Odds & Ends of Ioway-Otoe in Omaha Sources

[Koontz John E]

On Fri, 20 Jul 2001, Jimm G GoodTracks wrote:
> He said that electrical storms can access the PC via the telephone
> lines, even when the PC is turned off.  I didn't know that!

I learned it from Bob Rankin who learned it the hard way.  And I've also
had a modem zapped, presumably in this way.  I could actually see the
damage.  Fortunately my computer was OK.  It's a good idea to use a surge
protector that lets you run the phone connection through it.  That's also
a good idea with cable connections for TVs.

> The story was from Turtle Goes On The Warpath.  I recognized the song and
> melody immediately, as we (I and LilaW together) recorded it from an
> 80+yoa OM elder married to an Oklahoma Ioway elder.  ...

> Perhaps, John or Bob will recognize this manuscript page, that may be
> from DOR or even Marsh, although I doubt it.

I do!  The ms copy you saw seems to represent exactly the printed version
in the Dorsey texts (1890:257).

===

Ke'-taN QaN'-ye wa'-te ku'-he ca'-nan~-ga' hi'-e tce'-e go',
tce'-e go'.

[I've rendered things a they were, using sequences like n~ for enye or c/
for cent-sign.  I've treated turned letters as underdotted.  JEK]

The notes (p. 269) say:

The words in the text are of Tciwere (Iowa) origin, but are given as
prononed by the Omahas.  The correct Tciwere version, according to
Sanssouci, is:

> [As per DOR= the letter "K" is written backwards:
> [Ketan qanye watce Kuhe (anye ke).  ica - nanya hie tce Ku he]
>

K.etaN QaNye watce k.u he (anye ke) ica'-nan~a hi'e tce k.u he

[The printed version has aNy:  a-raised n-y the first time.  JEK]

[The basic changes are:  using dotted letters - unaspirated in this case -
where the previous version uses aspirates.  Restoration of affrication in
wa'-te => wa'-tce.  Restoration of anye ke (>) + the declarative.
Correction of ca-nan~ga to ica'nan~a 'you said' - the source had trouble
with the prefix i of 'to say' and with n~.  Replacement of tce-e go
(repeated) by tce k.u he.  I believe the verb is gu'he and the he was lost
in the OP context.  JEK]

answering to the Dhegiha

> [OP version as per DOR= the letter "K" is written backwards;
"T" is
> upside down; "$" is a "c" with line thru it].
> [KeTanyga wate agi-biama.  ecai $an e teagii ha].
>

K.et.an~ga wa'te agi'-biama' ecai' c/aN e te' agi'i ha

"'The Big Turtle is coming back from touching the foe, they say' you say.
'He is coming back from touching.'"

Frank La Fleche reads wa't`e [wa't?e] for wa'te [wa'the] but he does not
understand the use of the last clause, e te agii ha.

===

The OP seems to be:

kkettaNga           wa'the         agi'=bi=ama
big turtle          he struck them he came back QUOTE
(snapping turtle?)


es^a=i=dhaN
you said EVID?

e'  the       agi          ha
him he struck he came back DECL

Ha is the male declarative, which today would be hau.

> My manuscript page (copy) says the "Tciwere" version was rendered by
> Sanssouci.  Further, it says that "Frank LaFlesche reads "wa't^e" for
> "wa'te", but doesn't understand use of last clause "e te agii ha"."

Exactly as in the printed version.

I think the problem may be that LaFlesche didn't recognize the verb /the/
(or /athe/?), or maybe it would be /(a)tte/ or even /(a)te/, which would
seem to correspond to the IO je (or c^he?) and in the context seems to
mean 'to strike, touch' in the sense of a counting a coup.  I don't
recognize it off hand.

The points of view are somewhat puzzling, too, since there's a quotative
in a 'you said' quotation and then a simple declaration to the same effect
(in obviative form).

> The song doubtlessly was rendered from Mary Gale LaF.  My MS must be a
> copy of the hand written notes from DOR.  At the top, on left hand column
> is written "p.257", followed by the Turtle melody written out onto a
> musical scale, followed by the notation = "p.269", then "257.4. words of
> song of Iowa origin with Omaha pronunciation."

This is confirmed, except perhaps as to Mary Gale LaFlesche.  I suspect
there were a lot of IO contacts in the LaFlesche family.  Joseph may have
spoken some IO, too.