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

Mamie Offield: "Blue Jay As Doctor" (1957)

Primary participants: Mamie Offield (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-28
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 222-225, Text 28


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


[1] kachakâach    u-'eemhîichva   
bluejay    3s(>3)-pretend.to.be.a.doctor   
Blue Jay pretended to be a 'doctor.'

[2] t-u-'ápur    pa-achviv-tunvêech-as   
PERF-3s(>3)-bewitch    the-bird-small.(pl.)-PL   
She bewitched the little birds.

[3] xás    t-u-patúmkoo   
then    PERF-3s(>3)-suck.disease   
Then she sucked them (as treatment for their illnesses).

[4] t-u-másnaahva   
PERF-3s(>3)-dance.for.curing   
She did a doctor's dance.

[5] vúra    kuma-kâarim    pa-yíkihar   
Intensive    3sPOSS-bad    the-sick   
The sick person just got worse.

[6] kúkuum        kun-p-íshavsip    xúrish    athithxuntápan    úus    koovúra    kuma-'ávaha   
again    PERF    3pl(>3s)-ITER-pay.as.fee    shelled.acorn    hazelnut    pine.nut    all    3sPOSS-food   
They would pay her fee repeatedly with shelled acorns, hazel nuts, pine nuts, all kinds of food.

[7] hínupa    vúra    uum    u-'apunkôo-naa-tih    kachakâach    uum    u-'apunkôo-naa-tih   
surprise    Intensive    3.SG    3s(>3)-cast.spell.on-PL-DUR    bluejay    3.SG    3s(>3)-cast.spell.on-PL-DUR   
There she was bewitching them, Blue Jay herself was bewitching them.

[8] púyava    pa-t-óo    xus    miník    kóo ník    pa-    kana-'íshavsip    púyava    kári    xás    t-u-'aráriihkanha   
you.see    NOMZ-PERF-3s(>3)    think    of.course    enough    NOMZ-PERF    2pl>1s-pay.as.fee    you.see    then    then    PERF-3s(>3)-get.well   
Then when she thought they had paid her enough in fees, then (the patient) would get well.


[9] koovúra        kun-másmaahvu-naa    pa-achviv-tunvêech-as   
all    PERF    3pl(>3s)-dance.for.curing-PL    the-bird-small.(pl.)-PL   
All the little birds were doing doctor's dances.

[10] pa-kun--tih    kíri    nu-'áapunma    hûut    kumá’ii    pa-kun-yíkihi-ti    púyava    kári    xás    kun-píkav    xánkiit   
NOMZ-3pl(>3s)-think-DUR    I.wish    1pl(>3)-know    how    because.of    NOMZ-3pl(>3s)-get.sick-DUR    you.see    then    then    3pl(>3s)-get.(person)    bullhead   
When they thought, "Let's find out why they are sick," then they summoned Bullhead.

[11] xás    u-piip    áchpuus    kana-p-íshavsiiprin-i   
then    3s(>3)-say    part.of.salmon    2pl>1s-ITER-pay.as.fee-IMPER   
And she said, "Pay my fee with 'áchpuus."
(áchpuus is translated by Harrington, 1932b, pp.29-31, as 'gut strings.' My informants, however, identify it as 'white stuff under the throat of a salmon.'")

[12] xás    vúra    pu-'aapúnma-ra    xánkiit   
then    Intensive    NEG-know-NEG    bullhead   
But Bullhead didn't find out.


[13] kári    xás    mahnûuvanach    kúna    kun-píkav   
then    then    chipmunk    in.addition    3pl(>3s)-get.(person)   
Then in turn they summoned Chipmunk.

[14] kári    xás    u-másmaahva    mahnûuvanach   
then    then    3s(>3)-dance.for.curing    chipmunk   
And Chipmunk did a doctor's dance.

[15] kári    xás    kachakâach    káan    u-krîish   
then    then    bluejay    there    3s(>3)-sit.down   
And Blue Jay sat down there.

[16] paráamvar    u-'êeth-tih   
maul    3s(>3)-carry-DUR   
She was holding a maul (for driving wedges).

[17] chími    ú-kxaavkurih-eesh   
soon    3s(>3)-crush-FUT   
She was going to smash (Chipmunk) with it.


[18] xás    mahnûuvanach    u-piip    akáray    yakún    mu-véeniichva   
then    chipmunk    3s(>3)-say    who    you.see    3sPOSS-mischief   
Then Chipmunk said, "You see, it's someone's mischief.

[19] mán    kachakâach    mu-véeniichva   
why...    bluejay    3sPOSS-mischief   
Why, it's Blue Jay's mischief."


[20] hínupa    uum    kachakáach    u-'apunkôo-naa-tih   
surprise    3.SG    bluejay    3s(>3)-cast.spell.on-PL-DUR   
There Blue Jay herself was bewitching them.

[21] mahnûuvanach    xás    uum    u-'aapúnma   
chipmunk    then    3.SG    3s(>3)-know   
Chipmunk found it out.

[22] kachakâach    mu-'ápuroon    ku-máh-eesh    hôoyva    ípaha-k    u-tákararihva    sú'    vákay    ú-krii   
bluejay    3sPOSS-magic.charm    2pl(>3)-see-FUT    somewhere    tree-LOC    3s(>3)-be.hanging    inside    worm    3s(>3)-live   
You can see Blue Jay's 'devil machine' somewhere, it is hanging on a tree, there's a worm inside.
(Bright: "An ápuroon or 'devil machine' is the object used by a sorcerer ('Indian devil') to impose his spells. The kachakach'ápuroon 'bluejay's devil machine' is a type of cocoon.)