Ararahih'urípih
A Dictionary and Text Corpus of the Karuk Language

Fritz Hansen: "Coyote Falls through the Living-House Roof Hole" (1930)

Primary participant: Fritz Hansen (speaker)
Date: 1930
Project identifier: JPH_KT-12
Publication details: J. P. Harrington, International Journal of American Linguistics 6 (1930), p. 159, Text 12
Published text scan: http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~karuk/text-pdfs/JPH_KT-12.pdf

Note: This text retains Harrington's spelling in some cases. For example, writing double consonants, writing a small y and w for consonants that have these sounds following them, and writing some small words together as one word. Long vowels, ', ch, th, sh, and accent (where possible) are written using the current spelling system.

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

[1] uknii   
once.upon.a.time   
Ukni.

[2] pihnêeffich    v-oo-kúph-aan'nik    ôok    ithivthanéen'aachip   
coyote    so-3s(>3)-do-ANC    here    center.of.world   
Coyote did this, here at the world center.

[3] uum    vúra    v-oo-kupi-tti'    pa-t-óo    kxáramha    kári    t-óo    p-chanchákkar    káru    pa-t-u-súpaaha    kári    kyúkkuum    t-u-'êetchúr-ar    pa-t-u-súpaaha'    t-u-chánchaaksur-ar    pa-t-u-súpaaha'   
3.SG    Intensive    so-3s(>3)-do-DUR    NOMZ-PERF-3s(>3)    be.night    then    PERF-3s(>3)    ITER-go.to.close.roof-hatch    also    NOMZ-PERF-3s(>3)-become.day    then    again    PERF-3s(>3)-take.off.of-go.to    NOMZ-PERF-3s(>3)-become.day    PERF-3s(>3)-close.roof-hatch-go.to    NOMZ-PERF-3s(>3)-become.day   
He [Coyote] was doing that way, was closing evenings the living-house roof hole and mornings opened it up, when morning came, opened it when morning came.

[4] uum    vúra    vaa    hitíhaan    u-kupí-tti'   
3.SG    Intensive    so    always    3s(>3)-do-DUR   
That was his job.

[5] chavúra    pâanpay    ithâan    p-oo-súpaaha    xás    u-chánchaaksur-ar   
finally    after.while    once    NOMZ-3s(>3)-become.day    then    3s(>3)-close.roof-hatch-go.to   
Then after a while one morning, then he opened it.

[6] xás    u-xus    ti    kan-ítnuupnih-i'   
then    3s(>3)-think    let...    1s(>3)-look.through-IMPER   
He thought: "I am going to look in!"
(Harrington: "It was always a man's duty to remove and replace the board that covers the roofhole of the living-house. A man came from the sweathouse early to do this. He never looked in since the women folks slept without their skirts on; If a man looked in he would soon die: Puxxár imyáahtihara, pootnuupníhtihaak chanchaaksúrak, he would not live long if he peeked through the living-house roofhole. But Coyote again cuts custom.")

[7] yánava    îinâak    ifápiit    ú-yruuvriv   
visible    indoors    young.unmarried.woman    3s(>3)-(sg.).lie   
Behold inside he saw a maiden lying.

[8] xás    ú-xrar    pihnêeffich   
then    3s(>3)-weep    coyote   
Then Coyote cried.

[9] akée   
ouch!   
"Ouch.

[10] ta-na-píkriivrav   
PERF-1s-get.hurt   
I got hurt.

[11] akée   
ouch!   
Ouch.

[12] kiri    a'    u-'íthimship   
I.wish    above    3s(>3)-lie.stomach.upward   
Would that she would lie stomach up.

[13] chimi    kyan-pakúriihv-i'   
soon    1s(>3)-sing.songs-IMPER   
Let me sing.

[14] kíri    a'    u-'íthimship   
I.wish    above    3s(>3)-lie.stomach.upward   
Would that she lie stomach up."
(Harrington: "Coyote keeps switching his penis with a little stick, to keep it erect when about to perform such a deed. Tupimthayu, he switches it thus.")

Coyote's Song as He Descended

[15] káp    káp    sishíxrup   
káp    káp    sishíxrup   
"Káp káp, sishíxrup,
(Harrington: "Cp. káp said repeatedly to a baby to stop it crying, as one approaches his hand little by little to the baby's belly, closing the fingers graspingly at each repetition of káp."; [sishíxrup:] "A word of Coyote's language, reminding one of siish, penis, and tanéexrup, erectionem teneo.")

[16] káp    káp    sishíxrup   
káp    káp    sishíxrup   
Káp káp, sishíxrup."

[17] ta'íttam    a'    u-'íththimshipree-heen   
so    above    3s(>3)-lie.stomach.upward-ANT   
Then she turned stomach up.

[18] íii   
oh!   
"Oh.

[19] akée   
ouch!   
Ouch."

[20] ta'íttam    pihnêeffich    ú-kyiimnupri-heen    chanchaaksúr-ak   
so    coyote    3s(>3)-be.propelled.in.through-ANT    roof-hatch-Locative   
Then Coyote fell through the living-house roof hole.

[21] íii   
oh!   
"Oh.

[22] akée   
ouch!   
Ouch.

[23] akée   
ouch!   
Ouch.

[24] ôok    ichvánnihich   
here    little.bit   
Get closer to me," [Coyote said].

[25] akee   
ouch!   
"Ouch."

[26] vura    t-u-koohímmach'va   
Intensive    PERF-3s(>3)-pity   
She felt sorry for him.

[27] vaa    vúra    káan    kun-piftákkantun'va   
so    Intensive    there    3pl(>3s)-get.stuck.together   
The two got stuck together there.

[28] púya    uum    v-oo-kuph-aanik    pihnêeffich   
and.so    3.SG    that-3s(>3)-do-ANC    coyote   
Coyote did this.

[29] kupánnakanakana   
the.end   
Kupannakanakana.

[30] chéemyaach    ík    vúr    ishyâat    i-mshîinnaa-vish   
quickly    must    Intensive    king.salmon    2s(>3)-shine.this.way.upriver-FUT   
Shine early, Spring Salmon, hither up river.