Benonie Harrie: "A Hunting Yarn" (1927)

Primary participants: Benonie Harrie (speaker), Jaime de Angulo (researcher), L.S. Freeland (researcher)
Date: 1927
Location: Northern California
Project identifier: DAF_KT-05c
Publication details: Jaime de Angulo and L.S. Freeland,International Journal of American Linguistics 6 (1931), pp. 202, 224-226
PDF of published text: http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~karuk/text-pdfs/DAF_KT-05c.pdf
Additional contributors: Julay Brooks (annotator), John Ku (annotator), Line Mikkelsen (annotator), Ebony Milbury (annotator), Michelle Park (annotator)

Note: This text has been retranscribed in current spelling and some translations have been modified to better reflect Karuk sentence structure.

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[1]	pa-pishyavpîish	mit	ni-'ákunvar-at
	the-autumn	near.past	1s(>3)-go.hunting-PAST

Last fall I went on a hunting trip.

[2]	xás	masúruk	saamváru-k	ni-kvêesh
	then	up.a.creek	creek-Locative	1s(>3)-spend.night

I made camp up the creek.

[3]	imáankam	xás	mah'íitnihach	xás	ni-'ákunvar-at
	next.day	then	early.morning	then	1s(>3)-go.hunting-PAST

Next morning early I went hunting.

[4]	kári	xás	máruk	káan	xás	ni-máahrav	ta'ítam	ni-thírav-aheen
	then	then	uphill	there	then	1s(>3)-track	so	1s(>3)-trail-ANT

Up the hill there I tracked (a deer), and I followed the tracks.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "Up the hill there I found deer tracks leading out, and I followed the tracks." It has been changed here to better reflect the structure of the Karuk sentence.)

[5]	chímiva	piríshriik	su'	ni-p-thíramkaa
	soon	brush.pile	inside	1s(>3)-ITER-trail.to

As it happened, I tracked him into a patch of brush.

[6]	káan	xás	u-'árihship	sáruk	u-kvíripunih
	there	then	3s(>3)-jump.up	downhill	3s(>3)-run.away.downhill

There he jumped up and he ran down the hill.

[7]	ta'ítam	ni-'áharam-aheen
	so	1s(>3)-follow-ANT

I ran after him.

[8]	saamvároo	ithyárukirukam	súva	as	ú-xaak-ti	itharípriik	vúra	hôoyvarihva
	creek	on.other.side.of.river	listen!	rock	3s(>3)-make.noise-DUR	fir.forest	Intensive	somewhere.or.other

On the other side of the creek I could hear the noise of rocks somewhere in a fir thicket.

[9]	chavúra	kári	xás	ni-mah
	finally	then	then	1s(>3)-see

Finally I saw him.

[10]	viri	kúna	vúra	ithyárukirukam	kuma-vîitkir	chími	u-kfúkuvra-vish
	so	in.addition	Intensive	on.other.side.of.river	3sPOSS-ridge	soon	3s(>3)-climb.over-FUT

He was about to climb over the ridge on the other side of the creek.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "He had run nearly to the top of the opposite ridge on the other side of the creek." It has been changed here to better reflect the structure of the Karuk sentence.)

[11]	ta'ítam	ni-'aaksúr-aheen
	so	1s(>3)-release..(arrow)-ANT

I took a shot at him.

[12]	kári	xás	sâam	u-p-ishkáakfak	káruma	vúra	yiiv
	then	then	little.downhill	3s(>3)-ITER-jump.down.from.uphill	in.fact	Intensive	far

Then he gave a jump down, but it was very far away.

(The transcription of the verb is uncertain. de Angulo and Freeland's write "ishkyav", which Bright and Gehr render as "ishkáakfak" in their dictionary. Bight and Gehr's transcription is adopted here.)

[13]	púxay	vúra-xay	na-xú-tih-ara	káan	u-kyíim-eesh
	not.yet	Intensive-not	1s(>3)-think-DUR-NEG	there	3s(>3)-reach.(distance)-down

I didn't think it (my shot) reached him there.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "I didn't think I could have hit him at that distance." It has been changed here to better reflect the structure of the Karuk sentence.)

[14]	ta'ítam	kúkuum	ni-'aaksúr-aheen	chímiva	súrukam	kúna	ni-pásip	tama	u-skákavraa
	so	again	1s(>3)-release..(arrow)-ANT	soon	under	in.addition	1s(>3)-shoot	then	3s(>3)-jump.over.ridge

I shot under, and he jumped over the ridge.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "Then I shot again, but under. My shot passed just as he jumped over the ridge." It has been changed here to better reflect the structure of the Karuk sentence.)

[15]	kári	xás	kúuk	ni-'uum
	then	then	to.there	1s(>3)-arrive

Then I went in that direction.

[16]	yíthukam	yánava	sáruk	t-u-kvíripuni-heen
	on.other.side	visible	downhill	PERF-3s(>3)-run.away.downhill-ANT

I saw that he had run downhill on the other side.

[17]	kári	xás	máruk	ní-kfuukraa	chavúra	máruk	ípan	ni-kfúkuvraa
	then	then	uphill	1s(>3)-climb.up.from.downhill	finally	uphill	end	1s(>3)-climb.over

Then I climbed uphill and finally I climbed over the hill top.

[18]	káan	xás	ikhúripaa-k	ni-'árihripaa
	there	then	ridge.running.inland-Locative	1s(>3)-run.inland

Then I went along the ridge.

[19]	purafátaak	vúra	pa-mukun-fíthih
	nowhere	Intensive	the-3plPOSS-foot

No tracks anywhere.

[20]	kári	xás	ikrírihak	ni-vápathuk
	then	then	steep.hillside	1s(>3)-come.around

Then I went around to the steep side.

[21]	káan	xás	yánava	nani-sâam	u-hyárih
	there	then	visible	1sPOSS-little.downhill	3s(>3)-stand

There he was, standing below me.

[22]	ta'ítam	ni-'akuníihka-heen
	so	1s(>3)-shoot.at-ANT

So I shot at him.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "So at last I shot him." It has been changed here to better reflect the structure of the Karuk sentence.)

[23]	mâa	vúrava	sâam	súva	vúrava	pa-pírish	ú-xaak-tih
	look!	just	little.downhill	listen!	just	the-plant	3s(>3)-make.noise-DUR

A little downhill I heard a noise in the brush.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "The last I heard of him was a noise there in the brush." It has been changed here to better reflect the structure of the Karuk sentence.)

[24]	kári	xás	kúuk	ni-'uum
	then	then	to.there	1s(>3)-arrive

I went toward it.

[25]	yánava	káan	u-tháaniv	kêeshich-as	vêeshur
	visible	there	3s(>3)-sit	bigger-PL	horn

There he lay, a big buck.

(A more literal translation might be "Behold, (its) big horns lay there". )

[26]	káan	nik	ni-shripíhpih
	there	a.little	1s(>3)-tug.at

I tugged at it

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "I could hardly move him." It has been changed here to better reflect the structure of the Karuk sentence.)

[27]	kári	xás	ta'ítam	ni-tatnús-aheen
	then	then	so	1s(>3)-gut.(a.deer)-ANT

So then I gutted him.

[28]	kári	xás	vúup	kúna	ni-vúsur
	then	then	neck	in.addition	1s(>3)-cut.off

Then, in addition, I cut off his neck.

[29]	ta'ítam	ni-thvásipree-heen
	so	1s(>3)-pack.up-ANT

So I packed it on my back.

[30]	viri	ûum	vúra	ni-'á'ha
	so	barely	how	1s(>3)-get.up

I could scarcely get up.

[31]	púxay	vúra	xay	hûut	koo	nee-thváv-ara	táma	âapun
	not.yet	how	Intensive	how	all	1s(>3)-pack.to-NEG	then	on.the.ground

I could hardly pack it any distance at all, before (I had to put it) down again.

[32]	kári	xás	pâanpay	xás	kúkuum	ni-p-ithvásip
	then	then	after.while	then	again	1s(>3)-ITER-pack.up

Then, after a while, I packed it on my back again and rose.

[33]	matêe	kuma-máath-kich
	later	3sPOSS-heavy-like

Later, it became heavier.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "Later, it becomes heavier.")

[34]	kári	xás	ni-xus	"chími	kán-ishfin	ta'ítam	ni-shfír-aheen
	then	then	1s(>3)-think	"soon	1s(>3)-skin	so	1s(>3)-skin-ANT

Then I thought I should skin him soon, so I skinned him.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "Then I think I should skin him soon, so I skin him.")

[35]	kári	xás	pa-'ishmúnaxich	íithva	ni-kyâa-heen
	then	then	the-meat.alone	packload	1s(>3)-make-ANT

Then I made a pack of only meat.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "Then I make a pack of only meat.")

[36]	kári	xás	ni-thvásip
	then	then	1s(>3)-pack.up

Then I packed it.

[37]	unuhyâach-hiruva	kúma	u-'árihishrih	pa-naní-'iithva	víri	na-takníihshur-oo-tih
	circle-too	3sPOSS	3s(>3)-become	the-1sPOSS-packload	so	2s/3s>1s-roll.off-PL.ACT-DUR

My pack was becoming too round, so it kept rolling off me.

(The use of "kuma-" in this sentence is puzzling. Normally "kuma-" is used on nouns to express possession or "a kind of X", but here it is followed by a verb.")

[38]	fátaak	xás	tá	ni-kyívish
	somewhere	then	PERF	1s(>3)-fall.down

I fell down somewhere.

[39]	xayvéekva	kúkuum	ni-pí-kfuuksip
	by.luck	again	1s(>3)-ITER-get.up.(from.lying)

By luck, I once again get up on my feet.

[40]	achavúra	pâanpay	ni-yrúhunih
	then(?)	after.while	1s(>3)-roll.(something).downhill.from.here

Finally I rolled it down.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "Finally it rolled away downhill out of sight." It has been changed here to better reflect the structure of the Karuk sentence.)

[41]	mâa	vúrava	sáruk	pa-pírish	kich	u-váyvaayhi-tih
	look!	just	downhill	the-plant	only	3s(>3)-wave-wave

Only the brush was moving.

[42]	kári	xás	ni-kvíripunih
	then	then	1s(>3)-run.away.downhill

Then I ran down.

[43]	yánava	sáruk	xás	pírish-ak	u-thantákikva
	visible	downhill	then	plant-Locative	3s(>3)-be.stuck

I found that it had got stuck in the brush down there.

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[44]	kári	xás	sáruk	ni-thyúrunih
	then	then	downhill	1s(>3)-drag.down.from.uphill

After that I just dragged it down the hill.

[45]	tá	ni-thyúrunih	tá	pu-na-'íithvu-tih-ara
	PERF	1s(>3)-drag.down.from.uphill	PERF	NEG-1s(>3)-pack-DUR-NEG

I dragged it, I didn't try to pack it anymore.

[46]	koova	tá	nee-kvúrish	chavúra	kúkuum	ni-'iyruhunih	chímiva	ípaha	ú-kuyva
	so	PERF	1s(>3)-be.tired	finally	again	1s(>3)-roll.(something).downhill.from.here	soon	tree	3s(>3)-strike

I was so tired finally I rolled it down again, but it hit a tree.

[47]	kári	xás	ú-sxax	pa-nani-pûuvish
	then	then	3s(>3)-be.smashed	the-1sPOSS-bag

Then my sack burst.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "That ripped my sack." It has been changed here to better reflect the structure of the Karuk sentence.)

[48]	káan	ni-'uum	ta'ítam	ni-p-ifikpiithv-aheen
	there	1s(>3)-arrive	so	1s(>3)-ITER-pick.up.here.and.there-ANT

When I got there, I had to pick up the pieces.

[49]	pa-'íish	ôokmas	páy	yítha	u-tháaniv
	the-flesh	here.and.there	this	one	3s(>3)-sit

The meat was lying all around.

[50]	chavúra	víri	ûumta	ni-p-ifikfiip
	finally	so	hardly	1s(>3)-ITER-finish.picking.up

It was as much as I could do to get it all together again.

[51]	kúkuum	ni-p-kíshap
	again	1s(>3)-ITER-tie.in.a.bundle

Again I tied it up.

[52]	kári	xás	ta'ítam	kúkuum	ni-p-ithyúrusipree-heen	sáruk	ni-p-ithyúrunih
	then	then	so	again	1s(>3)-ITER-start.to.drag-ANT	downhill	1s(>3)-ITER-drag.down.from.uphill

Again I started to drag it. I dragged it down the hill.

(de Angulo and Freeland's translation is "Again I dragged it down the hill." It has been changed here to better reflect the structure of the Karuk sentence.)

[53]	sáruk	ikveeshríhraam	ni-'íipma	víri	kúna	vúra	chimi	u-kxáramh-eesh
	downhill	campground	1s(>3)-return	so	so	but	soon	3s(>3)-be.night-FUT

I got back to the camping place just as it was getting dark.

[54]	yée	víri	íiv	ni-píivur	kóova	puxich	ni-kvúrish
	well	so	meaning.unknown	1s(>3)-meaning.unknown	so	very.much	1s(>3)-be.tired

I was so tired I was nearly dead.