Karuk Dictionary and Texts

Julia Starritt, "How the Rube Family Was Named" (1957)

Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 278-281, Text 66

Project identifier: WB_KL-66

Text display mode: paragraph | sentence | word | word components

[1] yítha áraar apxantínihich ukyavíichvihitihanik.

A certain Indian once worked for a white man.

[2] xás ithâan kuméeshyaav vúra puxích tupáthrih, pa'íshaha tu'uh.

And one winter it rained hard, the water rose.

[3] xás paapxantínihich upíip " chími kâam vâarami peevapithváram.

And the white man said, "Go upriver to the store!

[4] sáran sii káru yúfish káru asúxiim káru rope."

Go get nails and salt and sugar and rope!"

[5] xás ta'ítam uvâaramaheen.

So the Indian went.

[6] xás uthvuyâanati ípa kóo kunípeerat " ikvan."

And he was naming all that they had told him to buy.

[7] xás u'uum, pathúufak.

And he got to the creek.

[8] yána vúra kêech tu'uh.

He saw that it had risen high.

[9] xás ufáathkar, xás vúra kúnish tu'ay, pa'íshaha.

Then he waded in, but he was sort of afraid of the water.

[10] xás chímiva ukyívish.

And suddenly he fell down.

[11] xás koovúra tupipshinvárihva péethvuy, ípa kunípeerat " ikvan."

And he forgot all the names that they had told him to buy.

[12] xás yícheech vúra kích upikrôok " rúup."

And he only remembered one thing, "rúup."

[13] xás poo'árihroov kích poopíti " rúup, rúup."

So as he went upriver he was saying nothing but "rúup, rúup."

[14] xás u'uum, papeevapithváram.

Then he arrived at the store.

[15] xás kunipêer " fâat panu'ákiheesh."

And they said to him, "What can we give you?"

[16] "rúup, rúup."

"rúup, rúup."

[17] xás paapxantínihich upíip " Oh, rope!"

And the white man (the storekeeper) said, "Oh, rope!"

[18] xás u'êe pá'aan.

And he gave him the rope.

[19] xás papeevapíthvaan upíip " fâat kúna."

And the storekeeper said, "What else?"

[20] xás upíip " man'áta, tá punapikrôokara."

And he said, "I don’t know, I've forgotten."

[21] xás vaa vúra upíthvuuymath rúup.

So they named him Rube.

[22] xás payêem vaa vúra mukun'íthvuy rúup.

And now (his descendants') name is Rube.

[1]	yítha áraar apxantínihich ukyavíichvihitihanik.
	A certain Indian once worked for a white man.

[2]	xás ithâan kuméeshyaav vúra puxích tupáthrih, pa'íshaha tu'uh.
	And one winter it rained hard, the water rose.

[3]	xás paapxantínihich upíip " chími kâam vâarami peevapithváram.
	And the white man said, "Go upriver to the store!

[4]	sáran sii káru yúfish káru asúxiim káru rope."
	Go get nails and salt and sugar and rope!"

[6]	xás uthvuyâanati ípa kóo kunípeerat " ikvan."
	And he was naming all that they had told him to buy.

[8]	yána vúra kêech tu'uh.
	He saw that it had risen high.

[9]	xás ufáathkar, xás vúra kúnish tu'ay, pa'íshaha.
	Then he waded in, but he was sort of afraid of the water.

[11]	xás koovúra tupipshinvárihva péethvuy, ípa kunípeerat " ikvan."
	And he forgot all the names that they had told him to buy.

[12]	xás yícheech vúra kích upikrôok " rúup."
	And he only remembered one thing, "rúup."

[13]	xás poo'árihroov kích poopíti " rúup, rúup."
	So as he went upriver he was saying nothing but "rúup, rúup."

[14]	xás u'uum, papeevapithváram.
	Then he arrived at the store.

[15]	xás kunipêer " fâat panu'ákiheesh."
	And they said to him, "What can we give you?"

[17]	xás paapxantínihich upíip " Oh, rope!"
	And the white man (the storekeeper) said, "Oh, rope!"

[19]	xás papeevapíthvaan upíip " fâat kúna."
	And the storekeeper said, "What else?"

[20]	xás upíip " man'áta, tá punapikrôokara."
	And he said, "I don’t know, I've forgotten."

[21]	xás vaa vúra upíthvuuymath rúup.
	So they named him Rube.

[22]	xás payêem vaa vúra mukun'íthvuy rúup.
	And now (his descendants') name is Rube.