About the Story
The following story was originally narrated in Tiipay Aa by Daleane Adams of Jamul. It was sourced from kumeyaay.info, where you can find an English translation by Gloria Pinto and Amy Miller. Here I have done my best to translate it into Mesa Grande 'Iipay Aa so it can be accessible to learners of that dialect. While there are many lexical differences between the two, you will notice that the majority of the Tiipay is at least recognizable to 'Iipay speakers, and the two versions have almost identical word order and grammar. Keep in mind this is an amateur translation that definitely has flaws and errors. You are welcome to contact me if you are able to correct any.
Some systematic differences to note:
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Lly'aaw A'wi - Tiipay Aa1.
Nya'kurlly ke'nap-pu lly'aaw mat kuwaaylly nyewaayk tewa. Chepat cha'saw shemay waam. Nyawaam nyatuuyawm a'wit weyiw nyewa-pelly wexap. "Peyally ta'wa lly'aaw-pu shuuyaw ta'wa akway nyapaakm nyaat saawx." 2. Kuur wichm llye'aaw-pet nyewa-pu akway paa. Pes yay-pet xantuk xemaaw; melaayk. "Paychach-pu chiilliich nyewa-pu llyewa kexa," paycha tuuyaw. "Nyewa-pu shkux xiipuk. Skayp nyawikm xapx." 3. Penya'wit nyewa-pu shkux. Ku'aaylly aaman "Aawka" we'i. Llye'aaw-pet penyauchat, "Nyaap nyewa-pet "Aawka" nye'aa maw. Paychat-pu chiilliit llyewa kexa." Nya'wit skant waam. 4. A'wi-pet skayp wi tewa nyapuum llye'aaw-pu wesaawx tuuyaw-pes naynaat ch'am. 5. Nyaam aawatt. |
Hellyaaw 'Ewii - 'Iipay Aa1.
Heyaay kwelhupvu hellyaaw 'emat kuwaaylly nyewaayp tewaa. Kupilly 'ehin 'esuw hemaych waam. Nyawaam nyatuuyuuwm, 'ewiich weyiw nyewaavelly wehap. "Peyaally ta'waa hellyaawvu 'epeshuw ta'waa, aakewayk nyapuwkm 'enyaach 'esaawh." 2. 'Ekurm hellyaawvech nyewaavu aakewayk paa. Pes 'eyayvech 'ehanh umaaw; melaayk. "'Iichachvu 'echillich 'enyewaavelly ewaa tewaa," wematt tuuyuuw. "'Enyewaavu 'echetooh sekann. Hwally nyawiim 'ehaph." 3. Nyewaavu chetoo. Kuwaayk "Haawka" weyiw. Hellyaawvech iichaa, "'Enyaa 'enyewaavech "Haawka" nyii kumyum nyiih umaaw. 'Iichachvu 'echillich 'ukuwaay ewaa." Nyawihch yar waam. 4. 'Ewiivech hwally wii tewaa nyaapuum hellyaawvu wesaawhm tuuyuuw, pes emaally tuuhwim. 5. Nyipaches. |
Vocabulary
Tiipay Aa:
aaman Aawka akway a'wit ch'am cha'saw Chepat chiilliich ke'nap-pu kexa Ku'aaylly Kuur kuwaaylly lly'aaw lly'aaw-pu llye'aaw-pet llyewa mat maw melaayk naynaat Nyaam aawatt Nyaap nyaat Nya'kurlly nyapuum Nya'wit nye'aa nyewaayk nyewa-pelly nyewa-pet nyewa-pu paa paak paycha Paychach-pu penyauchat Penya'wit Pes Peyally saawx shemay shkux shuuyaw skant Skayp nyawikm skayp wi ta'wa tewa tuuyaw tuuyaw-pes waam we'i wesaawx wexap weyiw wichm xantuk xapx xemaaw xiipuk yay-pet |
'Iipay Aa:
? Haawka aakewayk 'ewii tuuhwim* 'esuw kupilly 'ehin 'echillich kwelhupvu* ewaa* kukuwaayk 'ekur kuwaaylly hellyaaw hellyaawvu hellyaawvech ? 'emat umaaw ? (melaayk used) emaally nyipaches 'enyaa 'enyaach heyaay nyaapum nyawihch 'enyewii nyewaayp nyewaavelly nyewaavech nyewaavu paa (also pam) puwk wematt or iichaa 'iichachvu iichaa ?? pes peyaally 'esaawh hemay 'echetooh or chetoo peshuw yar hwally nyawiim hwally wii ta'waa tewaa tuuyuuw tuuyuuw pes waam weyiw* wesaawh wehap weyiw wiim ? 'ehan* 'ehaph umaaw* sekann eyayvech |
English:
??? hello turn back* rattlesnake mess up food one day bad thing the small hole is located in/from inside (after) a long time inside that which is underneath rabbit (cottontail) the rabbit (accusative) the rabbit (nominative) is inside an enclosed space the earth is not is wrong, amiss himself that's all me I long ago then and then tells me, says to me lives inside his house his house (nominative) his house (accusative) arrives, gets there returns, comes back thinks (see notes) I think, maybe thinks ???? but in this I will eat looks for I will knock, he knocks on a door waits for runs away if it is quiet is quiet helping verb, sitting, 1st pers. helping verb, sitting, 3rd pers. helping verb, standing, 3rd pers. (pes is separate word in 'Iipay) go away, leave comes will eat go in, enter comes (idiomatic function) is good I will go in not first his heart/spirit (nominative) |
* Translator is unsure of these word choices, usually due to difficulty finding a good definition for the Tiipay word, or due to the absence of a clear 'Iipay equivalent.
Notes
1.
Nya'kurlly: Lit. "In the past". "Nya'kur would also work in 'Iipay, as 'ekur is a word also meaning "a long time", but "heyaay" is more common.
ke'nap-pu/kwelhupvu: It appears nyewaayp, "lives", can take a direct object as the place being lived at/in.
kuwaay: This appears to be the the nominalized form of 'ukuwaay, "is inside, under". It is uncertain if the -lly suffix is necessary in 'Iipay Aa.
chepat: If this truly means "one day", the 'Iipay equivalent would be "kupilly 'ehin".
shemay/hemay waam: "Went out looking for food" or "Went out to look for food" is written literally as, "looked for food and went out."
nyawaam nyatuuyawm: Unclear if the nya- "when" prefix is necessary for both verbs.
nyewa-pelly wexap: "Wehap" here takes an object with a -lly "inside" suffix, which may or may not be obligatory.
peyaally: "In this (place)." Construction not seen by translator in 'Iipay Aa, but it is assumed to be acceptable, since "peyii" "here" is just peyaa + i. Maybe "peyally" is more correct even in 'Iipay because the suffix might shorten the final vowel.
ta'wa/taa'waa: The helping verb appears to be used on its own to mean "being in a certain place".
shuuyaw ta'wa: A future suffix is expected but not used, perhaps not needed? Maybe a casual, "I'm gonna wait here" is said in Kumeyaay as, "I'm waiting here."
akway nyapaak/aakewayk nyapuwk: Unsure why both verbs are needed. The first might mean "turn back" or "return" (as in the act or movement), and paak/puwk means to "get back" or complete the action of returning. So maybe this is literally, "When he comes back and arrives back here." Unsure if the nya- on paak applies to both verbs (as in previous translation) or just the second one: "He'll turn back and when he gets back…"
nyaat/'enyaach: This is explicit while "him" is implied, probably because in Tiipay, the 1st person is not marked on the verb with a 'e- like in 'Iipay.
2.
Kuur wichm: This might be "'Ekur wiim", a construction not seen in 'Iipay, where 'ekur alone appears to mean "a long time passed" or "after a long time".
akway paa: Once again, a two-verb construction, with akway as "went back" and "paa" as "and got back/arrived".
yay-pet xantuk: Most likely "eyayvech 'ehan", meaning "he felt good/glad". If correct, it's unclear if adding the definite article to "eyay" is appropriate in 'Iipay.
xantuk xemaaw: "'ehanh umaaw" It appears in the Tiipay, the irrealis -x suffix jumped from "xantuk" to the following word, which is usually just "maw/maaw".
melaayk: "(something) is wrong, went wrong." No equivalent found in 'Iipay, so the same word was used in the translation.
paychach-pu/'iichachvu: Both forms of the verb "thinks", with an article making it, "what I think". When used like this, it means, "I think that maybe…"
nyewa: Often "his house" but sometimes "my house", translated as "'enyewaa".
llyewa: Tiipay verb meaning "inside an enclosed space". No single 'Iipay equivalent, but -lly ewaa and 'ukuwaay were used as replacements.
kexa: Thought to be "ewaa".
wematt: 'Iipay verb that means, "thinks, but is not sure".
tuuyaw: Sounds closest to helping verb "tuuyuuw". If correct, each action with "tuuyaw" was done in a standing position.
shkux/chetoo: Verb meaning "knocks on a door". Seen here as not taking a door as a direct object, but the house the door belongs to (nyewa-pu).
xiipuk: Common Tiipay verb meaning "first", as in "I'll knock xiipuk". 'Iipay equivalent thought to be sekann, "is first".
skayp nyawikm/hwally nyawiim: "When it's quiet". As seen here the nya- goes on the "wii" part. Not sure why the "k" is there in "wik".
3.
Penya'wit: No idea what this means. Looks like pe+nya+wii, so maybe a compound verb with "wii" and the nya- "when" prefix. Appears to have the effect of "and so…". Left untranslated.
Ku'aaylly: "Inside" plus -lly, "inside the inside". In the 'Iipay translation I chose the suffix -k instead to mean "from".
aaman: Meaning unknown, perhaps an amplifier like apesiiw, "very"?
we'i: Close in sound to weyiw, "comes".
nyaap/'enyaach: Means "me" in the 'Iipay but may also serve to identify the house "nyewa-pet" in the Tiipay.
nye'aa: "aa" is a word meaning "say to, tell", like "wii" in 'Iipay, and it was translated as such with the prefix "nye-", meaning "he (verb)s me". Since this prefix can have many other meanings, either the subject or object ('enyewaavech or 'enyaa), must be specified to make it totally clear.
maw: To make this more emphatic and mean "never" in the 'Iipay, it was constructed with "nyii kumyum …h umaaw".
llyewa kexa/'ukuwaay ewaa: What seems like a preposition-verb is actually more like two verbs in a series.
skant/yar waam: Notice how Kumeyaay prefers to be extra explicit with two verbs: Not just "he ran off," but "he ran off and left".
4
skayp wii: Translated in English as "waited", but literally is "hwally wii", was quiet.
wesaawx tuuyaw: With the irrealis -x/-h suffix on the first verb and realis auxiliary as the second, this means, "was going to (first verb)".
tuuyaw-pes: In some dialects, "pes" becomes a suffix of the preceding word.
naynaat/emaally: verb meaning "himself, by himself".
ch'am: Word for "makes a mistake," especially in peon, which also means "misses", as in while shooting. While not translated as the general word for "mess up" or "make a mistake" by dictionaries in 'Iipay, the closest equivalent seems to be tuuhwim.
5.
Nyaam aawatt: "Nyaam" appears to be "nyaamat, 'all'", and "aawatt" is like "nesoom", meaning "all gone, finished, done". To conclude a story, this can simply be said as "nyipaches" in 'Iipay.
Remember that -ches is a grammatical suffix, that is never stressed, and when removed leaves -a at the end, a single short vowel that also cannot be stressed. Thus, the word is pronounced nyípaches.
Nya'kurlly: Lit. "In the past". "Nya'kur would also work in 'Iipay, as 'ekur is a word also meaning "a long time", but "heyaay" is more common.
ke'nap-pu/kwelhupvu: It appears nyewaayp, "lives", can take a direct object as the place being lived at/in.
kuwaay: This appears to be the the nominalized form of 'ukuwaay, "is inside, under". It is uncertain if the -lly suffix is necessary in 'Iipay Aa.
chepat: If this truly means "one day", the 'Iipay equivalent would be "kupilly 'ehin".
shemay/hemay waam: "Went out looking for food" or "Went out to look for food" is written literally as, "looked for food and went out."
nyawaam nyatuuyawm: Unclear if the nya- "when" prefix is necessary for both verbs.
nyewa-pelly wexap: "Wehap" here takes an object with a -lly "inside" suffix, which may or may not be obligatory.
peyaally: "In this (place)." Construction not seen by translator in 'Iipay Aa, but it is assumed to be acceptable, since "peyii" "here" is just peyaa + i. Maybe "peyally" is more correct even in 'Iipay because the suffix might shorten the final vowel.
ta'wa/taa'waa: The helping verb appears to be used on its own to mean "being in a certain place".
shuuyaw ta'wa: A future suffix is expected but not used, perhaps not needed? Maybe a casual, "I'm gonna wait here" is said in Kumeyaay as, "I'm waiting here."
akway nyapaak/aakewayk nyapuwk: Unsure why both verbs are needed. The first might mean "turn back" or "return" (as in the act or movement), and paak/puwk means to "get back" or complete the action of returning. So maybe this is literally, "When he comes back and arrives back here." Unsure if the nya- on paak applies to both verbs (as in previous translation) or just the second one: "He'll turn back and when he gets back…"
nyaat/'enyaach: This is explicit while "him" is implied, probably because in Tiipay, the 1st person is not marked on the verb with a 'e- like in 'Iipay.
2.
Kuur wichm: This might be "'Ekur wiim", a construction not seen in 'Iipay, where 'ekur alone appears to mean "a long time passed" or "after a long time".
akway paa: Once again, a two-verb construction, with akway as "went back" and "paa" as "and got back/arrived".
yay-pet xantuk: Most likely "eyayvech 'ehan", meaning "he felt good/glad". If correct, it's unclear if adding the definite article to "eyay" is appropriate in 'Iipay.
xantuk xemaaw: "'ehanh umaaw" It appears in the Tiipay, the irrealis -x suffix jumped from "xantuk" to the following word, which is usually just "maw/maaw".
melaayk: "(something) is wrong, went wrong." No equivalent found in 'Iipay, so the same word was used in the translation.
paychach-pu/'iichachvu: Both forms of the verb "thinks", with an article making it, "what I think". When used like this, it means, "I think that maybe…"
nyewa: Often "his house" but sometimes "my house", translated as "'enyewaa".
llyewa: Tiipay verb meaning "inside an enclosed space". No single 'Iipay equivalent, but -lly ewaa and 'ukuwaay were used as replacements.
kexa: Thought to be "ewaa".
wematt: 'Iipay verb that means, "thinks, but is not sure".
tuuyaw: Sounds closest to helping verb "tuuyuuw". If correct, each action with "tuuyaw" was done in a standing position.
shkux/chetoo: Verb meaning "knocks on a door". Seen here as not taking a door as a direct object, but the house the door belongs to (nyewa-pu).
xiipuk: Common Tiipay verb meaning "first", as in "I'll knock xiipuk". 'Iipay equivalent thought to be sekann, "is first".
skayp nyawikm/hwally nyawiim: "When it's quiet". As seen here the nya- goes on the "wii" part. Not sure why the "k" is there in "wik".
3.
Penya'wit: No idea what this means. Looks like pe+nya+wii, so maybe a compound verb with "wii" and the nya- "when" prefix. Appears to have the effect of "and so…". Left untranslated.
Ku'aaylly: "Inside" plus -lly, "inside the inside". In the 'Iipay translation I chose the suffix -k instead to mean "from".
aaman: Meaning unknown, perhaps an amplifier like apesiiw, "very"?
we'i: Close in sound to weyiw, "comes".
nyaap/'enyaach: Means "me" in the 'Iipay but may also serve to identify the house "nyewa-pet" in the Tiipay.
nye'aa: "aa" is a word meaning "say to, tell", like "wii" in 'Iipay, and it was translated as such with the prefix "nye-", meaning "he (verb)s me". Since this prefix can have many other meanings, either the subject or object ('enyewaavech or 'enyaa), must be specified to make it totally clear.
maw: To make this more emphatic and mean "never" in the 'Iipay, it was constructed with "nyii kumyum …h umaaw".
llyewa kexa/'ukuwaay ewaa: What seems like a preposition-verb is actually more like two verbs in a series.
skant/yar waam: Notice how Kumeyaay prefers to be extra explicit with two verbs: Not just "he ran off," but "he ran off and left".
4
skayp wii: Translated in English as "waited", but literally is "hwally wii", was quiet.
wesaawx tuuyaw: With the irrealis -x/-h suffix on the first verb and realis auxiliary as the second, this means, "was going to (first verb)".
tuuyaw-pes: In some dialects, "pes" becomes a suffix of the preceding word.
naynaat/emaally: verb meaning "himself, by himself".
ch'am: Word for "makes a mistake," especially in peon, which also means "misses", as in while shooting. While not translated as the general word for "mess up" or "make a mistake" by dictionaries in 'Iipay, the closest equivalent seems to be tuuhwim.
5.
Nyaam aawatt: "Nyaam" appears to be "nyaamat, 'all'", and "aawatt" is like "nesoom", meaning "all gone, finished, done". To conclude a story, this can simply be said as "nyipaches" in 'Iipay.
Remember that -ches is a grammatical suffix, that is never stressed, and when removed leaves -a at the end, a single short vowel that also cannot be stressed. Thus, the word is pronounced nyípaches.