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

Chester Pepper: "Deer-hunting Medicine" (1957)

Primary participants: Chester Pepper (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-53
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 258-259, Text 53
Additional contributor: Erik Maier (annotator)


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


[1] púufich u'ákunvareesh.
They were going deer-hunting.

[2] xás vaa ukúphaanik páy nanu'ávahkam veekxavnamíchmiif.
And páy nanu'ávahkam veekxavnamíchmiif (name of an ikxaréeyav, probably "black little-wolf of the sky") did this.

[3] xás vaa ukúphaanik.
He did this.

[4] pufíchtaay kuniykáratih, itráhyar mutúnviiv.
His ten sons were killing lots of deer.

[5] xás uxús " kíri kinpíychaak pamutúnviiv."
And he wished that his children would have bad luck.
(Bright: "Literally, 'he thought 'let his children have bad luck.'' A more normal mode of expression would be with... nanitúnviiv 'he thought, 'let my children...'' The unexpected person of the possessive perhaps reflects the structure of English indirect discourse.")

[6] kári xás uhravrikûunish pamuhrôoha.
So he copulated with his wife.
(Bright: "Sexual intercourse is believed to bring bad luck in deer-hunting.")

[7] xás u'av, papúufich.
And he ate the deer meat.


[8] xás púyava kunpákunvanva, kúkuum.
Then they went hunting again.

[9] púra fâat iykárat.
They didn't kill anything.

[10] kúkuum vúra imáan kunpákunvanva.
The next day they went hunting again (but were still unsuccessful).

[11] víri káan ník mâam kun'iruveehrímpiithva.
They stood around uphill there.

[12] víri kôokaninay kúuk kunthítiimutih, peekxaréeyav mukinínaasich.
They heard the deer (lit., "spirit's pets") everywhere.

[13] fâat kúnish kun'ixáxanaatih.
They were sort of crying somewhat.

[14] peekxaréeyav kunpiykáranaa, ikxaréeyav mukinínaasich.
The (other) spirits were killing the deer.

[15] kári xás kunxus, " xâatik nupêerunpa."
Then they thought, "Let's die!"

[16] kunkôoha pa'ahavíshkaanva.
They stopped hunting.


[17] kári xás yítha niinamichtâapas xás upiip, " chími nupahavíshkaanvi páy nanu'ávahkam."
Then the littlest one said, "Let's hunt in the sky!"

[18] káan ník kunpihmáriroopithva, páy nanu'ávahkam.
They ran around there in the sky.

[19] vúra púra fáat.
(But) there was nothing (i.e., no deer).

[20] ikmaháchraam kunpavyíhivrath.
They went back to the sweathouse.


[21] kári xás pihnîichich uvôonsip, pamukun'ákah.
Then the old man got up, their father.

[22] ta'ítam pírish úkyav.
And he made medicine.

[23] kári xás ta'ítam upakxuuyvávathvunaa, pamutúnviiv.
Then he rubbed it on his children.

[24] yáas tá kunpákunvanva.
Then they went hunting again.

[25] peekxúrar púvaxay thivrúhish, koovúra axupa'ithvutiharamúrax.
When evening hadn't (even) floated down yet, they were all doing nothing but carrying dressed deer meat.


[26] kári xás uxúsaanik, " yaas'ara'îin tá na'apúnmiikahaak, víri yaas'ára káru vúra vaa ukupheesh."
Then (the father) thought, "If Mankind has learned it from me, Mankind will do this way too."

[27] naa kích îin tá nu'apúnmiik.
I alone have learned it from you.

[28] naa káru vaa nikupheesh.
I will do that too.