóͅóͅhégo hot'íͅyá 'ałkóͅóͅł hííyéhéná'a
Dáhaͅhnágo doot'íͅdaná'a.
Frog jumped into the water.
Slowly he spread his legs apart.
He gave the water one kick.
Then he could just be seen in the water as he was swimming.
But soon he was invisible.
1. yaanáhiitłeená'a 'he jumped'. 3rd person imp. of yaa-ná-hi-|...[ni- perf.]-tłee 'to jump [as a frog]' [act. intr.]. -tłee 'to flop; to fall heavily, of one's own weight'. yaa-ná-hi-|; cf. yaa-ná-ch'i-| with the theme -t'é which means 'to jump' [see note 1.1, §4].
2. I do not understand the meaning or function of the form hííyéhéná'a in line 5 of this passage. The literal meaning of the rest of the line is as follows: "Then / to in the water / a little / he being seen / he was swimming:"
Then Coyote lay down on his side.
'Áshíͅ Shóͅóͅdé nanneestíͅná'a.
'Iͅiͅłhaajná'a.
Ts'isteełń chíͅ'nshtłodéńyił t'áͅshíͅ ná'gałkóͅóͅłná'a.
Goch'iͅiͅni'góńłkóͅná'a.
Tábaͅaͅjiͅ hagóͅóͅ'áájná'a.
Goch'iͅngóń'áájná'a.
'Idiͅiͅgo 'ich'iłhoshná'a.
'Ich'iłháͅná'a.
He fell asleep.
Turtle and Frog were swimming back.
They swam toward him.
They came out on the shore.
They stood before him.
He was fast asleep.
He was snoring.
Note that the four verbs in this passage referring to the actions of Frog and Turtle--viz., ná'gałkóͅóͅłná'a 'they were swimming back'; goch'iini'góńłkóͅná'a [ch'ii- here is probably a misprint. In the Apache text this word appears as goch'iͅiͅni'góńłkóͅná'a--MEC] 'they swam toward him'; hagóͅóͅ'áájná'a 'they came out'; and goch'iͅiͅngóń'áájná'a 'they stood before him'--all employ the deictic prefix go- as a 3rd person dual subject pronoun. This usage is very frequent in the Mesc. texts whereas it occurs but seldom in the Chir. texts.
"Coyote!"
Then he awoke.
He sat up.
The informant translated dah'ádzaaná'a 'he sat up'. It seems, however, to be a combination of the prefix dah- 'up' and the 3rd person perf. of 'á-...[? perf.]- ndá [perf. stem -dzaa] 'to do so' [act. intr.].
"Coyote, you sent for me."
shiłnóot'as [This is most likely a misprint in the original, and should appear as shiłnóot'ash--MEC] 'he brought me back'. shił- 'with me' plus the 3rd person prog. of the theme -'aash 'two persons move' [act. intr.] with the prefix ná- 'back' [requires the -d- class].
"Are you called Turtle?"
hándí is apparently a combination of the interrog. pronoun há- and ndí, the 2nd person independent pronoun.
"I am so called."
Then [Coyote] arose.
'Ákoo náshdiigijná'a.
Bich'iͅiͅch'iiłteená'a.
Bídó goch'iͅiͅhiiłteená'a.
'Iłch'iͅnch'íń'áájná'a.
Dá'iłk'ishíͅ 'iłch'óótaͅná'a.
'Óós'ahgoda, náá'iłch'idachiná'a.
He started toward [Turtle].
He also started toward [Coyote].
They stood facing each other.
They held each other tightly.
After a while, they released each other.
náshdiigijná'a 'he arose'. 3a person perf.of ná-di-|...[ni- perf.]-d-géésh 'to arise, to jump up' [act. intr.]. ná-di-| 'upward'; -d-géésh 'to move'.
"Coyote, why are you coming to me?"
"I am coming to you so you will do something for me. That is why I am coming to you."
"Coyote, I'll do for you anything that you want. Name it!"
"Give me tobacco.
"Very well.
Literally, the second line of this passage is as follows: "The Turtle people / those of all kinds / at no time / anything / they have done so to it in vain."
'igáał'áshéne is composed of 'igáał'á 'kinds, varieties, species' [no analysis]; -shé 'side, party'; -ne 'people of such and such a group'.
Then, turning around, he jumped into the water.
'Ákoo nách'iyeeyóo, tágheejiͅ yaanách'iͅiͅt'ii.
Tó'iłch'áͅ'ádzaayá 'édaach'iisdiͅiͅ.
Dádoo'is'ahdago nát'ohí biłha'nách'inóͅóͅzii.
He disappeared in a splash of water.
In a short time he came up again with the tobacco.
1. tó'iłch'áͅ'ádzaayá 'édaach'iisdiͅiͅ 'he disappeared in a splash of water'. tó 'water'; 'iłch'áͅ 'from one another'; 'ádzaa 'they have been made so'; -yá postposition [cf. note 3.48, §1]. édaach'iisdiͅiͅ is either the 3a distrib. perf. of é-...[si- perf.]-diͅiͅ 'to disappear' [act. intr.]; or the 3a person perf. with 3rd person distrib. obj. of 'é-...[si- perf.]-ł-diͅiͅ 'to cause to disappear' [act. tr.]. If the first of these alternatives is correct, why should the distrib. 3a person be employed to designate Turtle; if the second, why should the subject [i. e., tó'iłch'áͅ'ádzaayá have the postposition -yá?
2. biłha'nách'inóͅóͅzi 'he came up again with it'. bił- 'with it' plus the 3a person perf. of ha-'i-ná-ni-...[hi- perf.]-zí 'to come out of the water again' [act. intr.]. ha- 'out'; ná- 'again' [why does this prefix not require a -d- class theme?]; 'i-ni- ? [cf. note 3.48, §2].
Then:
'Ákoo:
'Ákoo baach'íń'iͅiͅ.
Nágo'a nát'ohí yiidisgó yaasidá.
Koͅ'í baach'íń'iͅiͅ.
And he gave it to him.
Then [Coyote] rolled a cigarette and sat next to him.
[Turtle] gave him a light.
"Coyote, now what else?"
"Give me roasted deer ribs."
Then he jumped into the water.
'Ákoo'a tágheejiͅ yaanách'iͅiͅt'i.
Tó'iłch'áͅnáánándáyá 'inááshdóͅóͅt'i.
'Áshíͅ biͅiͅí bitsáí sit'égo dlóͅóͅ'yedó díͅíͅ'í baadasijaago díík'eh sit'égo biłbich'iͅiͅhanách'íͅjaa.
Díík'eh bidáayá bánch'íń'iͅiͅ.
He went away again in a splashing of water.
And he brought back to him out [of the water] roasted deer ribs and four roasted prairie dogs.
He put all of them down before him for him.
The third line of this passage is literally as follows: "And / deer / its ribs / having been roasted / prairie dogs also / four / they lying on them / all / having been roasted / he brought them back out [of the water] to him."
Then, feeling very grateful, [Coyote] began to eat.
Nágo, dá'iłéńziͅgo, 'ee'niiłghal.
Náábik'ijiͅgo, dátá'ch'iłt'égo, Shóͅóͅdé, Ts'isteełń, Chíͅ'nshtłodéń, nadaa'ch'óͅóͅłt'oh.
Dátá'ch'iłt'éo 'iłzénádaach'iisndii.
And, after that, the three of them, Coyote, Turtle, [and] Frog, smoked.
[Then] the three of them embraced one another.
That food that Turtle had given him [and] which remained when he had eaten:
Áí dáńí Ts'isteełń kaayíń'iͅiͅí bilahde ch'ałghałí:
Then Coyote:
'Ákoo'a Shóͅóͅdé:
"Four days from now I will come to you."
"All right. You will come to me."
Then, tying up that which he had given him, he started to carry it back to his camp.
'Ákoo'a, 'áí baach'íń'iͅiͅí 'iłch'iͅiͅyeedah'iistł'óͅgo, náideesgíͅná'a, bikooghaní bich'iͅiͅgo.
Bikooghaͅyá dáhátide ná'íͅgíͅná'a.
Bikooghaͅee nádzáná'a.
Bi'éłchiné díík'eh yáhánaaheestáͅná'a.
'Iͅiͅshíͅ goch'iͅiͅya'i'óͅóͅghíͅná'a.
He quickly carried it back to his camp.
He returned to his camp.
His children were all sitting about inside.
Then he carried it in to them.
yáhánaaheestáͅná'a 'they were sitting about inside'. yáhá 'inside' plus the 3rd person of naa-hi-...-táͅ 'several sit about' [si- perf. neut. intr.]. Is yáhá related to the prefix ya- of the verb ya-'i-|...[hi- perf.]-ghee 'to carry a burden inside' [act. tr.], the 3rd person perf. [with indef. obj.] of which occurs in the next line of this passage?
Then they began to eat.
'Ákoo 'eedaa'ch'íńyáͅná'a.
'Áshíͅ kooghaͅyáhá sidáná'a.
'Ákoo dáítsénzhóͅgo yiba'ágogóͅsiͅná'a.
And [Coyote] sat inside the wickiup.
And both of them kept it very clean for [Turtle].
nzhóͅ 'ágóńsiͅ 'keep the place clean'. nzhóͅ 'it is good, well' plus the 2nd person with place object of 'á-ni-...-ł-ziͅ 'to keep so' [imp. neut. tr.]. See also dáítsénzhóͅgo yiba'ágogóͅsiͅná'a 'both of them kept it very clean for him'. dáítsé- 'very' [procl.?]; yiba'- 'for him'; 'ágogóͅsiͅ, the 3rd person dual with place object of the above mentioned verb.
Then Coyote:
'Ákoo Shóͅóͅdé:
K'aaí yajishgo, ch'édátinyá ch'éńyáná'a.
'Áshíͅ'a 'ákaa naanóozhaná'a.
Gólijenłchiníshíͅ hanshcha'yeyił hansht'a'yeídó 'áshíͅ dahiigoheídó łáͅgo 'izisí yeenáyíńłtáͅná'a.
Goba'isht'enyíń'iͅiͅná'a.
Taking his arrows, he went out of doors.
And then he went about there hunting.
He brought back a bag full of many beetles, grasshoppers, butterflied, and moths.
He put them away for [Turtle].
1. ch'édátinyá 'out of doors'; ch'é- 'out' [see note 4.19].
2. gólijenłchiní 'beetles' [see note 4.9].
hanshcha'ye 'grasshoppers' [no analysis but cf. the theme -chá 'to hop', cont. imp. and perf. stems -cha].
hansht'á'ye 'butterflies' [no analysis but cf. the above and the theme -t'á 'to fly'].
dahiigohe 'moths' [no analysis].
Then four days had passed.
Nágo díͅíͅ'í hiiskáͅná'a.
A short time passed.
Dádoo'is'ahda.
Nágo Ts'isteełń kaagókaná'a.
Dábitsé'égoosteelná'a.
'Áshíͅ ńgodeesbiͅná'a.
Then the Turtle People came to him.
He spread out [a robe] for them.
Then they sat down.
dábitsé'égoosteel 'he spread out [a robe] for them'. dá- 'just'; bitsé- 'for them' [?]; 'égoosteel, see note 2.25, §2.
"Coyote, we have come to you. Now prepare something for us."
"Yes, I'll prepare something for you."
Then he took out some tobacco.
Nágo'a nát'ohí hayóͅóͅjaaná'a.
'Ágoołndíná'a:
He spoke thus to him:
The [Turtle] rolled it and gave it to him.
'Ákoo'a ch'iisdisgo baach'íńtáͅná'a.
'Ákoo'a yiͅiͅłtsooná'a.
Yinłtłaná'a.
Díͅíͅn ha'óͅóͅłt'ooná'a.
Łidiłáͅgo handa'yá díͅíͅn yeedeeyolná'a.
And he took it.
He lit it.
He drew on it four times.
He blew much smoke upward four times.
Then he spoke thus to his wife:
'Ákoo bi'isdzáńń 'áiłndiná'a:
Coyote's wife went inside.
Shóͅóͅdé go'isdzáńń ya'óͅóͅyáná'a.
'Ákoo 'áí zis 'iyáa bench'íńłtání gódáayá góbanch'íńłtáͅ 'áń kaagóͅkańne.
Then she put down before those who had come to him that bag which [Coyote] had filled with things.
'áí zis 'iyáa bench'íńłtání 'that bag which Coyote had filled with things'. 'áí 'that'; zis 'bag'; 'iyáa 'something'; bench'íńłtání, relative in -í of bee- 'with it' plus the 3a person perf. of ni-ni-...[ni- perf.]-ł-tiͅiͅ 'to put down a sack-like object or a bundle' [act. tr.].
Then:
'Ákoo'a:
Then they started to move toward [the] bag].
'Ákoo bik'ijiͅshdeesjéná'a.
Ch'iikashíͅ 'áííyeeda k'aadégo daa'ich'iyáͅná'a.
'Izisí 'iłch'áͅ'áíͅlaaná'a, Ts'isteeł haastiͅiͅń.
Nágo'a dásíbidáneí díík'eh bighe'yá gólíͅná'a.
'Ákoo'a díík'eh daagoyóͅóͅyáͅná'a, dásígodáneí bíká.
Because they were tired they were going to eat right away.
Old Man Turtle opened the bag.
And inside of it was all of their favorite food.
Then they ate it all because it was their favorite food.
dásíbidáneí 'their favorite food'. dásí 'exceedingly, very much'; bidáne 'their food'.
Then they arose.
'Ákoo'a nágodiikaná'a.
This is one of the rare instances where Coyote comes off with honor in a food exchange story.
Then, having arisen, they all embraced one another.
'Ákoo náshdiikago, 'iłzénádaach'iisndiiná'a.
'Ákoo goch'áͅnáshdeeskaná'a.
And then they parted.
Linguistic Notes by Harry Hoijer
1. shádáͅnlá 'make food for me' . shá- 'for me' ; dáͅ-, incorporated form of dáń 'food' [?]; nlá, 2nd person imp. of -lá 'to do, make' [act. tr.]. See also dáͅńlaago 'when you have made food', the 2nd person perf. of the same verb followed by go- subord. [in this passage], and bádáͅíͅlaaná'a 'she had prepared food for him' [line 2 of passage 2].
2. Ts'isteeł 'Turtle'. No analysis.
báyaanaagháná'a 'she went about preparing it for him'. bá- 'for him'; yaa- 'to it'; naaghá, 3rd person imp. of naa-|...[si- perf.]-yá 'one person goes about' [act. intr.]. See note 3:53, §2.
1. 'inaadáͅáͅ' or naadáͅáͅ' 'corn'. For the etymology of this word, see Edward Sapir, "Internal Linguistic Evidence Suggestive of the Northern Origin of the Navaho" [American Anthropologist, Vol. 38, No. 2, April-June 1936], pp. 228-231.
2. 'ilóodi 'roasted corn, kernels of corn' the hispanicized Nahua word helote 'green corn'.
3. ńnáhádoobiłhaͅhdaná'a 'it was not fast enough for him'. ńnáhá- 'very' [procl.]; 'doo-...-da negative; bił- 'with him'; haͅh 'quickly, rapidly, fast'.
4. dábizéé'sijaago 'it being still in his mouth'. dá- 'just, only'; bizéé' 'his mouth'; sijaa- 'a mass lies' [si- perf. neut. intr.]; -go subord. encl.
5. yiłdeeskosná'a 'he coughed with it'. yił- 'with it' plus the 3rd person perf. of di...[si- perf.]-ł-kos 'to cough' [act. intr.]. di- ?.
6. bidághe'yá 'down his throat'. -dághe' 'throat' is 'a compound of -dá 'lip, chin' [used only in compounds] and -ghe' 'in, inside'.
7. daadiyeestaná'a 'it flew'. 3rd person distrib. perf. of di-|...[si- perf.]-d-tá 'to move suddenly, to start, to jerk' [act. intr.]. di-| ?.
8. dágé bizéé'ee 'iłch'áͅ'ágoot'éná'a 'his mouth just hung open'. dágé 'just, only' [part.] bizéé' 'his mouth'; -ee ?. 'iłch'áͅ 'from one another'; 'ágoot'é 'it was so' [?]. I cannot analyze 'ágoot'é.
9. nankaaná'a 'he swayed'. 3rd person imp of naa-ni-...[hi- perf.]-kaa 'to fall' [act. intr.]. -kaa 'a long, flat object falls'; naa- 'off, down'; ni- terminative.
10. bich'iͅiͅyaanách'iͅiͅt'iná'a 'she rushed to him'; literally, 'she jumped toward him'.
11. dahbiłt'eená'a 'she shook him'. 3rd person. imp. with 3rd person obj. of dah-|...[si- perf.]-ł-t'e 'to shake' [act. tr.]. dah-| 'up' [?]; the theme appears with no other prefixes.
12. bíńghahyá yiistłoná'a, 'she slapped him on the back'. -ńghah 'back'. yiistło, 3rd person perf. with 3rd person obj. of hi-|...[si- perf.]-ł-tło 'to strike with the hand' [act. tr.].
13. hadaaheestaná'a 'it flew out'. 3rd person distrib. perf. of ha-hi-...[si- perf.]-d-tá 'to move out suddenly' [act. intr.]. Cf. §7 above.
[Belching appears in the Apache sentence as the quoted utterance of Coyote. See editor's note to passage 3.48--MEC]
14. hanóͅóͅyolná'a 'he breathed again'. 3rd person perf. of ha-ná-...[hi- perf.]- yoł 'to breathe' [act. intr.]. ha-ná- ?. Cf. note 3.49, §3.
1. biłgóͅtoͅgo 'angrily'. -bił- 'with him'; góͅ- > go- place subject plus ni- adj.; -toͅ 'to be bad, evil' [imp. neut. intr.]; -go subord. See ńtoͅ'é 'you who are no good', a relative in -é of the 2nd person of this verb [line 2 of this passage].
2. dáné 'food'. This is an older form of this word than dáń 'food' which is also used. See Sapir's article referred to in note 4.3, §1.
3. nee'indáhásht'íͅn 'I wanted sustenance from you'. nee- 'by means of you'; 'indá 'life, there is life'; hásht'íͅ, 1st person of há-...-t'íͅ 'to want, desire' [imp. neut. intr.]; -n past tense encl.
4. doo'íłtséshíͅłhédaí bíká nee'nyáͅda 'when one has started to eat you, you are not to kill him first'. doo-...-da negative; 'íłtsé 'first'; shíͅłhé, 2nd person imp. of si-...[si- perf.]-ł-ghé 'to kill' [act. tr.]; -í relative. bíká 'because of it'. nee'nyáͅ, 3rd person perf. of 0ee-'i-ni- |...[ni- perf.]-yáͅ 'to begin to eat'; -da 'even, just'.
yeetaach'oondiłná'a 'he was throwing it about'. yee- 'with it' plus 3a person imp. of taa-hoo- ...[hi- perf.]- ndił 'to throw several objects about' [act. tr.]. taa-hoo- ?; - ndił , rep. of - ndííł 'to handle several, objects'.
The second line of this passage is 1iterally as follows: "There / to after him / they looked, it is said:"
dooshaa'isdánádáda 'you will not get away from me again'. The negative of the 2nd person imp. of 0aa-'isdá-ná-...[hi- perf.]-dá 'one person gets away from, escapes from' [act. intr.]. See Linguistic Note to Chiricahua text 15.8, §2.
[A literal translation of the Apache construction would read: "'Wait!' he [Beetle] said to him. Also [Coyote]: 'Wait!' he had said, 'You will not get away from me again!'--MEC]
goch'iͅiͅdahdiiłghoná'a 'he pounced on him'. goch'iͅiͅ 'toward him' plus the 3rd person perf. of dah-di-|...[ni- perf.]-l-ghee 'one person jumps, one person moves upward' [act. intr.]. dah-di-| 'upward'; - l-ghee 'one person moves'.
1. tółáníńlíͅná'a 'a big river'. tó 'water'; łání, relative in -í of łáͅ 'much'; ńlíͅ 'it flows' [ni- perf. neut. intr.].
2. tábaͅaͅyá 'on the bank'. tá-, combining form of tó 'water'; -baͅaͅ 'edge'.
[a literal translation of the first few lines of this passage would read: "Then he started off again. / Four days having passed, a big river running through the mountains, he was walking along its bank. / Further on, he came out to a big lake. / ..."--MEC]
3. tósikáͅná 'a big lake'. tó 'water'; sikáͅ 'something in a container lies' [si- perf. neut. intr.]; -ná emphatic encl.
4. bich'iͅiͅneeł'áͅshíͅ 'facing him'. bich'iͅiͅ 'toward him' plus the 3rd person of ni-...-l-'áͅ 'to have one's head in position' [si- perf. ? neut.].
dáho'ołí 'that which is floating'. dá- 'just' plus the relative in -í of the 3rd person prog. of -eeł 'to float' [act. intr.].
haná'ítin 'there is a road across'. Cf. bich'iͅiͅ'i'ítin 'there is a road to it' [passage 18]; 'íńtinyá 'on the road' [passage 9]; da'tinyá '[out of] the door, entrance way' [passage 6]. All of these seem to be composed of the theme -'ítin or 'íńtin plus prefixes which vary the basic meaning 'road, passage'. Thus: haná- 'across'; bich'iͅiͅ 'toward it'; 'i- 'away'; dá- ? [in da'tin 'doorway'].
1. yaanáhiitłeená'a 'he jumped'. 3rd person imp. of yaa-ná-hi-|...[ni- perf.]-tłee 'to jump [as a frog]' [act. intr.]. -tłee 'to flop; to fall heavily, of one's own weight'. yaa-ná-hi-|; cf. yaa-ná-ch'i-| with the theme -t'é which means 'to jump' [see note 1.1, §4].
2. I do not understand the meaning or function of the form hííyéhéná'a in line 5 of this passage. The literal meaning of the rest of the line is as follows: "Then / to in the water / a little / he being seen / he was swimming:"
Note that the four verbs in this passage referring to the actions of Frog and Turtle--viz., ná'gałkóͅóͅłná'a 'they were swimming back'; goch'iini'góńłkóͅná'a [ch'ii- here is probably a misprint. In the Apache text this word appears as goch'iͅiͅni'góńłkóͅná'a--MEC] 'they swam toward him'; hagóͅóͅ'áájná'a 'they came out'; and goch'iͅiͅngóń'áájná'a 'they stood before him'--all employ the deictic prefix go- as a 3rd person dual subject pronoun. This usage is very frequent in the Mesc. texts whereas it occurs but seldom in the Chir. texts.
The informant translated dah'ádzaaná'a 'he sat up'. It seems, however, to be a combination of the prefix dah- 'up' and the 3rd person perf. of 'á-...[? perf.]- ndá [perf. stem -dzaa] 'to do so' [act. intr.].
shiłnóot'as [This is most likely a misprint in the original, and should appear as shiłnóot'ash--MEC] 'he brought me back'. shił- 'with me' plus the 3rd person prog. of the theme -'aash 'two persons move' [act. intr.] with the prefix ná- 'back' [requires the -d- class].
hándí is apparently a combination of the interrog. pronoun há- and ndí, the 2nd person independent pronoun.
náshdiigijná'a 'he arose'. 3a person perf.of ná-di-|...[ni- perf.]-d-géésh 'to arise, to jump up' [act. intr.]. ná-di-| 'upward'; -d-géésh 'to move'.
Literally, the second line of this passage is as follows: "The Turtle people / those of all kinds / at no time / anything / they have done so to it in vain."
'igáał'áshéne is composed of 'igáał'á 'kinds, varieties, species' [no analysis]; -shé 'side, party'; -ne 'people of such and such a group'.
1. tó'iłch'áͅ'ádzaayá 'édaach'iisdiͅiͅ 'he disappeared in a splash of water'. tó 'water'; 'iłch'áͅ 'from one another'; 'ádzaa 'they have been made so'; -yá postposition [cf. note 3.48, §1]. édaach'iisdiͅiͅ is either the 3a distrib. perf. of é-...[si- perf.]-diͅiͅ 'to disappear' [act. intr.]; or the 3a person perf. with 3rd person distrib. obj. of 'é-...[si- perf.]-ł-diͅiͅ 'to cause to disappear' [act. tr.]. If the first of these alternatives is correct, why should the distrib. 3a person be employed to designate Turtle; if the second, why should the subject [i. e., tó'iłch'áͅ'ádzaayá have the postposition -yá?
2. biłha'nách'inóͅóͅzi 'he came up again with it'. bił- 'with it' plus the 3a person perf. of ha-'i-ná-ni-...[hi- perf.]-zí 'to come out of the water again' [act. intr.]. ha- 'out'; ná- 'again' [why does this prefix not require a -d- class theme?]; 'i-ni- ? [cf. note 3.48, §2].
The third line of this passage is literally as follows: "And / deer / its ribs / having been roasted / prairie dogs also / four / they lying on them / all / having been roasted / he brought them back out [of the water] to him."
yáhánaaheestáͅná'a 'they were sitting about inside'. yáhá 'inside' plus the 3rd person of naa-hi-...-táͅ 'several sit about' [si- perf. neut. intr.]. Is yáhá related to the prefix ya- of the verb ya-'i-|...[hi- perf.]-ghee 'to carry a burden inside' [act. tr.], the 3rd person perf. [with indef. obj.] of which occurs in the next line of this passage?
nzhóͅ 'ágóńsiͅ 'keep the place clean'. nzhóͅ 'it is good, well' plus the 2nd person with place object of 'á-ni-...-ł-ziͅ 'to keep so' [imp. neut. tr.]. See also dáítsénzhóͅgo yiba'ágogóͅsiͅná'a 'both of them kept it very clean for him'. dáítsé- 'very' [procl.?]; yiba'- 'for him'; 'ágogóͅsiͅ, the 3rd person dual with place object of the above mentioned verb.
1. ch'édátinyá 'out of doors'; ch'é- 'out' [see note 4.19].
2. gólijenłchiní 'beetles' [see note 4.9].
hanshcha'ye 'grasshoppers' [no analysis but cf. the theme -chá 'to hop', cont. imp. and perf. stems -cha].
hansht'á'ye 'butterflies' [no analysis but cf. the above and the theme -t'á 'to fly'].
dahiigohe 'moths' [no analysis].
dábitsé'égoosteel 'he spread out [a robe] for them'. dá- 'just'; bitsé- 'for them' [?]; 'égoosteel, see note 2.25, §2.
'áí zis 'iyáa bench'íńłtání 'that bag which Coyote had filled with things'. 'áí 'that'; zis 'bag'; 'iyáa 'something'; bench'íńłtání, relative in -í of bee- 'with it' plus the 3a person perf. of ni-ni-...[ni- perf.]-ł-tiͅiͅ 'to put down a sack-like object or a bundle' [act. tr.].
| Coyote and Turtle, Mescalero Apache Text | |