Chapter 1: an introduction to the language and the cast of characters.

Dialogue 1.1

Key:

maˀ - question indicator participle
pəLlī - subordinate person
ˀɪva - young
moChā - name
xəChā - treated as a name
poChā - a racoon
ˀaga - three / thrice
ˀanɪ - stacked
taBō - eating
tuBo - to eat
shää - yes
bə - no
boDū - fruit
ˀomi- red
llo - tense marker
  1. Qː pəˀɪvaLlītutu, maʔmoˀChāgi?
  2. Young people [ older to younger ], what are your names?
  3. Johnː janka ˀemoChāgi.
  4. John is my name.
  5. poˀagaˀanɪChääː poˀagaˀanɪChääka ˀexəChāgi.
  6. “Three racoons stacked” is treated as my name.
  7. Q: maʔopəLlikaka ˀotuBōgi?
  8. Are you kids eating?
  9. Johnː shää, ˀepəLLɪka ˀiboˀomiDūku tuBōgi.
  10. Yes, I am eating this red fruit.
  11. poˀagaˀanɪChääkaː bə, lle ˀetuBo.
  12. No, I ate.

Exercise 1.1

Using the key and the dialogue with it’s translation, do your best to answer these questions. Wrong answers are fine, encouraged even! An answer key is provided.
  1. What marks plural nouns as plural?
  2. The key tells us that red is translated to hruˀovaPō as ______. What is the only line number on which we can find this letter combination? What does this tell you about how descriptive words are expressed in this language?
  3. List as many prefixes and suffixes as you can find.
Exercise 1.1 Solution

Cultural Insert 1.1

Counting Game

Counting is traditionally done with two hands, and it’s easy to count as high as 35! Feel free to count along with your fingers as we go. When arriving at thirty six when counting with children, it is customary to throw up both of your hands and shout “ˀɪxigaǃ” to begin a game of chase or hide and go seek.

1 - ˀɪchi - one finger
2 - ˀede - two fingers
3 - ˀaga - three fingers
4 - ˀolo - four fingers
5 - ˀuju - five fingers
6 - ˀiki - fist and one in other (marking) hand - touch marking hand to counting hand briefly
7 - ˀeme - one finger and one finger
8 - ˀapa - two fingers and one finger
9 - ˀoso - three fingers and one finger
10 - ˀutu - four fingers and one finger
11 - ˀovo - five fingers and one finger
12 - ˀɪxi - a fist and two fingers in marking hand - touch marking hand to counting hand briefly

13 - ˀɪxiˀɪchi - a finger and two fingers
25 - ˀɪxideˀɪki - a fist and one finger
35 - ˀɪxideˀovo - five fingers and five fingers