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

Nettie Ruben: "Medicine to Get a Husband" (1957)

Primary participants: Nettie Ruben (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-50
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 250-253, Text 50
Additional contributor: Erik Maier (annotator)


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


[1] panamníhmaam koovúra tá kunimfipíshriihva, peekxariya'ifápiitshas.
All the spirit girls gathered back of Orleans.

[2] kunthítiimti " vaa káan kun'ûupvunaatih, tayiith."
They heard that (people) were digging brodiaea roots there.

[3] víri kôokinay kahyúras tá kun'aramsípriin, peekxariya'ifápiitshas.
They came from Klamath Lakes and everywhere, the spirit girls.

[4] tá kunimfipíshriihva panamníhmaam.
They gathered back of Orleans.

[5] kári xás yítha uum káan u'ífanik.
And one (girl) had grown up there (at Orleans).

[6] uum vúra kâanimich.
She was poor.

[7] vaa vúra ukupa'iifshípreenik, pakâanimich u'iifshípreenik.
She had grown up that way, since she had grown up poor.

[8] kári xás uxus, " ii! tîi naa káru kan'ûupvan."
And she thought, "Oh, let me go dig roots too!"


[9] kári xás ta'ítam u'uumáheen panamníhmaam.
And so she arrived back of Orleans.

[10] víri pootúraayva, púra fátaak vúra yâahitihara, pakun'ûupvunaatih peekxariya'ifápiitsha.
When she looked around, she couldn't fit in anyplace where the spirit girls were digging roots.

[11] víri pooksahárahitih, kuntákaamtih, pa'asiktávaan, pakâanimich, poo'ûupvutih.
So they laughed, they ridiculed her, the woman, the poor one, as she dug roots.

[12] pamuyáfus á' tóo stakúraan.
Her dress was ripped up.

[13] víriva yiimúsich vúra poo'ûupvutih.
She dug roots a little ways away.

[14] víri peekxariya'ifápiitsha tá kunpiip, " íf uxútih ' nitâatrupraveesh.'"
The spirit girls said, "She really thinks she's going to dig up something!"


[15] víri chavúra tapipshítaani kári xás kunpiip, peekxariya'ifápiitshas, " yáxa, hûut upítih."
Finally after a while the spirit girls said, "Look, what is she saying?"

[16] yánava upakurîihvutih, pakâanimich.
They saw the poor one was singing.

[17] yánava upítih, " yôotva, nini'ávan tá nitâatruprav."
They saw her say, "Hurray, I've dug up my husband!"

[18] kári xás pamúvaas xás vaa uyxôorariv.
And she covered him with her blanket.


[19] kári xás vaa kunkúupha, peekxariya'ifápiitsha.
Then the spirit girls did this.

[20] pootúraayva, yánava koovúra tá púfaat, peekxariya'ifápiitsha.
When (the poor one) looked around, she saw they were all gone, the spirit girls.

[21] tá kunipkeevíshriihva.
They were transformed.

[22] kári xás uxus, " payaas'ára u'iiníshrihaak, víri uum káru vúra vaa ukupheesh, xáat kâanimich.
And she thought, "When Mankind comes into existence, (a woman) will do this way also, (though) she may be poor.

[23] víriva vúra ávan uthiinátiheesh.
She will have a husband.

[24] paninipákuri u'aapúnmahaak, víriva vúra ávan uthiinátiheesh, xáat asiktavankéem."
If she knows my song, she will have a husband, (though) she may be a homely woman."

[25] víri kári xás yíthuk u'uum.
Then she went elsewhere (i.e., was transformed).