ASSINIBOIN TEXTS

Editors's note:

The Assiniboin dialect is far less well documented than the Lakhota or Dakhota dialects. Also the number of recorded texts is smaller. Following is just a small example of a text in Assiniboin. It was recorded by Deloria and published in her Dakota Grammar (1932). She provided an interlinear Teton version of the text and literal translation of both versions. Here the paragraphs are marked with A (Assiniboin) and T (Teton). Glosses of literal translation can be displayed by putting the mouse over as chosen word. The free translation was provided by the editor.

THE RED FOX

A1: Iŋthó kán thiwíčhota thípi.
T1: Itĥó kál thiwíčhota thípi.
There was a large camp of people.

A2: Thiwíčhota tukhá   waŋžíŋna huŋgá čha    witháŋga othí, huŋšta.
T2: Thiwíčhota k’éyaš waŋžíla huŋká čhaŋké thitĥáŋka othí škhé ’.
Many people camped there, but only one was huŋká, so he lived in a large tipi.

A3: Čhuŋwíŋtku núm wikhóškebi    huŋšta.
T3: Čhuŋwíŋtku núŋp wikĥóškalakapi škhé ’.
His two daughters were young women.

A4: Žéčha šúŋga-šana      haŋyákhena       hiyáya huŋšta.
T4: Héčheš šuŋğíla      waŋ híŋhaŋniĥči   šna hiyáya škhé ’.
Early in the morning a red fox always passed by.

A5: Žé tuwá yúza     šten čhuŋwíŋtku nuŋphín k’ú kta geyá huŋšta.
T5: Hé tuwá oyúspe čiŋhaŋ čhuŋwíŋtku nuŋphíŋ   k’ú kta kéyá škhé ’.
He said he would give both of his daughters to whoever catches it.

A6: Žéčhen haŋyákhena khošká      kiŋ iyúhana kiktábi. Khuwábi húŋšta.
T6: Héčheš híŋhaŋnaĥči kĥoškálaka kiŋ iyúhala kiktápi na khuwápi škhé ’.
So early in the morning all the young men got up and they chased it.

A7: Khuwábi khéš tuwéni yúzeš.
T7: Khuwápi khéš tuwéni oyúspe šni ’.
They chased it, but nobody ever caught it.

A8: Žéčhi iháŋge        ektá waŋgáŋgaŋna waŋžíŋ thakóžakpagu hokšína     kičhí thí.
T8: Héčhi thi’íhaŋke ektá winúĥčala    waŋ tĥakóžakpaku hokšíla waŋ kičhí thí.
At the end of the camp there lived an old woman with her grandson.

A9: Žé čhakníyaĥpe-khuwa.
T9: Hé (čhaŋglíyaĥpe /?/) khuwá ’.
He pursued it with a trap.

A10: Hokšína    žé ečhén ečhúŋ.
T10: Hokšíla kiŋ hé ečhél ečhúŋ.
That is what the boy did.

A11: Žé khuwábi             hokšína žé kté.
T11: Hé khuwápi k’uŋ hé hokšíla kiŋ kté ’.
He killed the fox that they were chasing.

A12: thanú žén éknaga           šúŋga-šana    akná iĥpáya t’á.
T12: Tĥaló hél égnaka čhaŋké šuŋğíla      kiŋ agná iĥpáyiŋ na t’é ’.
He placed meat in it, so the fox fell on it and died.

A13: Haŋyákhena kiktá hiŋk waná šúŋga-šana        t’á wuŋká.
T13: Híŋhaŋnaĥči kiktá         waná    šuŋğíla     k’uŋ t’á yuŋké ’.
He got up early in the morning and the fox lay there dead.

A14: Žéčhed thíta   akhí huŋšta.
T14: Héčheš thiyáta akhí škhé ’.
So he took it home.

A15: Žéčhed khúŋšitku     yuğába čhed huŋgá žé thí    ektá táku opémni a’í ’.
T15: Héčheš kĥúŋšitku kiŋ yuğápe č’uŋháŋ huŋká waŋ thí kiŋ ektá táku opémni a’í ’.
And so his grandmother skinned it and then she wrapped it on something and took it to the where the huŋká lived.

A16: Žéčhed yumnáya; waná waštékina.
T16: Héčheš yubláye ’; wanáš waštékila.
And so he unfolded it and he liked it.

A17: Žéčhed waná čhuŋwíŋtku nuŋphín hokšína hiŋknayaŋpi kta gáya ¹ huŋšta.
T17: Héčheš waná čhuŋwíŋtku nuŋphíŋ hokšíla kiŋ hiŋgnáyaŋpi kta kéyá škhé ’.
And so he said that both of his daughters were to marry him.

A18: Wi’ókičizipam žéčhed owíŋža uŋmá ektá ékignak.
T18: Thikíčağapi      čhaŋké wikĥóškalaka kiŋ uŋmá owíŋža ektá ékignake ’.
They erected a tipi for him and so one of the women put the bedding it in it.

A19: Uŋmá waĥténašiŋ.
T19: Uŋmá waĥtéla-šni ’.
The other one despised him.

A20: Hokšína     owíŋža khiyána yá háŋtaŋ iyókhišniŋ.
T20: Hokšíla kiŋ owíŋža-khiyéla yá čháŋšna iyókhišni.
Whenever the boy neared the bed, she always forbade him.

A21: Huŋktá yá! Huŋktá yá! nén ya’ú kte šiŋčh   eyá huŋšta.
T21: Akhó glá, akĥó glá, lél ya’ú kte   šni yé eyá škhé ’.
Go away, go away, you will not come here, she said.

A22: Žéčhed hokšína      nína čhaŋté šíča huŋšta.
T22: Héčheš hokšíla k’uŋ líla čhaŋté šíča škhé ’.
So the boy was very sad.

A23: Uŋmá hí žé         čhíŋge šiŋ.
T23: Uŋmá hí k’uŋ héš čhíŋke šni ’.
He did not want the other one that had come in.

A24: Uŋmá waĥténa-šiŋ žé         ečh nína čhíŋ.
T24: Uŋmá waĥtéla-šni k’uŋ hé ečé líla čhíŋ ’.
He very much wanted the one that despised him.

A25: Žéčhed wikhíšneye šiŋ wi’ókičizipam     én yé šiŋ manín ománi.
T25: Héčheš wikhíšleye šni thikíčağapi    k’uŋ él yé šni maníŋl ománi ’.
And so he did not go to the tipi that they had erected for him without having intercourse with him, and he roamed in the wilds.

A26: Úŋšika huŋšta.
T26: Úŋšika škhé ’.
He was pitiable.

A27: (Inúm-yahi žehán akhé očhíčimnakiŋ kta.)
T27: (Inúŋpa-yahi kiŋhaŋ heháŋl akhé očhíčiyakiŋ kte.)
(A second time you came, I will tell you again.)

note 1: This might be a typo since in paragraph no. 5 Deloria writes geyá for "he said that". (J.U.)

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