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Northern Paiute

2021; University of Chicago Press; Volume: 87; Issue: S1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1086/712458

1545-7001

†Ruth Hoodie Lewis, Tim Thornes,

Linguistic Variation and Morphology

Previous articleNext article FreeNorthern Paiute†Ruth Hoodie Lewis and Tim Thornes†Ruth Hoodie LewisBoise State University Search for more articles by this author and Tim ThornesBoise State University Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreNorthern Paiute (ISO 639-3, pao) is a Numic language of the Western branch and represents the northwestern-most extent of the Uto-Aztecan family. The language is described as consisting of two major dialects and numerous subdialects. Nichols (1974) refers to the southern Northern Paiute dialect as Nevada Northern Paiute (NNP, historically also called Paviotso) and the northern variety represented here as Oregon Northern Paiute (ONP, which includes Bannock). Speaker estimates are somewhat anecdotal but generally fall within the 400–700 range. Speakers are unevenly distributed across various reservation communities of the northern Great Basin region of the western United States. Speakers of ONP outnumber speakers of NNP groups, and the majority of all fluent first-language speakers live on the Fort McDermitt reservation on the Oregon-Nevada border.The texts included here come from two very distinct speech genres (a legend and a voicemail phone message) and two distinct generations of speakers hailing from different reservation communities (Burns, in southeastern Oregon, and Owyhee [Duck Valley], on the Idaho-Nevada border). Both speak varieties of ONP.First Whites In Our Territory (Harney Valley)1†Marian (Jim) Louie, narratorrecorded by†Justine (Louie) BrownMarch 7, 1979, Burns Paiute ReservationThe Burns Paiute, referred to as the Wadateka’a [wa’datɨkaʔa] (seepweed seed eater) Band,2 consider the vast expanse of territory that includes Harney Valley and what is now the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge their tɨbiwa, or home territory. The refuge contains a remnant of what was once a vast wetland rich in fish, game, bird, and plant life, resources that the nɨmɨ ‘people’ of the region have subsisted on for millennia.The first major cattle operations in the area of Harney Valley appeared sometime in the 1860s, although the impact of cattle on life in the northern Great Basin may have been felt well before that time. Tensions in the area gave rise to the Bannock War of 1878 and resulted in the forced exodus from the region and the total loss of territory. The impact of large cattle herds upon scant supplies of fresh water is well documented, and water remains a source of tension in the region, as does the management of federal land generally—including the allocation of grazing rights. The occupation of the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by an armed militia in January 2016 drew both national media attention and swift condemnation by the region’s original occupants, whose cultural sites had been violated by the takeover.This recording was made at the home of the narrator, Marian (Jim) Louie, by the eldest of her ten children, Justine (Louie) Brown, herself a fluent speaker of the language. She shared the recording with us so that it could be digitized and made easily available for others to enjoy. The narrative is unique in several ways. Louie begins her narration with a vocal quality that suggests actual performance—lengthy, drawn-out vowels delivered at a higher pitch through the first few utterances. The narrative also includes a performance of a song. Since the narrative is not “mythical” in the typical sense but rather ethno-historical in nature, the character and context of the song does not fit into either myth-song category described in Sapir (1910). The song recorded here, according to the narrator, was created by young women of the Wadateka’a as a means of recounting this unusual circumstance—the arrival of settlers passing into and through Harney Valley.The text carries numerous additional features of linguistic interest, including a rich vocabulary of geospatial reference and remarkable visual detail. The narrator describes the path taken by the ox team and the dust raised by them as they passed along the edge of the valley. The speaker makes ample use of prosodic vowel devoicing and complex predicate structures, as well as nominalized clauses and other derivational processes to describe nonnative items exchanged with the new arrivals to their territory.In the first tier of each line of text below, orthographic {e} represents the high central vowel /ɨ/, and the glottal stop /Ɂ/ is represented with an apostrophe {’}. The second, morphological breakdown, tier employs a phonemicized Americanist transcription system. Primary stress is highly regular, with very few marked exceptions (cf. mú’asu ‘already’ in line 1), and appears on the second mora of the phonological word (not including proclitics). Prefixes trigger a leftward shift in primary stress, while proclitics do not.(1)ka mú’asu su taibo kadu’uku. ka=múʔasusu=taibokaduʔu–ku acc=alreadynom=white.persongone–prosp ‘Long ago, the white people didn’t exist (around here).’(2)ka neme se’me yaa iwiu wada yipekwaiku. ka=nɨmɨ=sɨʔmɨyaaiwi–u acc=person=onlyheredem–foc wada–yipɨ–kwai–ku seepweed.seed–valley–loc–prosp ‘There were only Indians here (living) in Harney Valley.’(3)ume inakwana, umɨi–nakwa–na theyprox–side–ptcp ‘Those (coming) this direction,’(4)tabatsibuinakwana kimade kutsu tedenuiyuiketi kimadapi(na); taba–tsibui–nakwa–nakima–dɨkutsu sun–emerge–side–ptcpcome–nmlzcattle tɨ~dɨ–nuiyui–kɨ–tikima–dapi–na distr~antip–move–appl–tnscome–cont–ptcp ‘from the East who came driving cattle as they came along;’ (5)ina: ka cha … cha … tukweha’ni kemai kimadabina ibi:, inaka=i–čatukwɨhaʔnikɨmaikima–dabi–naibi demacc=prox–accCastle.Rockbesidecome–cont–ptcpdem ‘this way, by this––along beside Castle Rock (they) kept coming this way,’ (6)kimadabina yaisi kima–dabi–nayaisi come–cont–ptcpthen ‘kept coming and’(7)ya’ato monaidekesi yaisi, yaʔa–tomonaidɨkɨ–siyaisi here–toappear–seqthen ‘to here having appeared (into the open) then,’3(8)me neme ka kai me sutabuina iwiu. mɨ=nɨmɨka=kaimɨ=sutabui–naiwi–u pl=personacc=negpl=expect–ptcpdem–foc ‘the Indians didn’t expect such things to be coming here.’ (9)ka saa’a yaisi ya’atu me, me tsibuikisi yaa manakwai manipunide. ka=saaʔayaisiyaʔa–tumɨ=tsibui–ki–siyaa acc=laterthenhere–topl=emerge–hither–seqhere mana–kwaimani–puni–dɨ there–locdo–cont–nmlz ‘Later on then they came out from (a draw) this way across from those that were there.’(10)manakwai manipunide, neme yaisi me bunni. mana–kwaimani–puni–dɨnɨmɨyaisimɨ=bunni there–locdo–cont–nmlzpersonthenpl=see ‘Those that were across there, the Indians, saw them.’ (11)hii muuni’yu kimadapi mii. hiimuu–ni–ʔyukima–dapimii Thingthat.way–simil–nomcome–contquot ‘That kind of thing (wagon train) just kept a-coming, (they) say.’(12)kutsu tedeenuiyuiketi muuniku yaisi kutsutɨ~dɨ–nuiyui–kɨ–timuu–ni–kuyaisi cattledistr~antip–move–appl–tnsthat.way–simil–accthen ‘(They were) driving cattle of that sort (oxen) this way, then,’(13)kimadabina ibi (i)cha–– kima–dabi–naibii–ča come–cont–ptcpdemprox–acc ‘while coming along this way,’(14)paneena(de)––paama kemai pobokwa, panɨɨnadɨpaamakɨmaipobokwa lakehot.springsbesidehills ‘beside that lake––hot springs (near) the hills,’ (15)minadekwai miadapi. minadɨ–kwaimia–dapi this.side–locgo–cont ‘on this side (they) kept going.’(16)ibi wadabaa minadekwai miana. Ibiwada–paaminadɨ–kwaimia–na demseepweed.seed–waterthis.side–locgo–ptcp ‘There going along on this side of Harney Lake.’(17)ibi taba––taba ijatami miadapina yaisi icha, ibitaba–iǰa–tamimia dapi–nayaisii–ča demsun–enter:sg–towardgo–cont–ptcpthenprox–acc ‘(They) kept heading west then,’ (18)ibi: yuutu a natsakwakapenitu miadabina, ibiyuu–tua=natsakwaka–pɨni–tumia–dabi–na demthis.way–toindf=turn.out.upon–cont–togo–cont–ptcp ‘this way (they) turned out into the open (upon a flat) and went on,’(19)me neme yaisi ka:: me ibi: yuu manipenide, yuutu. mɨ=nɨmɨyaisikamɨ=ibiyuumani–pɨni–dɨ pl=personthenptcpl=demthis.waydo–cont–nmlz yuu–tu hither–to ‘while the Indians remained over here.’(20)manipenide yaisi ka me bunina, mani–pɨni–dɨyaisika=mɨ=buni–na do–cont–nmlzthenacc=pl=see–ptcp ‘Those (that remained) from here saw them’(21)yu’u me takwaina yaisi emeba semenna. yuʔumɨ=ta–kwai–nayaisiɨmɨ–basɨmɨnna like.thispl=ip/foot–follow–ptcpthenthey–bytogether ‘and followed along beside them (on either side) together.’(22)emeba semenna yaisi kai tia’a me kesichapaana emeba semenna. ɨmɨ–basɨmɨnnayaisikai=tiaʔamɨ=kɨsiča=paana they–bytogetherthenneg=thuslypl=angry.at=disjunct ɨmɨ–basɨmɨnna they–bytogether ‘(They) were together with them, not angry toward them, but together by them.’(23)yu’u me te maima me matsakwa’ya. yuʔumɨ=tɨ=mai–ma mɨ=matsakwaʔya like.thispl=logo=hand–instrpl=wave ‘And they waved to them.’ (24)ume yaisi, taibo tia’a obida umeba manisi, umɨyaisitaibo=tiaʔaobidaumɨ–bamani–si theythenwhite.person=thuslyslowlythey–bydo–seq ‘And those white folks were passing by them slowly,’ (25)me neme yaisi miu me natebangana, “Hadipo waihate!” mɨ=nɨmɨyaisimi–umɨ=natɨbaŋa–na pl=personthenquot–focpl=fam.greet–ptcp Hadipo‿͜waihatɨ! [greeting] ‘and then the Indians called out to them (as relatives), “Greetings!” ’4 (26)mii me nattebangana yaisi, miimɨ=nattɨbaŋa–nayaisi quotpl=familiar.greet–ptcpthen ‘So (they) called to them (in friendship).’(27)me taibo yaisi ka nattakwatina mɨ=taiboyaisika=nattakwati–na pl=white.personthenacc=get.down–ptcp ‘Then the whites got down’(28)icha te kwegenawaitu. i–čatɨ=kwɨgɨna–wai–tu prox–acclogo=wagon–loc–to ‘from their wagons.’(29)wegenawaitu yaatu tsasawikena ka ezekwi, wɨgɨna–wai–tuyaa–tutsasawi–kɨ–naka=ɨzɨkwi wagon–loc–tohere–tounload–appl–ptcpacc=blanket ‘(They) unloaded from their wagons a blanket,’ (30)tiipema wepadana owitu (i)cha, tiipɨ–mawɨ–pada–naowi–tui–ča earth–uponip/long–spread–ptcpdem–toprox–acc ‘which (they) spread out upon the ground,’(31)poksawaitu totsakwatina, poksa–wai–tutotsakwati–na box–loc–tobring.down–ptcp ‘taking it down from a box,’(32)oo ka icha nageewa’yade pahmu ooka=i-čana–kɨ–waʔya–dɨpahmu demacc=prox–accmid–ip/bite–chew–nmlztobacco ‘like so, this chewing tobacco,’(33)tuupahmu mii me neme ni’a ka oo’nosu tuu–pahmumiimɨ=nɨmɨniʔaka=ooʔnosu black–tobaccoquotpl=personcallacc=long.ago ‘ “black tobacco,” the Indians called it back then.’ (34)ukau yaisi ka me naana nanaamo’akena, u–ka–uyaisika=mɨ=naanana–naamoʔa–kɨ–na 3sg–acc–focthenacc=pl=menmid–divide–appl–ptcp ‘And so it was divided among the men,’(35)me pahmu’imanagakena me nama tia’. mɨ=pahmuʔi–managa–kɨ–namɨ=nama=tiaʔ pl=smoke–demonstrate––appl–ptcppl=distribute=thusly ‘who they showed how to smoke, distributing it among them thusly.’(36)yaisi ka icha mommoko’nichaku, ichau yaisi tsi––me tsidamaka. yaisika=i–čamo~mmokoʔni–ča–kui–ča–u thenacc=prox–accdistr~woman–have–prospprox–acc–foc yaisimɨ=tsida–maka thenpl=dish–give ‘And then to their womenfolk they gave dishes,’(37)nanatsachakwide kamme pekwaiku me saakwa––(te)kwa’ni manipenide uuniku saanu me himmi(na). na~na–tsa–čakwi–dɨkammɨpɨ–kwai–ku distr~mid–ip/grasp–carry–nmlzjackrabbitfoc.pro–loc–loc mɨ=saa–kwa=kwaʔnimani–pɨni–dɨuuni–ku pl=boil–loc=simildo–cont-nmlzthat.kind–acc saa–numɨ=himmi–nna boil–instrpl=give–ptcp ‘(and) buckets (pots) like they use for boiling jackrabbits in to those that did that kind of cooking (they) gave those.’(38)yaisi ka namamakwesi tewau miadapikusi, yaisika=nama–makwɨ–sitɨwa–umia–dapi–ku–si thenacc=distribute–finish–seqalso–focgo–cont–prosp–seq ‘Then when they were done, they went on again,’(39)ibii yuutute me tsiteekwi. ibiyuu–tu–tɨmɨ=tsi–tɨɨkwi demthis.way–to–locpl=ip/sharp–tell ‘and this way, (they) pointed them the way’(40)yuutu me miamanakaketi yuu–tumɨ=mia–manaka–kɨ–ti this.way–topl=go–demonstrate–appl–tns ‘(and) showed them which way to go.’(41)me neme yaisi yuu me matsakwai’ya ka me mi’a. mɨ=nɨmɨyaisiyuumɨ=matsakwaiʔyaka=mɨ=miʔa pl=personthenthis.waypl=waveacc=pl=go.dur ‘And the Indians waved to them as they left.’(42)Ibii chaisi yuutu kussito’no’ipeni, isu ibičaisiyuu–tukussi–toʔnoʔi–pɨnii–su demthenthis.way–todust–raising–contprox–nom ‘And along the way, raising dust,’(43)wegena’a ka me gutsu, miadabina, wɨgɨnaʔaka=mɨ=kutsumia–dabi–na wagonacc=pl=cattlego–cont–ptcp ‘the wagon, the cattle, (they) kept going,’(44)tedakussijatu mi’a. tɨ–da–kussi–ǰa–tumiʔa antip–ip/foot–dust–hence–togo.dur ‘going through the dust (they) stirred up.’(45)Ibi tia’ yaisi, me’che’ka. ibi=tiaʔyaisimɨʔčɨʔka dem=thuslythengo.out.of.sight ‘So that way then (they) went out of sight.’(46)Oonosu ya’aa me muhipunide. oono–suyaʔaamɨ=muhi–puni–dɨ at.the.time–advHere3pl=first–see–nmlz ‘At that time, those that first saw them,’(47)Yau su manipenisi me punni. yaau–sumani–pɨni–simɨ=punni here3sg–nomdo–cont–seq3pl=see ‘the one(s) that belong here saw them.’(48)Me punnipenina yaisi, mɨ=punni–pɨni–nayaisi pl=see–cont–ptcpthen ‘Seeing them then,’(49)oo chaisi ka saa’a yaisi (i)su yuuni’yu hii yaa’no, oo=čaisika=saaʔayaisii–suyuuni–ʔyuhii dem=thenacc=laterthenprox–nomthis.kind–nomthing yaaʔno ?? ‘so it was later on these ones,’(50)pede mommoko’ni kaa ka me punina yaisi ka pemisu nikwehenna; pɨdɨmo~mmokoʔnikaka=mɨ=puni–nayaisi recentdistr~womanmodacc=pl=see–ptcpthen ka=pɨmi–sunikwɨhɨ–nna acc=they–emphip/speech.sing–ptcp ‘the young women that saw them made their own song;’(51)emema nikwehekwesi yaisi, ɨmɨ–manikwɨhɨ–kwɨ–siyaisi they–onip/speech.sing–fut–seqthen ‘having made a song about them then,’(52)me, oo tia’, (me––) umema tenikwehe, mɨ=oo=tiaʔumɨ–matɨnikwɨhɨ pl=dem=thuslythey–onsing ‘so it was, they sang about them’(53)ka me miadapi yuutu ka=mɨ=mia–dapiyuu–tu acc=pl=go–contthis.way–to ‘as they went along the way.’(54)ibii me miatapi. ibimɨ=mia–tapi dempl=go–cont ‘This way they continued.’(55)Ka saa’a yaisi ka peesu oitu, ka=saaʔayaisika=pɨɨ–suoi–tu acc=laterthenacc=foc.pro–emphdem–to ‘Later, on their own over there,’(56)oitu yuu tenikwehena (i)su yu––yuuni’yu mommoko’ni tenikwehe umau tenikwehe ka okka te punnina. oi–tuyuutɨnikwɨhɨ–nai–suyuuni–ʔyu dem–tothis.waysing–ptcpprox–nomthis–nom mo~mmokoʔnitɨnikwɨhɨu–ma–utɨnikwɨhɨ distr~womansing3sg–on–focsing ka=u–katɨ=punni–na. acc=3sg–acclogo=see–ptcp ‘there singing, these women sang, sang about what it was they had seen.’ (57)Tenikwehena yaisi ka, ka miu ka e’na’wi, tɨnikwɨhɨ–nayaisika=mi–uka=ɨʔnaʔwi sing–ptcpthenacc=quot–focacc=say ‘Singing, then, so they said,’ (58)ka me, me kimanakwana me punina yaisi, miu e’na’wi. ka=mɨ=kima–nakwa–namɨ=puni–nayaisimi–u acc=pl=come–direction–ptcppl=see–ptcpthenquot–foc ɨʔnaʔwi say ‘because they saw where they came from, so they said, singing:’(59)♫♫Tebidzi yippe kemainakwai, su kutsu kussi monaichaide.♫♫ tɨbidziyippɨkɨmainakwaisu=kutsukussimonaičaidɨ indeedvalleyalong.edgenom=cattledustemerging ‘ “Along the edge of the true valley, the cattle emerge from the dust.’(60)♫♫Pabahu paa minatekwai, su kutsu kussi monaichaide.♫♫ paba–hupaaminatɨkwaisu=kutsukussimonaičaidɨ big–accwaterthis.side.locnom=cattledustemerging ‘ “Along this side of the big water, the cattle emerge from the dust.’(61)♫♫Taba igyatami, su kutsu kussi monaichaide.♫♫ tabaigya–tamisu=kutsukussimonaičaidɨ sunenter–towardnom=cattledustemerging ‘ “Heading ever westward, the cattle emerge from the dust.” ’ (62)mau. ma–u def–foc ‘That’s all.’First Saved MessageYolanda Kaye Manningrecorded byTim ThornesMay 10, 2010, Duck Valley ReservationThis recording of a telephone voicemail message merits interest for several reasons. First, the speaker is relatively young (in her early fifties at the time of the recording). Second, the text genre is a recent phenomenon—one side of a spontaneous (and imaginary) conversation directed to someone not present. The casual register employed here contains greetings, polite imperatives, questions, and idiomatic expressions, some of which are unique to the dialect. The informal nature of the message makes this kind of text an ideal source of material for communicative language learning. I have included it here as a brief sample of the sort of material often missing from a documentary corpus but frequently requested by language learners wanting access to everyday speech.(1)Ha’u eh i bea’a? haʔuɨi=pɨaʔa howyoumy=friend ‘How are you, my friend?’(2)Hanno eh? hannoɨ whereyou ‘Where are you?’(3)Ma’na’wi ne kai himma te nakka. maʔnaʔwinɨkaihimmatɨ=nakka. long.timeInegWhatlogo=hear:dur ‘It’s been a long time that I haven’t heard anything (from you).’ (4)e oo’nosu nemate yatua siyapa ne ka … ɨooʔnosunɨ–matɨYatuasiyapanɨka youlong.agoI–parttalk:sghoweverImod ‘I heard from you a long time ago, however …’ (5)i:: de—i:––hayu haba pisa? hayuhabapisa howis.itgood ‘my—my—How could I put it (well)?’(6)i tetzakangina watsike i=tɨ–tza–kaŋi–nawatsi–kkɨ my=antip–ip/grasp–ring–ptcphide–appl ‘My phone was lost,’(7)ne sa’a kai hauniku me te yadu’a o pinakwa nɨIsaʔaIkaiIhauni–kuImɨ=tɨ=yaduʔa IIlaterInegIwhat.kind–accIpl=logo=talk:dur Iu=pinakwa Iits=following ‘so I had no way to talk with you after that (happened).’(8)ne yaisi, uu ka … nɨyaisiuuka Ithenlike.somod ‘So then, I guess …’(9)owi, … Eugenewaitu yatuasi eme yaisi e ka … email i gya, owiEugene–wai–tuyatua–siɨmɨyaisiɨ=ka=email demEugene–loc–totalk:sg–seqtheythenyour=acc=email i=gya me=give ‘so I called over to Eugene, and (they) … gave me (your) email …’(10)yaisi ne yaano nabeno tewatiya’i, on the website yaisinɨyaa–nona–bɨnotɨ–wati–yaʔi thenIhere–tempmid–alsoantip–search–debil on the website on the website ‘So therefore, I’m here (really) searching on the website (knocking myself out).’(11)yau chaisi e naniana nabo. ya–učaisiɨ=na–nia–nana–bo here–focthenyour=mid–call–ptcpmid–write ‘I see your name here written (on the phone screen).’(12)ha pisa tui? hapisa=tui qptcgood=thusly ‘Isn’t that great!?’(13)e sakwa i yattui! ɨ=sakwai=yattui you=modme=talk.to ‘You should call me!’(14)hannano tui! hannano=tui when=any ‘Anytime!’(15)tuitu ya’a tuituyaʔa Eitherhere ‘either here, …’(16)ya’a ‘office’wai’yu tuitu i nobikwaitu tiwau. yaʔaoffice–wai–ʔyutuitui=nobi–kwai–tutiwau hereoffice–loc–ableithermy=house–loc–toalso ‘either here at the office or at my house.’ (17)seven seven five …(18)pisa tu’i ne e pedemayeu! pisa=tuʔinɨɨ=pɨdɨ–mayɨ–u good=anyIyou=recent–find–pfv ‘I am just so glad I found you!’(19)ene! ɨnɨ int ‘Take care!’(20)ne yaisi maite nakawaipeniku ne su wene. nɨyaisimai–tɨnaka–wai–pɨni–kunɨ=suwɨnɨ Ithendem–loclisten–loc–cont–prospI=emphstand:sg ‘So, then, I’m going to be listening in (waiting/expecting to hear).’(21)i tzakangitua sa’a. i=tza–kaŋi–tuasaʔa me=ip/grasp–ring–irrmod ‘So, call me.’(22)ene eniku. ɨnɨɨni–ku intsay–prosp ‘OK, then (so it is).’Notes1 We would like to recognize the skilled assistance of †Myrtle (Louie) Peck and †Rena (Adams) Beers in the production of this important and challenging narrative.2 Band names are typically derived from a characteristic local food source, in this case, the common seepweed (var. Suaeda intermedia).3 The meaning of the form is not entirely clear but has to do with becoming visible from across the valley, having turned out into it from among the hills.4 The source and literal meaning of this greeting is currently unknown. Previous articleNext article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by International Journal of American Linguistics Volume 87, Number S1April 2021Texts in the Indigenous Languages of the Americas: Uto-Aztecan Narratives Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/712458 Views: 194Total views on this site © 2021 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.