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

Nettie Ruben: "The Story of Tan Oak Acorn" (1957)

Primary participants: Nettie Ruben (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-31
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 226-227, Text 31


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


[1] yaas'ára    u-'iiníshrih-eesh   
rich.person    3s(>3)-come.into.existence-FUT   
Mankind was about to come into existence.

[2] koovúra    kun-víik-vunaa    yíthuk    chí    kun-ívyiihm-eesh   
all    3pl(>3s)-weave-PL    elsewhere    soon    3pl(>3s)-go.to.(pl.)-FUT   
They were all weaving, they were about to go to a different place.

[3] kári    xás    kun-píip    chími    chêemyaach    nu-tákuk-vunaa   
then    then    3pl(>3s)-say    soon    quickly    1pl(>3)-clean.out.basket-PL   
And they said, "Let’s clean out our baskets quickly."

[4] kári    xás    kun-píip    chémi    chúvaarap   
then    then    3pl(>3s)-say    all.right    let's.go   
And they said, "All right, let’s go!"

[5] kári    xás    kun-p-ithxuná-siipreen    pa-mukun-'ápxaan   
then    then    3pl(>3s)-ITER-put.over.head-up    the-3plPOSS-cap   
And they put on their basket-caps.

[6] koovúra    yâamach-as    pa-mukun-'ápxaan   
all    pretty-PL    the-3plPOSS-cap   
All their caps were pretty.

[7] kári    xás    uum    pa-xuntápan    uum    vúra    pu-pikyáar-ara    pa--pxaan   
then    then    3.SG    the-acorn    3.SG    Intensive    NEG-finish-NEG    the-3sPOSS-cap   
But Tan Oak Acorn didn’t finish her cap.

[8] kári    xás    u-pkifínmit   
then    then    3s(>3)-turn.inside.out   
So she turned it inside out.

[9] kári    xás    u-p-íthxuuna-sip   
then    then    3s(>3)-ITER-put.over.head-up   
And she put it on.
(Bright: "The verb tákuk, translated 'to clean out' in sentence 3, refers to the process of cutting off the projecting sticks on the inside of a basket, after the actual weaving is finished. The heroine, not having time to do this, put her cap on inside out; as a result, the cups of tan oak acorns are prickly, rather than smooth.")

[10] kári    xás    u-píip    pa-yaas'ára    u-'iiníshrih-aak    víri    naa    pa-'avanih-ich-tâapas-heesh   
then    then    3s(>3)-say    NOMZ-rich.person    3s(>3)-come.into.existence-when    so    1sg.    the-high-DIM-most-FUT   
And she said "When Mankind comes into existence, I will be the most important (lit. the highest).

[11] pa-hûutva    kóo    yaas'ára    u-'íina-haak    víri    naa    vúra    kích    kaná-'aam-tih-eesh    káruma    apxan-kêemich    pa-niní-pxaan   
NOMZ-somehow    as.much.as    rich.person    3s(>3)-exist-when    so    1sg.    Intensive    only    3pl>1s-eat-DUR-FUT    in.fact    cap-poor    the-1sPOSS-cap   
However long Mankind exists, he will eat only me, (though) the fact is that my cap is a poor cap."

[12] víri    xuntápan    vaa    ú-paanik   
so    acorn    so    3s(>3)-say.(ancient)   
Tan Oak Acorn said that.