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

Julia Starritt: "Tattoos" (1957)

Primary participants: Julia Starritt (speaker), William Bright (researcher)
Date: 1957
Project identifier: WB_KL-87
Publication details: William Bright, The Karok Language (1957), pp. 300-301, Text 87
Additional contributor: Clare Sandy (annotator)


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


[1] pa'arara'asiktávaan uum ishváak uthúkinhahitih.
The Indian women were tattooed on the chin.

[2] kuyráak usasipúniihva yítha achipyâach xás xákararih.
There were three stripes running down, one right in the middle and (two) on each side.

[3] hâari tírihshas káru hâari vúra tûupichas kuynákmahich poosasipúniihva.
Sometimes they were wide and sometimes they were narrow, and sometimes they were each (composed of) three little ones running down.


[4] xás asayátha mûuk pakunikxúriktih.
And they made the design with a sharp stone.

[5] xás amyiv káru athkúrit ta kuníyshar, xás vaa tá kuniyvúruk pathúkinhak.
Then they mixed soot and grease, and they rubbed it on the tattoo.

[6] xás patu'aráriihkanhaak xás pu'ikxáramkunishhara, kúnish ámkuufkunish.
And when it healed, it was not black, it was sort of blue.


[7] xás pa'ôok va'áraaras pamukún'aav puthúkinhitihara.
And the Indians here didn't tattoo their faces (above the chin).

[8] vúra páy nanuxákarari kích uum vaa kunkupítih.
Only ones outside of our country did that.
(Bright: "The informant later corrected herself, saying that the Karok sometimes made small marks just above each corner of the mouth.")