Mamie Offield: "Shinny Game Medicine" (1957)

Primary participants: Mamie Offield (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-54
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 258-261, Text 54
Additional contributor: Olga Pipko (annotator)

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

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[1]	iknûumin veekxaréeyav	itráhyar	mu-túnviiv-hanik	ávans-as	káru	yítha	asiktávaan
	Burrill.Peak.spirit	ten	3sPOSS-children-ANC	man-PL	also	one	woman

Burrill Peak Spirit had ten children, (nine) men and one woman.

[2]	kári	xás	kun-piip	asaxêevar	v-eekxaréeyav	xákaan	chími	kun-ímthaatv-eesh
	then	then	3pl(>3s)-say	mossy	3sPOSS-spirit.person	both	soon	3pl(>3s)-play."stick.game"-FUT

And they said, Baldy Peak Spirit (said), "Let's play shinny together!"

[3]	yukún	uum	káru	ishímfir	asaxêevar	v-eekxaréeyav
	you.see	3.SG	also	brave	mossy	3sPOSS-spirit.person

You see, Baldy Peak Spirit was tough too.

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[4]

kári

xás

pa-niinamichtâapas

iknûumin veekxaréeyav

pa-mú-'arama

vaa

vúra

u-kupa-'íf-aha

pa-mú-tiik

u-'ákchaak-tih

xákarari

pa-mú-tiik

u-'ákchaak-tih

then

then

the-smallest

Burrill.Peak.spirit

the-3sPOSS-child

so

Intensive

3s(>3)-MODAL-grow-Modal

the-3sPOSS-hand

3s(>3)-close.hands-DUR

on.both.sides

the-3sPOSS-hand

3s(>3)-close.hands-DUR

And Burrill Peak Spirit's littlest child grew up this way, his hands were closed, both his hands were closed.

[5]	vuraakira-súruk	vúra	ú-krii
	ladder-under	Intensive	3s(>3)-live

He stayed underneath the ladder (leading into the house).

[6]	mu-chíshii	vúra	xákaan	kun-'íifship
	3sPOSS-dog	Intensive	both	3pl(>3s)-grow.up

He and his dog grew up together.

[7]	kári	xás	kun-púuxhi-tih
	then	then	3pl(>3s)-be.scabby-DUR

And they were covered with scabs.

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[8]	kári	xás	p-eekpihan-tâapas	ta'ítam	u-vâaram-aheen
	then	then	the-strong-most	so	3s(>3)-go-ANT

So then the strongest one went off (to play).

[9]	asaxêevar	v-eekxaréeyam	mú-'arama	xákaan	tá	kun-'îimasar
	mossy	3sPOSS-spirit.person	3sPOSS-child	both	PERF	3pl(>3s)-grapple.with

He and Baldy Peak Spirit's child grabbed each other (preparatory to play).

[10]	kári	xás	u-thítiim-tih	pa-vuraakira-súruk	ikrêe-n	pa-niinamichtâapas
	then	then	3s(>3)-hear-DUR	the-ladder-under	live-Participial	the-smallest

And the littlest one, sitting underneath the ladder, heard it.

[11]	kári	xás	u-xus	máva	aaníhich	tá	kun-chífich
	then	then	3s(>3)-think	here!	my.older.brother	PERF	3pl(>3s)-beat

And he thought, "Look, big brother's getting beaten."

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[12]	kúkuum	vúra	yítha	u-vâaram
	again	Intensive	one	3s(>3)-go

Again one went off.

[13]	chavúra	koovúra	tá	kun-ívyiihship
	finally	all	PERF	3pl(>3s)-go.away.(pl.)

Finally they all went (and were beaten).

[14]	pácheech	t-óo	saam
	all.alone	PERF-3s(>3)	remain

(The littlest one) remained alone.

[15]	kári	xás	u-xus	hûut	ni-kuph-eesh
	then	then	3s(>3)-think	how	1s(>3)-do-FUT

And he thought, "What shall I do?"

[16]	kári	xás	pa-mu-kústaan	u-péer	chími	árus	vîik-i
	then	then	the-3sPOSS-sister	3s(>3)-say.to	soon	seed.basket	weave-IMPER

And he told his sister, "Weave seed-baskets!

[17]	áxak	ík	p-ee-vík-eesh
	two	must	NOMZ-2s(>3)-weave-FUT

You must weave two (of them)."

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[18]	ta'ítam	u-vík-aheen
	so	3s(>3)-weave-ANT

So she wove them.

[19]	kári	xás	pa-t-óo	pthith	kári	xás	u-piip	tá	ní-pthith
	then	then	NOMZ-PERF-3s(>3)	finish.weaving	then	then	3s(>3)-say	PERF	1s(>3)-finish.weaving

And when she finished weaving, then she said, "I've finished weaving."

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[20]	kári	xás	chôora	chémi
	then	then	let's.go	all.right

Then (he said), "All right, let's go!

[21]	tá	ni-páatvar
	PERF	1s(>3)-go.bathe

I'm going to bathe.

[22]	víri	pa-ni-p-váruprav-ahaak	vaa	ik	ku-mûuk	nee-thxúp-eesh	pa-'árus
	so	NOMZ-1s(>3)-ITER-come.out-when	so	must	3sPOSS-with.(by.means.of)	2s/3s>1s-cover-FUT	the-seed.basket

When I come back out (of the water), you must cover me with the seed-basket."

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[23]	ta'ítam	u-thxúp-aheen
	so	3s(>3)-cover-ANT

So she covered him.

[24]	kári	xás	p-oo-p-ûusur	pa-'árus	ta'ítam	u-hyárihishrih-een
	then	then	NOMZ-3s(>3)-ITER-take.off	the-seed.basket	so	3s(>3)-stand.still-ANT

Then when he took off the seed-basket, he stood still.

[25]	víri	pa-mu-'ífuni	fúrax	kích	u-távahi-tih
	so	the-3sPOSS-hair	woodpecker.head	only	3s(>3)-be.decorated.(hair)-DUR

His hair was decorated on the ends with nothing but woodpecker heads.

[26]	káru	pa-mú-tiik	yánava	káan	pa-mu-tákasar
	also	the-3sPOSS-hand	visible	there	the-3sPOSS-shinny.tossel

And there in his hands she saw his shinny-tossel.

[27]	yukún	vaa	xákaan	u-'iifshípree-nik	pa-mu-tákasar
	you.see	that	with.(one.person)	3s(>3)-grow.up-ANC	the-3sPOSS-shinny.tossel

You see, he had grown up with that tossel.

(Bright: "'Tossel' is what English-speaking Karok call the tákasar or double-ball used in their shinny game; it consists of two short sticks connected by a thong. For a description of the shinny game, see Text 77.")

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[28]	kári	xás	pa-mu-chíshii	ta'ítam	úmpaan	u-'iipkúrih-een
	then	then	the-3sPOSS-dog	so	3sg..emphatic	3s(>3)-dive-ANT

So then his dog dived into the water.

[29]	ta'ítam	p-oo-p-váruprav	ta'ítam	u-piythúfrih-een
	so	NOMZ-3s(>3)-ITER-come.out	so	3s(>3)-shake.itself.(dog)-ANT

When it came back up, it shook itself.

[30]	ta'ítam	kun-ithxúp-aheen	pa-'árus	mûuk
	so	3pl(>3s)-cover-ANT	the-seed.basket	with.(by.means.of)

Then they covered it with the seed-basket.

[31]	víri	pa-kun-p-ûusur	fúrax	kích	u-távahi-ti	pa-mu-'ifunih-'ípan
	so	NOMZ-3pl(>3s)-ITER-take.off	woodpecker.head	only	3s(>3)-be.decorated.(hair)-DUR	the-3sPOSS-hair-end

When they took it off, the ends of (the dog's) hair were decorated with nothing but woodpecker scalps.

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[32]	kári	xás	u-piip	chôora	chémi
	then	then	3s(>3)-say	let's.go	all.right

Then he said, "All right, let's go!"

[33]	ta'ítam	u-'îimasar-aheen	asaxêevar	v-eekxaréeyav	xákaan
	so	3s(>3)-grapple.with-ANT	mossy	3sPOSS-spirit.person	with.(one.person)

So he grappled with Baldy Peak Spirit.

[34]	víri	p-oo-tâat-sip	pa-mu-tákasar	yá	káruk	ithivthaneen'ípan	ú-kuuyva
	so	NOMZ-3s(>3)-handle.with.implement-up	the-3sPOSS-shinny.tossel	visible	upriver	at.end.of.world	3s(>3)-strike

When he tossed his tossel, he saw it landed at the upriver end of the world.

[35]	ta'ítam	u-kvíripshur-aheen	pa-mu-chíshiih
	so	3s(>3)-run.away-ANT	the-3sPOSS-dog

So his dog ran off.

[36]	ta'ítam	u-p-ithvúk-aheen	pa-tákasar
	so	3s(>3)-ITER-bring.on.back-ANT	the-shinny.tossel

And it brought the tossel back.

[37]	ta'ítam	kúkuum	kun-'îimasar-aheen
	so	again	3pl(>3s)-grapple.with-ANT

So they grappled again.

[38]	yá	yúruk	ithivthaneen'ípan	kúna	ú-kuuyva	pa-tákasar
	visible	downriver	at.end.of.world	in.addition	3s(>3)-strike	the-shinny.tossel

He saw the tossel land in turn at the downriver end of the world.

[39]	yukún	uum	ikxareeyaa-tâapas	u-'iifshípree-nik	iknûumin veekxaréeyav
	you.see	3.SG	spirit.person-most	3s(>3)-grow.up-ANC	Burrill.Peak.spirit

You see, Burrill Peak Spirit had grown up into a real ikxaréeyav.

[40]	yukún	naa	ík	káru	vaa	ni-kuph-eesh	p-oo-kúphaa-nik	p-eeknûumin veekxaréeyav
	you.see	1sg.	must	also	that	1s(>3)-do-FUT	NOMZ-3s(>3)-do-ANC	the-Burrill.Peak.spirit

You see, I must also do that way, as Burrill Peak Spirit did.