Proverbs

[Koontz John E]

On Tue, 18 Dec 2001, Trechter, Sara wrote:
> The metaphorical usage common with proverbs that John alludes to, is why I
> think the speaker went to great lengths to 'explain' an origin for the
> "no-napping" saying...as if he thought it was a bit obscure. Too bad I don't
> have a context for this one where the napping is metaphorical.

That makes sense, and we can at least keep our eyes open for obscure
metaphorical uses of recurring phrases, though I have the impression that
if you go looking for metaphors in language it's hard to stop.

Incidentally, the homily text is Dorsey 1890 is "Address to the Young Men"
pp. 628-9.  The source isn't given, but it may be a sort of immitation
composed by George Miller, who spent some time in Washington with Dorsey
editting the texts.  The Notes section for this text reads "According to
George Miller, an Omaha, the old men of his tribe often make such an
address to the young men."

The first sentence is:

Ni'ashiNga=mashe,
people     you the-COLLECTIVE

wadha'kkigdhithaN=i      nu'de  ttaghu'gh[e]
you work for yourselves  throat panting

udhi'zhi=xti= kki=naN,
you fill very if  ONLY

e=da'=daN wiN dhakki'shkaghe=       tta=i  ha!
what      a   you make for yourself FUTURE DECL

"Oh ye people, if you ever accomplish anything for yourselves it will be
only when you work so hard for yourselves that you pant incessantly
thereafter."  (Dorsey et al.'s free translation.)

The essential framework here is "You will [irrealis!] make something for
yourselves, if you only [i.e., exclusively, habitually] work [handle
things] for yourself."  The "you very much fill your throat with panting"
is essentially an adverbial phrase of manner inserted in the conditional
clause between the verb and the final conjunction, a fairly common pattern
in Omaha-Ponca.

The word ttaghu'gh, presumably ttaghu'ghe contracted with the following
verb, is not the usual word for panting, which is gaski'.  It's not even
translated in the interlinear version, but corresponds to panting in the
free translation.

I'm not sure if this is a proverb, or just rhetorical style.  The phrase
that recurs in the texts comes a few sentences later, and it's the
imperative washkaN=i=ga, here given as "Try!" in the interlinear and as
"Do your best!" in the free translation.  Elsewhere it is often "Be
active!" or "Make an effort!"