Chiwere pronunciation

[Rory Larson]

Ø  What I also found interesting is that what we use a "ch" sound for nowadays (for example, "ch'e" for "die"), he has spelled as "tsä̇h".  I'm curious about the "ts" rather than the "tsch" he often uses (and even the odd "tj").  Speaking of "tj", I wonder if Maximilian's time period during his travels (early 1830s) was part of a transition period moving from more of a "t" sound to "ch."  For example, he has listed "tjä̇" for "buffalo" but has "teh-på-seh-nih" with the "teh" sounding much more Ponca/Omaha.  Nowadays we have "che" for buffalo and his use of "t" for one and "tj" for the other has got me thinking :).

Perhaps we should reconstruct a palatalized “t” here.  As English speakers, we may be focussing too much on the fricative or affricate quality when we break this down as “ch”, or “t” + “sh”, or “t” + “s”.  But what may be going on is that the tongue is simply bowed forward into the position it would assume for English “ee” or hard “y”, even before the “t” is articulated, in anticipation of a front vowel, /e/ or /i/, that will follow the “t”.  If you try pronouncing “t” that way, a fricative “s” or “sh” sound will follow very easily, especially if there is any force of breath at all on the release.  But from the native point of view, it’s still just a “t”.

Best,
Rory


From: Siouan Linguistics [mailto:SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu] On Behalf Of Campbell, Sky
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2014 8:29 AM
To: SIOUAN at LISTSERV.UNL.EDU
Subject: Re: Number 'nine' in Chiwere.

I’ve also thought about the “contaminated forms.”  Maximilian got his Otoe language information (among other tribes’ language info) from Major Dougherty who was said to speak quite a few of them (I think I remember reading somewhere that he was said to have spoken 11 of them).  So not only do we have to hope that he didn’t accidentally mix anything up, but we also have to consider that his non-Indian accent wasn’t working its way in there when he was pronouncing these for Maximilian.

Sky Campbell, B. A.
Language Director
Otoe-Missouria Tribe
580-723-4466 ext. 111
sky at omtribe.org<mailto:sky at omtribe.org>

From: Siouan Linguistics [mailto:SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu] On Behalf Of John Koontz
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2014 8:34 PM
To: SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu<mailto:SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu>
Subject: Re: Number 'nine' in Chiwere.

And German j would be English y, so nj here is enye, which makes sense.    It is possible that things were in flux when he visited, but it sounds like he might also possibly have gotten contaminated forms.
________________________________
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 07:56:53 -0500
From: sky at LEGENDREADERS.COM<mailto:sky at LEGENDREADERS.COM>
Subject: Re: Number 'nine' in Chiwere.
To: SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu<mailto:SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu>
Yes, I suspect the "ch" is the "velar" one as well.  Maximillian almost exclusively uses "j" as it is pronounced in French (which is noted for each time it is used).  He'll have something like:

clear (water), ni-bréjé (French); they give this name to the Mississippi

But he also uses a "dj" to represent more of our "j" sound and also points out when the "j" is as in German.  This next entry illustrates both:

Sea, nih-chonn-djé (dje French); the Ayowas say, nih-chon-je (je German)

What I also found interesting is that what we use a "ch" sound for nowadays (for example, "ch'e" for "die"), he has spelled as "tsä̇h".  I'm curious about the "ts" rather than the "tsch" he often uses (and even the odd "tj").  Speaking of "tj", I wonder if Maximilian's time period during his travels (early 1830s) was part of a transition period moving from more of a "t" sound to "ch."  For example, he has listed "tjä̇" for "buffalo" but has "teh-på-seh-nih" with the "teh" sounding much more Ponca/Omaha.  Nowadays we have "che" for buffalo and his use of "t" for one and "tj" for the other has got me thinking :).  Plus where we have more ð and Θ now, back then you see more "s" sounds.  Fascinating stuff :).

One thing to note though is that Maximilian notes that he got his pronunciations from Major Dougherty rather than an Otoe or Missouria speaker.

I'm also interested in the "intensifier" being used with the number one.  This is my first experience with it (assuming that is what it is) and the first I've heard that it is common.  I'll keep an eye out for it :).

Sky


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