|
Frogs in Love is a widespread, classic Kumeyaay story, told in several iterations across Kumeyaay territory.
In this video, Dr. Stanley Rodriguez, a singer and 'Iipay Aa speaker from Santa Ysabel, tells the story and sings a corresponding song about the sun and the moon and how two frogs saved the day. Shorter audio version here. After watching the video, look below to see my attempt to transcribe the parts he said in Kumeyaay and translate the rest of the story into 'Iipay Aa. Note that I will be using Mesa Grande spelling, which may not always match what the speaker said. The story will be followed with grammar notes and a literal English translation. |
Introduction
Transcription and translation of the introduction. Haawka 'iipay nyaamat, tiipay cham. 'Enyaach Stan Rodriig nyeshii, 'Emat kupay 'Ellykwanan. Pily nya'hilkuy puknaach 'enyeway peyii. Peyaa 'enyaa siny, Ana Gloria Rodriguez. Hellow everyone ('Iipay and Tiipay). My name is Stan Rodriguez, I am from Santa Ysabel. We are happy to be here today. This is my wife, Ana Gloria Rodriguez. |
Vocabulary:
haawka: hello 'iipay: people nyaamat: all tiipay cham: all people (in Tiipay Aa) 'enyaach, 'enyaa: I, me nyeshii: variation of wii nyechuuhii, I am named 'emat: land, territory kupay: is from 'Ellykwanan: Santa Ysabel, name means "crowded knolls" hilkuy: is happy puknaach: that's why … 'enyeway: we are (at a place, doing something) peyii: here siny: wife |
'Aaknach - The Story
Note: Dr. Rodriguez calls this story by what appears to be the Tiipay name, sounding like Xa'nya Reuuy, meaning "The Frogs That Are in Love". In Mesa Grande 'Iipay Aa, this can be said as Hantak Mat Kuumiirrp. The following 'Iipay Aa translation is abridged from the original and may contain errors. Words that Dr. Rodriguez actually said in 'Iipay Aa while telling the story will be in bold. Heyaay, heyaay, heyaay, 'Enyaa Hellyaach mat weyumh tenyeways. 'Echillich nyaamatch mat aayumh yuullp tenyeway. Hantak hewakch tenyeway. Mat uumiirrps. Nyaapuum, "lak! kepeshuw!" mat wip, "'echaamh nyaamatch naamh matetayvu nepurh; 'epamchh. Nya'wayk nya'kwar helyepayh umaawh." Nyawim marwayvech nyanaamem, - huum! - pupch... uchewayp tenyeway. 'Uuchuch 'ehmiiym ewipch, nyaapum netewattp. Hantak 'iikwichvech nyechakeetvu nyinyuy tuu-up tewaa, fyeestvem waah yullp tewaa. Nyawihch sinyvech wiis, "uu, 'enyetuu! Kwa'tay! Mm, kwa'tay!" Nyawihch 'iikwichvech ewuuwch wiis, "'uucha?" Nyaapum sinyvech wettukch 'ehaastiklly wehap, nyawihch wiis, "oo, werap!" Nyaapum hewakch ewup, nyawihch hetekwaany 'ehmiiych nyaamat achepuullm ewups. Nyawim eyay sakesak wii.
"Kumna kweyuch!" wips, "puu nya'ewipm.... 'Enyaa Hellyaavech kunya'hwin nyawipkem, 'uuch weyuuha? Pup 'uchkenaachhlly 'ewaarpches!" Nyawim tuly tuly wiich matetay kepewaay tenaas.
Nya'wayk netepurs. Nyaamatch nekemichh umaawvek, mat aayumvech 'esalyemh tewaah umaaw. Puy 'Enyaa Hellyaach pecheshuw tenyewaych hantakvu akechekwiich: "Muuyuu tenay?" Nyaapum hantakvech pup wips, "'Enyaa, Hellyaa, menyaawapch mat meyumh mellyepechewar!" Pupch wips, "Mu'yuum umaawa?" Hantakvech, "Kewupna kweyuch," wiis, "'enyaawapch mat nya'eyumem." Nyawihch 'ehaa kwariwvu ewupmch hantak hetekwaany nyaamatvu ewups. Nyaapum hantakvech wips, "'Enyaa, maach nyaama ma'hinches. Hellyaa, maach nyaama ma'hinches. Menyaawap mehewakch ma'chekwiis. Pes mat macheyaayvek matt mat meyumvek, 'Emaayvech 'enyaa hellyaa 'ehmiiym tepurh!" 'Enyaa Hellyaavech wiis, "maahaans." Nyawihch yuuchaapch mat wiis: Hellyaach nyahemaakem, 'enyaach hechaph. 'Enyaach nyahemaakem, hellyaach hechaph. Puknaach puuyuyes. Pes nya'war, 'Enyaa Hellyaach mat nyacheyaaykem, 'enyaa wesaawhem mewuuwhs. 'Ewip, "Hellyaa 'Enyaa chuutukhlly war." Peyapaches. |
Vocabulary
'echillich: wild animal, spirit 'ehaa kwariw: pond, from rii wii, is placid 'ehaastik: puddle, small body of water 'ehmiiy: are many 'emaay: the sky 'enyaa: the sun 'enyaawapch: we 'enyaa wesaaw: a solar eclipse happens, lit. it eats the sun 'enyetuu: my stomach. "'eny-" may be for emphasis; normally 'etuu means "my stomach". 'esalyem: begins 'uucha: what the? 'uuchuch: things achepuull: pl. of aapull, swims acheyaay: pl. of aayay, bring close together akechekwii: pl. of akekwii, ask a question chuutuk: kisses. The typical Mesa Grande word for this is wepis. ewaarp: pl. of war, needs ewip: pl. of ewii, does ewip: pl. of ewii, does ewup: pl. of ewuuw, looks or sees ewupm: pl. of um, look out at ewuuw: looks eyay sakesak wii: is nervous fyeest: party hanta: frog hechap: wakes up, is awake hellyaa: the moon helyepay: is near hemaa: sleeps, is asleep hetekwaany: pl. of hekwany, her offspring hewak: are two heyaay: long ago kepeshuw: imp. of peshuw, waits kepewaay: goes uphill kumna: look! kwa'tay: from 'etay, variant of 'iikuu, is big. kweyuch: what happens lak: hey! llyepechewar: pl. of llyepuuwar, is unable. ma'chekwii: from 'iikuu, big, sacred ma'hin: from 'ehin, is one maahaan: from 'ehan, is right marway: the others mat: each other mat aayum: gathers together, a gathering matetay: mountain matt: or mehewak: you are two menyaawapch: you mu'yuu: why, how naa: pl. of waa, goes naam: pl. of waam, goes away nekemich: pl. of pam, arrives, is there nepur: pl. of pur, get to the top netepur: pl. of tepur, gets to the top netewattp: pl. of newatt, finishes nya-: when nya'hwin: is the same nya'kwar: somebody nya'war: sometimes nya'wayk: later, in a little while nyaama: only, just (from another dialect) nyaamat: all, everyone nyaapuum: then nyawihch: and then nyawim: and then pamch: pl. of paam, stay behind pecheshuw: pl. of peshuw, waits pes: but peyaa: this peyapaches: that's all; the end puknaach: that's why pup: them puu: that puuyuyes: it's like that puy: there tenaa: pl. of tewaa, "while going" tenay: is late tenyeway: pl. of tewaa, progressive helping verb temur: is full tuly tuly wii: hops along uchkenaach: pl. of ukenaa, tells someone umaaw: not uumiirrp: pl. of wemirr, loves wechaam: pl. of wecham, let someone wehap: goes in wesaaw: eats wettuk: jumps werap: it hurts weyum: is getting married weyuu: happens wip: pl. of wii, says yuullp: gets ready |
'Echaayaaw - the Song
According to this recording of the same story and song, the song lyrics mean "the frog goes up". Since it is a Wildcat song (from Baja California), the lyrics are in a dialect of Tiipay, and can perhaps be written like this:
Xa'nya kuumaay
"Xa'nya", also "xaanya", is the Tiipay word for "frog", which in Mesa Grande 'Iipay Aa is similar-sounding hantak. Though I could not find the verb "kuumaay", or anything similar, in a dictionary, it bears a resemblance to the word 'emaay, "high", and is not too distant from the Mesa Grande equivalent kepewaay, "goes uphill". Thus, this sentence in 'Iipay Aa could be written as "hantak kepewaay".
As far as I can tell, there are no other whole words in the song.
According to this recording of the same story and song, the song lyrics mean "the frog goes up". Since it is a Wildcat song (from Baja California), the lyrics are in a dialect of Tiipay, and can perhaps be written like this:
Xa'nya kuumaay
"Xa'nya", also "xaanya", is the Tiipay word for "frog", which in Mesa Grande 'Iipay Aa is similar-sounding hantak. Though I could not find the verb "kuumaay", or anything similar, in a dictionary, it bears a resemblance to the word 'emaay, "high", and is not too distant from the Mesa Grande equivalent kepewaay, "goes uphill". Thus, this sentence in 'Iipay Aa could be written as "hantak kepewaay".
As far as I can tell, there are no other whole words in the song.
Grammar Notes and Translation for Hantak Mat Kuumiirrp - Frogs in Love
Heyaay, heyaay, heyaay, 'Enyaa Hellyaach mat weyumh tenyeways.
Long, long ago, the sun and moon were going to get married.
'Echillich nyaamatch mat aayumh yuullp tenyeway.
All the animals were getting ready to get together.
Hantak hewakch tenyeway. Mat uumiirrps.
There were two frogs. They were in love.
Nyaapuum, "lak! kepeshuw!" mat wip,
Then, "hey, wait!" they said to each other,
"'echaamh nyaamatch naamh matetayvu nepurh; 'epamchh.
"Let's let everyone go and get to the top of the mountain; we'll stay behind.
Nya'wayk nya'kwar helyepayh umaawh."
In a little while no one will be around.
Nyawim marwayvech nyanaamem, - huum! - pupch... uchewayp tenyeway.
Then when everyone had left, - whoosh - they… were talking.
'Uuchuch 'ehmiiym ewipch, nyaapum netewattp.
They did many things, then they were finished.
Hantak 'iikwichvech nyechakeetvu nyinyuy tuu-up tewaa,
The male frog was putting on his vest again,
fyeestvem waah yullp tewaa.
and was getting ready to go to the party.
Nyawihch sinyvech wiis, "uu, 'enyetuu! Kwa'tay! Mm, kwa'tay!"
Then the female said, "oh, my stomach! It's so big! It's so big!"
Nyawihch 'iikwichvech ewuuw wiis, "'uucha?"
Then the male looked and said, "what the?"
Nyaapum sinyvech wettukch 'ehaastiklly wehap,
Then the female jumped into a pond,
nyawihch wiis, "oo, werap!"
and said, "oh, it hurts!"
Nyaapum hewakch ewup, nyawihch hetekwaany 'ehmiiych nyaamat achepuullm ewups.
Then the two of them looked, and saw all the many offspring swimming.
Nyawim eyay sakesak wii.
Then they got nervous.
"Kumna kweyuch!" wips, "puu nya'ewipm.... 'Enyaa Hellyaach kunya'hwin nyawipkem, 'uuch weyuuha?
"Look what happened!" they said, "When we did that… When the sun and the moon do the same thing, what will happen?
Pup 'uchkenaachhlly 'ewaarpches!"
We've got to warn them!
Nyawim tuly tuly wiich matetay kepewaay tenaas. Nya'wayk netepurs.
Then they hopped up the mountain. Eventually they got to the top.
Nyaamatch nekemichh umaawvek, mat aayumvech 'esalyemh tewaah umaaw.
If everyone had not gotten there, the wedding was not going to start.
Puy 'Enyaa Hellyaach pecheshuw tenyewaych hantakvu akechekwiich: "Muuyuu tenay?"
There, the sun and moon were waiting and asked the frogs, "why're you late?"
Nyaapum hantakvech pup wips, "'Enyaa, hellyaa, menyaawapch mat meyumh mellyepechewar!"
Then the frogs said to them, "Sun, moon, you cannot get married!"
Pupch wips, "Mu'yuum umaawa?"
They said, "Why not?"
Hantakvech, "Kewupna kweyuch," wiis, "'enyaawapch mat nya'eyumem."
The frogs said, "Look what happened when we got married."
Nyawihch 'ehaa kwariwvu ewupmch hantak hetekwaany nyaamatvu ewups.
And then they looked out at the pond and saw all the tadpoles.
Nyaapum hantakvech wips, "'Enyaa, maach nyaama ma'hinches. Hellyaa, maach nyaama ma'hinches.
Then the frogs said, "Sun, you are only one. Moon, you are only one."
"Menyaawap mehewakch ma'chekwiis."
"You two are sacred."
"Pes mat macheyaayvek matt mat meyumvek, 'emaayvech 'enyaa hellyaa 'ehmiiyhem temurh!"
"But if you get close together or marry each other, the sky will be full with many suns and moons!"
'Enyaa Hellyaach wiis, "maahaans."
The sun and moon said, "You're right."
Nyawihch yuuchaapch mat wiis: Hellyaach nyahemaakm, 'Enyaach hechaph. 'Enyaach nyahemaakm, Hellyaa hechaph.
Then they thought and said to themselves: While the moon is asleep, the sun will be awake. While the sun is asleep, the moon will be up.
Puknaach puuyuyes.
That's why it is the way it is.
Pes nya'war, 'Enyaa Hellyaach mat nyacheyaaykm, 'Enyaa wesaawhem mewuuwhs.
But sometimes, when the sun and moon get together, you see a solar eclipse.
'Ewip, "Hellyaa 'Enyaa chuutukhlly war."
We say, "The moon and the sun want to kiss."
Peyapaches.
That is all.
Heyaay, heyaay, heyaay, 'Enyaa Hellyaach mat weyumh tenyeways.
Long, long ago, the sun and moon were going to get married.
- Heyaay: sentence-initial adverb of time. Repetition amplifies it.
- 'Enyaa Hellyaach: Two conjoined subjects, case marking (nominative -ch) placed only on final word. I have chosen to capitalize these words, mostly to clear up confusion with 'enyaa, meaning "me".
- mat: Reflexive particle, means "each other", "themselves", "him/herself", etc.
- weyum: alone means "is married", mat weyum = "gets married".
- weyumh tenyeways: The -h (irrealis suffix) indicates that "weyum" has not happened, meanwhile "tenyeway" is still indicative, and was indeed happening. The construction [verb]-h [auxiliary] means (subject) was going to (verb). Ex. Waah tewaa. He was going to go.
- tenyeways: the -s at the end of a sentence-final verb gives a sense of emphasis, certainty, and/or positivity.
'Echillich nyaamatch mat aayumh yuullp tenyeway.
All the animals were getting ready to get together.
- 'Echillich: Lit. means "bad heart", and means "devil, spirit, ghost" in Mesa Grande 'Iipay Aa. However, it is used in Tiipay to refer to wild animals, and is possibly better than using "'ehatt", which is used for domesticated animals.
- nyaamat: Surprisingly, a noun, and can take articles and case marking.
- mat aayum: Meaning "they gather together", this specific expression was borrowed from another dialect, though Mesa Grande has a similar word, aayumk, meaning "gathers into a bunch".
- yuullp: Means "gets scared, shies away" in most or all dialects, but also means "gets ready" in Mesa Grande. The preceding verb (aayum) took a -h to indicate an incompleted action.
Hantak hewakch tenyeway. Mat uumiirrps.
There were two frogs. They were in love.
- hewak: Verb meaning "are two". The -ch ending indicates that the subject of the attached verb and the subject of the following verb are the same. Numbers prefer this construction and do not get nominalized with ku-/kw- like other verbs.
- hewakch tenyeway: Literally, "they were two and they were."
- mat uumiirrps: Lit. "they loved each other."
Nyaapuum, "lak! kepeshuw!" mat wip,
Then, "hey, wait!" they said to each other,
- nyaapuum: variant, more often "nyaapum".
- kepeshuw: imperative, see lesson 7. A native speaker might find it more natural to drop the shwa, making it "kepshuw!" instead.
- mat wip: "wip" can use an accusative object as the person being told something or the person a thing was said to. "nyip 'ii…" "I said to him…"
"'echaamh nyaamatch naamh matetayvu nepurh; 'epamchh.
"Let's let everyone go and get to the top of the mountain; we'll stay behind.
- 'echaamh: First-person plural verbs with -h can be hortatory: "Let us leave them!"
- "wecham" literally means "leave someone alone", and it can also mean "let (someone do something). The "something" is constructed like a conjoined sentence.
- The above is literally: "Let's leave (them) alone and they will go away and they will get to the top of the mountain; we'll (or let's) stay behind."
- nepur: Takes accusative object.
Nya'wayk nya'kwar helyepayh umaawh."
In a little while no one will be around.
- Nya'wayk: "Later", also in some dialects can mean "in a while".
- nya'kwar: "Someone", means "no one" in a negative sentence.
- helyepay: Verb meaning "is near".
- umaaw: "not": This verb negates the preceding verb, which must take an irrealis -h suffix. The -h on the "umaaw" here marks future tense.
Nyawim marwayvech nyanaamem, - huum! - pupch... uchewayp tenyeway.
Then when everyone had left, - whoosh - they… were talking.
- nyanaamem: "When they leave" Nya- is the prefix meaning "when". The verb with this affix then takes a suffix, either -ch, -k, or -m, to show its relation to other verbs. In this case, -m is used because it shows that the subjects of the attached verb, "naam", and the following verb, "uchewayp", are different. A shwa is inserted, making the ending -em, to make the -m suffix audible.
- Note that the spellings of interjections that are not listed in the vocabulary are totally made-up.
'Uuchuch 'ehmiiym ewipch, nyaapum netewattp.
They did many things, then they were finished.
- 'ehmiiy: Verb meaning "are many". Just like numbers, this is not nominalized with a prefix but becomes a subordinate clause in a complex sentence by adding a suffix. The -m suffix shows that "'ehmiiy" and "ewipch" have different subjects.
- The first three words are literally, "Things were many and they did (them)."
Hantak 'iikwichvech nyechakeetvu nyinyuy tuu-up tewaa,
The male frog was putting on his vest again,
- nyechakeet: nye- means "his/hers/its/their".
- tuu-up: Means "slips on", used in some dialects for donning articles of clothing.
fyeestvem waah yullp tewaa.
and was getting ready to go to the party.
- fyeest: Loanword from Spanish "fiesta", examples can be found in texts such as "Fiesta at Mesa Grande".
- fyeestvem: the -m on a noun means "to".
Nyawihch sinyvech wiis, "uu, 'enyetuu! Kwa'tay! Mm, kwa'tay!"
Then the female said, "oh, my stomach! It's so big! It's so big!"
- 'enyetuu: The 'eny- prefix on this is either a dialectical peculiarity or for emphasis. Since "etuu" means "his stomach", in Mesa Grande "my stomach" would normally be 'etuu.
- kwa'tay: The word "'etay" is a common word for "big" in other dialects. Mesa Grande usually uses "'iikuu", which when nominalized is "kway'kuu", whereas "etay, is big", becomes "kwa'tay, the big one". When a nominalized form like this is said on its own with no relation to another verb, it becomes exclamatory: "how big it is!" or "it's so big!"
Nyawihch 'iikwichvech ewuuw wiis, "'uucha?"
Then the male looked and said, "what the?"
- 'uuch: This question word, just like verbs, can take question-marking endings. The -a is generally past time, but can be used elsewhere. Normally, "what is it?" takes the -chu present ending, becoming "'uuchechu?"
Nyaapum sinyvech wettukch 'ehaastiklly wehap,
Then the female jumped into a pond,
- Sometimes, to show manner of movement, two verbs are needed: one for the manner of movement and one for the ultimate result of the movement. Here, "wettukch 'ehaastiklly wehap" is literally, "she jumped and entered a pond." The -ch on "wettuk" shows that both it and the following verb "wehap" have the same subject, "siny". -ch is used for past and present but not future time.
- 'ehaastik is a compound of 'ehaa 'estik, water+small. It is more like a puddle than a pond.
nyawihch wiis, "oo, werap!"
and said, "oh, it hurts!"
- werap: "it hurts": The subject of this is usually a body part, hence it is in third person even if you are talking about yourself.
Nyaapum hewakch ewup, nyawihch hetekwaany 'ehmiiych nyaamat achepuullm ewups.
Then the two of them looked, and saw all the many offspring swimming.
- Remember that -ch on "hewak" and "'ehmiiy" mean their subject and the following verb's subject are the same.
- hetekwaany… achepuullm ewup: "They saw the offspring swimming" or literally, "the offspring were swimming and they saw them."
Nyawim eyay sakesak wii.
Then they got nervous.
- eyay: Not the physical heart, but your emotional or spiritual one. Used in idioms to describe how a person feels.
- sakesak wii: "is itchy". Since the subject is "eyay", "wii" is kept singular.
"Kumna kweyuch!" wips, "puu nya'ewipm.... 'Enyaa Hellyaach kunya'hwin nyawipkem, 'uuch weyuuha?
"Look what happened!" they said, "When we did that… When the sun and the moon do the same thing, what will happen?
- kumna: The normal word for telling someone "look!". It is the imperative of um, "look there", with the -na suffix, making the command more polite.
- kweyuch: "that which happens". Nominalized from the verb weyuu, "it is, it happens".
- puu: "that", but in the accusative case as it is missing -ch.
- nya'ewipm: "when we did it". The -m is because "what happened" has a different subject from 'ewip.
- kunya'hwin: nya'hwin is a verb meaning "is the same", so nominalized it becomes "(that which is) the same".
- nyawipkem: nya- "when", -k marks future or irrealis when verbs are prefixed with nya-, and -em means the following verb has a different subject. The "e" is inserted to make the "m" possible to pronounce.
- weyuuha: The -h is for future, and -a is a question marker, which can go on future verbs. As this and the previous verb demonstrate, irrealis markers -k and -h tend to cling closer to the verb than other suffixes.
Pup 'uchkenaachhlly 'ewaarpches!"
We've got to warn them!
- pup: "Them", object of a verb.
- 'uchkenaachhlly 'ewaarpches: ukenaa is "tells someone", and can probably be stretched to mean "inform" or even "warn". The verb "war" makes the subordinate verb take the -h irrealis suffix and the -lly suffix, unique to "war". War (waarp) means "wants" and "needs". -ches is for emphasis.
Nyawim tuly tuly wiich matetay kepewaay tenaas. Nya'wayk netepurs.
Then they hopped up the mountain. Eventually they got to the top.
- tuly tuly wiich: "They hopped along". Motions that only require one verb in English often require two in 'Iipay Aa, thus "hopped up" is "hopped and went up" in 'Iipay Aa. The -ch tells you that the next verb has the same subject.
- matetay kepewaay tenaas: kepewaay means "goes uphill", and can take an accusative object. "tenaa" makes this progressive "were going" or maybe "started going", and also shows the direction of motion (going vs. coming).
- nya'wayk: Means "later". In this case "kway" might work better, meaning "after a while".
Nyaamatch nekemichh umaawvek, mat aayumvech 'esalyemh tewaah umaaw.
If everyone had not gotten there, the wedding was not going to start.
- umaawvek: The -vek means "if".
- mat aayum: Originally a verb meaning "they gather together", it can also be a noun in Tiipay and has been adopted as such here.
- 'esalyem: Means "slowly beginning" or "just started". Probably not the best word here, but no other 'Iipay word for "start" could be found.
Puy 'Enyaa Hellyaach pecheshuw tenyewaych hantakvu akechekwiich: "Muuyuu tenay?"
There, the sun and moon were waiting and asked the frogs, "why're you late?"
- pecheshuw tenyewaych: "Were waiting" or "had been waiting". -ch puts the next verb under the same subject.
- hantakvu akechekwiich: The -vu marks "the frogs" as the object of "akechewiich", "ask a question".
- muuyuu tenay: Appears to be an informal way of asking, "Mu'yuum metetnaaychechmeyu?" Muuyuu is the informal form of mu'yuu, means "is how" or "is why", which takes -k or -ch to mean "why?" and -m when it means "how?". Tenay is singular, which is sometimes used informally instead of the plural, which here is "tetnaaych". Finally, there is no question marker, which in present tense would be -chmeyu.
Nyaapum hantakvech pup wips, "'Enyaa, hellyaa, menyaawapch mat meyumh mellyepechewar!"
Then the frogs said to them, "Sun, moon, you cannot get married!"
- pup wips: "Said to them" "Wip" can take a direct object as the person/people being spoken to.
- menyaawapch: "You" (plural). Used for emphasis.
- mat meyumh mellyepechewar: "You cannot get married". The verb llyepuuwar "can't do it", and presumably the verb llya'am, "can do it", take -h on the subordinate verb, here "meyum".
Pupch wips, "Mu'yuum umaawa?"
They said, "Why not?"
- Mu'yuum umaawa? Here the question is more formal, using the glottal stop version of mu'yuu and the -m suffix to make it "why?". There is also the general question marker -a on the verb "umaaw".
Hantakvech, "Kewupna kweyuch," wiis, "'enyaawapch mat nya'eyumem."
The frogs said, "Look what happened when we got married."
- kewupna: plural of "kumna", "look!".
- mat nya'eyumem: "When we got married." 'eyum is 1st person of "weyum", "married". Has nya- and -em, as explained before.
Nyawihch 'ehaa kwariwvu ewupmch hantak hetekwaany nyaamatvu ewups.
And then they looked out at the pond and saw all the tadpoles.
- 'ehaa kwariw: "Pond" or "lake", literally "still water" from rii wii, "is placid, still".
- ewupm: pl. of um, look away from point of view of the speaker. Here the narrator is near the frogs and they are looking out at something.
- hantak hetekwaany: With no word for "tadpole", this is "the frog's offspring".
Nyaapum hantakvech wips, "'Enyaa, maach nyaama ma'hinches. Hellyaa, maach nyaama ma'hinches.
Then the frogs said, "Sun, you are only one. Moon, you are only one."
- nyaama: Adverb borrowed from Tiipay, means "just", "only".
- ma'hin: 2nd person of 'ehin, "is one". "Maach" and -ches added for emphasis.
"Menyaawap mehewakch ma'chekwiis."
"You two are sacred."
- mehewakch: "You two". In ordinary or informal speech, the original shwa in hewak would probably drop, making this "mehwakch". The -ch effectively nominalizes this, turning it from "you are two" to "you who are two".
- ma'chekwii: "You are holy". From 'ichekwii, pl. of 'iikuu, is big. This has a second meaning of "holy".
- mat macheyaayvek: "
"Pes mat macheyaayvek matt mat meyumvek, 'emaayvech 'enyaa hellyaa 'ehmiiyhem temurh!"
"But if you get close together or marry each other, the sky will be full with many suns and moons!"
- mat macheyaay: Acheyaay is pl. of aayay, "brings close together". "Mat" makes this "bring each other/yourselves close together".
- 'emaayvech temurh: "the sky will be full." This is one unit, with another clause inserted in the middle. Natives possibly would have ordered this differently.
- 'enyaa hellyaa 'ehmiiyhem: "the sun(s) and moon(s) are many." The -em on 'ehmiiy means the next verb (temurh) has a different subject ('emaayvech), and the -h before it is necessary to mark irrealis mood, as the verb is not reality at the moment. Put together, the whole sentence literally says, "The suns and moons will be many and the sky will be full."
'Enyaa Hellyaach wiis, "maahaans."
The sun and moon said, "You're right."
- maahaan: 2nd person pl. of 'ehan, is good, true, correct. Informal/fast speech version of ma'haan.
Nyawihch yuuchaapch mat wiis: Hellyaach nyahemaakm, 'Enyaach hechaph. 'Enyaach nyahemaakm, Hellyaa hechaph.
Then they thought and said to themselves: While the moon is asleep, the sun will be awake. While the sun is asleep, the moon will be up.
- mat wiis: Chosen as there was no better word for "decide".
- nyahemaakm: nya- is "when", -k shows irrealis mood and future time, which the following verb is also marked for with -h. The -m, which can go after -k but not after -ch, shows that the following verb has a different subject.
Puknaach puuyuyes.
That's why it is the way it is.
- Puknaa: Verb meaning "that's why", often used where English would say "because". It usually takes a -ch, connecting it to the following verb.
- puuyuyes: Verb meaning "it is that way" or "it's like that".
Pes nya'war, 'Enyaa Hellyaach mat nyacheyaaykm, 'Enyaa wesaawhem mewuuwhs.
But sometimes, when the sun and moon get together, you see a solar eclipse.
- mat nyacheyaaykm: "When they bring themselves close together…" The -k means irrealis, and is used instead of -h on verbs with nya-. The -m means the next verb has a different subject.
- 'enyaa wesaawhem mewuuwh: "'enyaa wesaaw" is the term for solar eclipse, meaning literally, "it eats the sun". Note that "sun" is the object, not subject, so it does not have -ch. Wesaawhem is marked for future with -h and -em for different subject. It does not use -k like the previous verb because it does not have nya-. Literally, the sentence is, "it will eat the sun and you will see it."
'Ewip, "Hellyaa 'Enyaa chuutukhlly war."
We say, "The moon and the sun want to kiss."
- war: Since this verb is singular, this sentence might actually mean, "the moon wants to kiss the sun".
- chuutuk: Tiipay word. An 'Iipay word for "kisses" is "wepis".
Peyapaches.
That is all.