Above are the English names for the phases of the moon. The moon is "waxing" as it grows brighter, and "waning" as it gets dimmer. As you can see below, the 'Iipay Aa names for the phases of the moon are even more illustrative:
Hellyaa The moon Hellyaach wehay "The moon is new" New moon Hellyaach uuhwaq "The moon is broken" First quarter or waxing moon Hellyaach sekap tewaa "The moon is half there" Half moon Hellyaach temur "The moon is full" Full moon Hellyaach nyawaamhs "When the moon starts to leave" Last quarter of the moon Hellyaach waams "The moon is leaving" Waning moon Hellyach nesoom "The moon is all gone" No moon |
What about eclipses?
In the moon phases above, "hellyaa" is always the subject, taking the -ch suffix. In eclipses, however, the moon and sun are the objects, described as being "eaten". Couro and Hutchinson's dictionary identifies Coyote as the mysterious culprit who sometimes "eats" the moon.
Rising and Setting
As the sun and moon rise and set, 'Iipay Aa describes them as "coming out" and "going into" the earth. For each of the following verbs, the object 'emat "the earth" can be implied.