How babies crawl in Chinuk Wawa

[Scott Tyler]

LaXayam na Siks,

kumtaks kaakwa tenas man yaka sik, hiloo tlush
sounds like this baby body is sick, not well

tlonas yaka tlap polii?o (polio)
perhaps he contracted polio

tlonas yaka hiloo tlataawa koopa yaka foot
maybe he cannot go by walking.

tlonas likit sik (rickets).
maybe rickets.

delate kumtaks kaakwa yaka hayas LaXayam
he truly sounds pitiful!

yaka kooli qaa pi qaa koopa limaa
he crawls about on his hands.

mayka siks,
Scott


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dave Robertson" <ddr11 at UVIC.CA>
To: <CHINOOK at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG>
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 4:46 PM
Subject: How babies crawl in Chinuk Wawa


> Aw jeez, I was just packing up to go home when I found this.  Got to take 
> a
> minute to send it along.  I like it because it's about a baby crawling
> ("kuli kopa iaka lima").  I have a kid (another one!) who's getting ready
> to do that.
>
> This is from a Christmastime 1894 letter from someone who sounds blunt 
> like
> a teenager, writing from Canim Lake, Secwepemc country:
>
> Naika tomtom ayu tilikam mitlait kopa ukuk ilihi.
> I THINK MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN THIS PLACE
> "I thought there were a lot of people that lived in this place [Soda
> Creek?]."
>
> Pi ilo.
> BUT NO
> "But there's not."
>
> Kopit iht ol man pi iht lamiaii [crossed out] ol klushiman pi iht
> ONLY ONE OLD MAN AND ONE OLD.LADY OLD WOMAN AND ONE
> "There's just one old man, one old woman, and one
>
> tanas man.
> LITTLE MAN
> little boy."
>
> Ukuk tanas man aias klahawiam[,] makst sno pi ilo mitwit[,] pus
> THIS LITTLE MAN VERY PITIFUL, 2 YEAR AND NOT STAND, WHEN
> "This little boy is really pitiful, 2 years old but can't stand, (so) when
>
> tiki koli kopa iaka lima.
> WANT MOVE ON HIS HAND
> (he) wants to move (it's) by crawling."
>
>
> --Dave R
>
> To respond to the CHINOOK list, click 'REPLY ALL'.  To respond privately 
> to the sender of a message, click 'REPLY'.  Hayu masi!
> 

To respond to the CHINOOK list, click 'REPLY ALL'.  To respond privately to the sender of a message, click 'REPLY'.  Hayu masi!