Della Prince audio: LA 23.001

The following is a transcript of an audio recording archived at UC Berkeley's California Language Archive (you must agree to the terms of use to download audio). For convenience, the recording has been divided into individual audio clips on this page.

Download a PDF copy of this transcript.

WiyotEnglishNotes

0. Introduction

[Della Prince:] "Wiyot spoken by Della Prince"; [Karl Teeter:] "Tape 1, Side 1, 1954, miscellaneous word list; about 10 minutes, then Nettie Rossig, about 20 minutes, miscellaneous word list 1956"

1. vadi'

wood, firewood, tree(s)Also pronounced madi'.

2. gou'daw

eel (Pacific lamprey)

3. bushdou'l

chipmunk

4. dukdaqhlhi'n

Bowie knifeMeans something like "the folding thing".

5. wouda' lhapdoununi'

guitarMeans something like "that thing that is strummed".

6. wasidurr

coatLiterally means "wear around the shoulders".

7. vadaqilh

lizardLiterally means "it stares". Also pronounced madaqilh.

8. we'daw

salmonberry

9. hi'dayughurr

west wind

10. da'kayatgilh

river mouth

11. lhilhelhwa't

fernIt's not clear exactly what type of fern this word refers to, but Reichard (1922) notes that it has edible roots. (Possibly sword fern?)

12. hiwa't

abalone

13. klhut

it is hotAlso pronounced klhet.

14. hout

surf fish, smelt

15. wit

alder treeThe word for "tongue" is also pronounced wit.

16. wagulha't

California bay laurel, a.k.a. pepperwood tree

17. yirru wutvut

my headThe word for "head" alone is wutvut.

18. rrit

mudclamThe word for "my tongue" is also pronounced rrit.

19. vutsuwitk

stoveThis word also means "ashes".

20. tshanats

spoonLiterally means "little mussel shell" (from the word tsharr "mussel"), because women's spoons were made from mussel shells (see this photo of a ceremonial mussel shell spoon).

21. wayits

dogThis word was also used to mean "horse" after horses were brought to the area by white settlers.

22. butsa'ywats

small creekFrom the word buda'w, meaning "stream" or "spring".

23. tsetshats

insect, bugAppears to mean literally "very small animal".

24. boukshughutsguqi

thimbleberryAccording to Reichard (1922), this word means roughly "little thing that sits upside down".

25. youtw

maggotFun fact! The Wiyot word for "rice" is youtw ya rruqi', which literally means "looks like maggots".

26. badutw

bark of a tree

27. hiwa'gurughutsk

pea(s)Literally means "small round thing".

28. duqht

cottontail rabbit

29. jechach

meatThis word also refers to game animals, i.e. animals whose meat is eaten.

30. qilu'l jagu'l

his/her uncleQilu'l means "he/she". The word for "uncle" alone is jak.

31. qilu'l joulu'l

his/her auntQilu'l means "he/she". The word for "aunt" alone is joul.

32. jiwawibou'wulh

clothes ironAccording to Teeter's (ca. 1956) notes, this word means something like "what you smooth things with".

33. joumash

(land) snail, slugAlso pronounced joumashk. There is a different word for sea snails (voukt).

34. chourach

bottleGrammatically speaking, this word appears to literally mean "small pestle" (toul = "pestle"); perhaps because of its similar shape (see this photo of a Wiyot stone pestle; they are very large!).

35. japlhoudighurruqhu'l

his/her eyelashesThe word for "eyelashes" alone is japlhoudighurr. According to Teeter's (ca. 1956) notes, this word literally means "protect the eyes"; Reichard (1922) says it means "fuzz on the edge of your eye".

36. juklhuchgudi'

black willow

37. chvelhighujaji

raccoonOne of two words for "raccoon". This one means "has a little stripe on his face".

38. jechach

meatThis word also refers to game animals, i.e. animals whose meat is eaten.

39. bou'choulhrrilh

pig, hogCurtin (1889) says this word means "sharp mouth"; Reichard (1922) translates it as "has long snout".

40. guvoujugu'w

doe, female deerLiterally "female".

41. bou'tsoulhrrilhwats

small pigFrom the word bou'choulhrrilh "pig" (see no. 39 above).

42. we'tsats

small dogFrom the word wayits "dog" (see no. 21 above).

43. yi jak

my uncleThe word for "uncle" alone is jak.

44. yi joul

my auntThe word for "aunt" alone is joul.

45. qilu'l bijouchgurru'l

his/her grandfatherQilu'l means "he/she". The word for "grandfather" alone is bijouchk.

46. yi jak

my uncleThe word for "uncle" alone is jak.

47. ta'm houjikrru'l goulhu'goulouwilh

sun dog (circle around the sun with white spots)Ta'm is the word for "sun" (also used for "moon" and "clock"); houjikrru'l means "his/her child" (from the word tsek "child"); goulhu'goulouwilh seems to mean something like "s/he/it returns". So the whole phrase means something like "the sun's child returns".

48. hija

baby

49. hou'jiplhu'l

his beard, his mustache, his facial hair, his whiskersThe word for "beard/mustache/facial hair/whiskers" alone is jiplh.

50. hou'jukvurinuqu'r

his/her eyebrowsThe word for "eyebrow(s)" alone is jukvurirr, and means roughly "across the eyes".

51. bouchvi'

skunk

52. pilhwuchgoujighurruwuch

blowflyThis word means "big (ugly) fly". From pilhwutgoudighurr "fly", which Reichard (1922) translates to mean literally "his eyes stick out".

53. gouchgurughaqhlhi'n

pistol

54. kighuchgarilh

pocket knife

55. qilu'l bijouchgurru'l

his/her grandfatherQilu'l means "he/she". The word for "grandfather" alone is bijouchk.

56. houchwach

bucket basket for carrying water

57. yirrou' dupditk

my backbone, my spineThe word for "backbone" alone is dupditk

58. yirrou' dupditgurruch

my old backbone, my old spineFrom dupditk "backbone" (see entry 57 above).

59. qilu'lu wutvoukrruchgurru'l

his/her old ribsQilu'lu is a slightly different pronunciation of qilu'l, which means "he/she". The word for "old ribs" alone is wutvoukrruch; the word for (regular) "ribs" alone is wutvouk.

60. lhvuchwurughachilh

pantsLiterally means "put legs through them".

61. qilu'lu qaju'l

his/her motherQilu'lu is a slightly different pronunciation of qilu'l, which means "he/she". The word for "mother" alone is ga.

62. rra'chuchk

boy

63. vachur

girlAlso pronounced machur.

64. pichoul

kelp

65. rrak jach

upriverLiterally "toward upriver"; rrak = "toward/in the direction of", and jach = "upriver". Wik jach means "from upriver" (wik = "from the direction of").

66. bashach

small plate basketFrom bas "plate basket".

67. jechach

meatThis word also refers to game animals, i.e. animals whose meat is eaten.

68. houchwach

bucket basket for carrying water

69. chourach

bottleGrammatically speaking, this word appears to literally mean "small pestle" (toul = "pestle"); perhaps because of its similar shape (see this photo of a Wiyot stone pestle; they are very large!).

70. qu'qurruchk

toad, big ugly frogFrom quqh, meaning "frog".

71. yi bijouchk

my grandfatherThe word for "grandfather" alone is bijouchk.

72. yirru gouchk

my grandmotherThe word for "grandmother" alone is gouchk.