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All right, I’m starting with the easy stuff.
Numbers 1-20
1 nóoñsaa
2 nóoñbaa
3 láani
4 dóoba
5 gisáañha
6 agáasbee
7 saagóomiiñ
8 baláani
9 kasáñhga
10 búujga
11 aginooñsaa
12 aginooñbaa
13 agilaani
14 agidooba
15 agigiisáañha
16 agiagaasbe
17 agisagoomiñ
18 agibalaani
19 agikasáñhga
20 bújga nooñbaa
Basic phrases. Some of these phrases date back to fort Christanna, so are somewhat ill defined
aháñ or awaaxa — yes
ihaao or yaháñ — no
biiláhug — thank you
mekoolemechin — You are very welcome
jog de log — How do you do?
biiwa — nice, good, thank you (thanks)
kéekoñg — I will (OK)
keekóñg añháñ alewáyo — In everything you are right
hañháñ gidaaya kekoñkaléwaya — Surely, everything is alright
owagihniwañ — fill out if possible
kenepaskiniwiki — my service to you Queen (“Queen” can mean a woman leader, or any high
ranking or respected woman)
ke li pomelin — Will you kiss me?
kéekoñg — I will (OK)
keekóñg añháñ alewáyo — In everything you are right
How does that second phrase translate? It looks like keekóñg means ‘I will’ and añháñ means ‘yes’ so how do those two combine with alewáyo into ‘in everything you are right?
I should point out that the phrases translated as “I will”, “in everything you are right”, “surely everything is all right”, and “fill out if possible” are untranslatable. The English translations are written the way they were originally written down.
The phrase “fill out if possible” is confusing. I’m guessing it either means to fill out or fill up a sack of something completely, or to place one’s mark on a document. Anyone have any other guesses? It dates from 1888.
The people who collected these phrases had to go through interpreters from English to Cayuga to Tutelo and back. These were also recorded from semifluent speakers. When a language is dying, the last speakers generally simplify phrases and change meanings.
Also, the phrases translated as “you are very welcome”, “how do you do”, “my service to you Queen”. “will you kiss me”, are all attributed to the Indians of Fort Christanna, but they may be of Powhatan or Iroquoian origin. The word list from Fort Christanna shows a mix of eastern Siouan words with these other two language families. That would be expected in the case were people from different tribes are thrown together on a reservation. I included these phrases because regardless of the language of origin, they were used by our ancestors at Fort Christanna.
I find it interesting that of the 46 words and phrases from Fort Christanna, Fontaine found it neccesary to write the translations for “my dear wife”, “come to bed”, and “will you kiss me”. Think hes one of our ancestors?
Sounds as bad as William Byrd, who wrote about how hard he was trying to look up our ladies’ (mini) skirts, but they were always careful not to show him a thing.
This language is best described as Tutelo-Saponi, since there are a number of Saponi words also used. Many Saponi words come from Fort Christanna. Note that some words, such as “hat” has several Indian words, and another word, ”wig” has an “f” sound.
I’m also experimenting with different ways of posting the material, let me know if a certain post is easier or harder to understand.
Tutelo clothing words
HAT — kotubús, lubúus
POCKET — isdagoniñ
SHOES, RUNNING SHOES — hañdisanooi (This word can be used for modern running shoes)
Words from Fort Christanna
BREECHES, PANTS — lonoode (Saponi)
COAT — opoghe (Saponi)
HANKERCHIEF — mihañsá
HAT — apatu bogso (Saponi)
SHIRT — opoghe hasa (Saponi)
SHOE, MOCCASIN, INDIAN SHOE — aañgoohlee, magasoñs (Saponi)
SILVER ARMLET, BRACELET — gaagsagiiñnakóoñ
STOCKING — honis (Saponi)
WIG — magneto dufas (Saponi)
Thanks for all your hard work! wow! That’s GREAT!
I hope to be in touch in new year!
Deb 🙂
PS Did you get the book?
Glad you like the words. Deb, were you asking if I got the Tutelo books from 6 nations? I got the one on the naming ceremony, but not the other one yet. Right now I’m looking for some specific grammar books for other Siouan languages.
Some English words have more than one Tutelo translation. I’m writing the oldest known words first, and if theres more than one word recorded in the same year, then I write the shortest word first. I forgot to mention earlier, that unless otherwise stated, all these words are out of Oliverio. Words in parenthesis are my own interpretations of words or comments. Also, the “w” can change to an “m” in some words under certain circumstances, like in the Tutelo words for bread and pig. “W” is the older sound.
Berry — hasi
Bread — wagesaagwaai, wáagsaagbáa
Cherry — yosañglota
Corn — maañdaaxée
Cow, any bovine, (beef) — mañpa
Cranberry – hohinañg
Egg — poos
Food — waluuti
Pepper — béebahé
Pig, (pork) — waañsgoolóo
Powder, flour — waabahé
Pumpkin — mañdamaiñ
Raspberry — hasisiaa
Salt — hagúchigooñyooñ, machigóoyoñ
Soup — wagsagsí, woohé
Squash — mañdamaiñ yiliip (this is one word)
Strawberry — hasbahínañg
Sugar — waadeewíi
Some food phrases
Eat Bread! Come To Dinner! — walút magsabaa (walút wáagsaagbáa)
(this can be used to call folks to any meal, and can mean Time To Eat! or Come And Get It!.
Take Some Soup — walút wagsagsí (this basically means Soups On!, Time To Eat Soup!)
These words are from a word list from Speck
Come eat — walút
Cow, beef — mañmpá ‘e (probably pronounced mañpá ‘e)
Cow’s milk — mañmpá ‘íye (mañpá ‘íye)
Pork rib — maskoló gwayútik (waañsgoolóo gwayútik)
Tutelo-Saponi critters
Black bear — yúudgayéek
Bear — mooñdi, hamóoñti
Beaver — yáaba, chutaayi, munaaxga
Bird — maañyiiñgi
Bird’s nest — maañyiiñgiyéxda
Bison, Buffalo — iaap
Buffalo — mañpañdahgaa (this means wild cow)
Buck — babóosgoñ, chinóñkehe
Buzzard — hika
Cat (domestic cat) — buus (probably from English pussy cat)
Cat (any cat) — dalúsgik (Iroquoian)
Colt — chooñgidaañyiñg
Cow — máhdiyíiñ
Cow, any bovine — mañpa
Cow, Ox — maañpayíñg
Crane — kaiñsdaakai
Crow — kaaxi
Deer — witáa
Dog — chóoñgi, chooñti
Duck — heeisdáañ, iisdai
Fawn — héegeloñsgá
Fish — wihóo, bisooká
Fox — dooxgaa
Frog — héewooñ
Game bird — mañ
Goose, Duck — mañneeasaañ
Horse — chooñgidáñ
Muskrat — dayañsgá
Nest — yéxda
Otter — mosnughe
Partridge — wusdedgai
Pheasant — mañsdedgaí
Pig, Hog — waañsgoolóo
Pidgeon — waayuudgáa, wayáasoñdga
Rabbit — tañyooñyaha
Raccoon — miga, kanulóoñ nixa niisóñ
Raccoon, fox — wihá
Rattlesnake — hañdooi
Snake — moka (Saponi), waagenii
Squirrel — nisdaaxgai, hisdaaxgai
Turkey — maañdaahgaa
Turkey Beard — mañosdi
Wolf — mañgdooxgaa, mañgdagíñ, choñgíiwe
Plants
Bark — xaapi, yohíñ
Grass — soñgdaagi, mugdaagi
Hawthorn — ho
Leaf, grass, green — odoo
Oak — taasgahooi
Pine tree — waasdii
Root — wayugáñ
Tree — onii, maxhíga
Tree, Wood, Log, Branch — wiiyáñ
Tobacco — noñníi
Place names– I don’t know exactly were these places are, somewhere from Tutelo and Saponi traditional territory in NC, VA. “Manii” means water.
Beaver Creek — Yabadogo
Hyco River, Hycootee River — Hikaadmanii (turkey buzzard river)
Jumping Creek, Fishing Creek — Ohiñbamanii (Saponi)
Paint Creek — Mañsamanii
Tuscarooda Creek — Dewahomanii (Saponi for ‘died in water’) Named for when a Tuscarora Indian was killed and his body thrown into the creek.
Abdomen — seemañta
Arm — hisdóo
Beard — isdii, yeehii, isdihiooi
Blood — wáayii
Body — yuu, yuuxdéki, yuuxdeehi, yuuxdeli
Bone — waahuu
Brain — wasuuti
Breast — masa
Cheek — agsdáñ
Ear — naxuux
Elbow — isiba
Eye — dasuu
Face — té, taluubna, taluugena
Fingernail — chuchaagi
Flesh — waayuuxdéki
Foot — isii
Forehead — tikooi, pania te
Hair – hii, nañtóoñ
Hand, Finger — háagi
Head — pa, pasuu
Heart — yaañdi, daabii
Index finger — haag abuusgañ
Leg — yegsaa, nii
Lip — iisdabi, iisdablugsiik
Little finger — haag iiñs
Middle finger — haag ayaañdohlañ
Mouth, tooth — ihii
Neck — taseei
Nose — paaxdii
Pupal — suu
Tail — soñd
Throat — looti
Thumb — haakoohgaa
Toe — adgasusai
Tongue — leechii, neechii
So, ‘agin’ is like ‘ake’ in Lakota, in english it’s translate as ‘plus’
If so, bújga nooñbaa aginooñsaa = 21?
spilleddi wrote:
11 aginooñsaa
12 aginooñbaa
13 agilaani
14 agidooba
15 agigiisáañha
16 agiagaasbe
17 agisagoomiñ
18 agibalaani
19 agikasáñhga
20 bújga nooñbaa
daniel_bingamon wrote: So, ‘agin’ is like ‘ake’ in Lakota, in english it’s translate as ‘plus’
If so, bújga nooñbaa aginooñsaa = 21?
I appreciate any comments, questions, or corrections, especially from you folks that have experience with a Siouan language. I have worked with native languages from several different language families, but Tutelo is my first Siouan one, so I am unfamiliar with the grammar.
“agi” in Tutelo means “being on”.
11 — aginooñsaa “one being on” The word for 10 has been omitted.
21 — bújga nooñbaa aginooñsaa “one being on 20”
22 — bújga nooñbaa aginooñba “two being on 20”
Heres some more numbers
30 — bújga laani
40 — bújga dooba
Hundred — ukiníi
One hundred — ukinii nooñsaa
101 — ukinii nooñsaa nooñsaa “hundred one one”
111 — ukinii nooñsaa aginooñsaa “hundred one one being on ten ”
Two hundred — ukinii nooñbaa
Thousand — ukinii bujga
One thousand — ukinii bujga nooñsaa
1001 — ukinii bujga nooñsaa aginooñsaa “one being on one thousand”
Once — enoñx
Ordinal numbers
First — etaahni
For numbers besides one, add “iñ” to the beginning of numbers
Second — iñnooñbaa
Third — iñlaani
Fourth — iñdooba
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