favorite words

[onestar]

háu mitákuyepi
i had a late thought in my head and i wanted to get it out.it almost goes with jan's word trouble.but just the opposite!
i thought it would be interesting to discuss a favorite word(s) people have.
i know i have 1. išáye-makeup,cosmetics(noun)
i think it is a beautiful sounding word. almost hindi in a way. i do think hindi is a beautiful language.
and i know there are some fem/male words, but i think išáye is a very feminine sounding word and who better to have a beautiful word like that than a female.


p.s. i hope this discussion is in the right catagory. it is for discussing words. and i dont step on any toes, but just a thought i wanted to express.
onestar

[Paha]

Hey onestar,

I like your idea for a thread! There are quite a few words that I particularly like, some for specific reasons and others just for the sound. Some examples:

- thíȟamnamna: I like this because I find it to be one of the few really specific words from the olden days still in use. I mean, nearly every particular word about internal organs of the buffalo has passed into history, relegated to the pages of Lakota dictionaries and history books, and yet somehow the word for the second stomach of the buffalo is still in common usage. Most fluent speakers I know are familiar with the thíȟamnamna whether they are elderly or not. (Maybe because it is so tasty when prepared right!) And it's fun to say, to boot!

- kȟaŋsú: I love how this word's meaning has evolved over the generations. Originally referring to a plum pit, such as were used in a gambling game, it became the word for "dice" because white people tossed dice in a similar way when gambling. By extension, it was used to refer to playing cards too, because they are also used to gamble, and have particular markings, like dice and like the original plum pits. Nowadays, it can be used to refer to any hard-backed paper, particularly a certification or diploma. I have heard "Waná kȟaŋsú iyáčupi kte" used at a graduation, "Kȟaŋsú yaglúha he?" used to ask someone about their driver's license, and "Lečhála kȟaŋsú ikíkču" to describe someone who recently became certified to teach. It's funny to back-translate these sentences to their original meanings!

- ȟčiȟčíke sʼe: This is just fun to say, and is often used in amusing sentences by speakers.

- paŋȟyá: You don't hear this one a lot around Pine Ridge, but I love how more northern Lakotas use it as a sort of universal intensifier. Bonus points to people who reduplicate it to paŋȟpáŋȟya, often to hilarious effect.

- Iyé kȟápi kiŋ: I assume this is the slow speech form of what I always hear as "Iyé kȟaag", a playful comeback to when somebody makes fun of you. Kind of like saying, "He's talking about himself."

- kaípayeȟ iyáyA: When someone says this, you know there's some šikšílya talk going on! Usually, anyway.

- šikšílyA: Might as well put this too. Don't want to offend anyone, but in my experience fluent speakers often work this word into a teasing sentence in amusing ways. Nobody wants to be accused of šikšílya wóglaka or šikšíya wíyukčaŋ, but they sure laugh when it is brought up!

- haŋbléčheya: Easy to break this word down to its component parts, and so simple and beautiful when you do.

- wiyákpakpa: This word makes me think of pretty things.

I'm sure I have more favorite words out there, and I too would love to hear other people's choices. Maybe I'll end with my least favorite Lakota word: našlí. I don't think I've ever heard it use in a context that didn't gross me out. A fluent friend of mind particularly dislikes nabláǧA, although he has a hard time pinpointing what it is about the word. He just finds it kind of unpleasant.

Paha

[mitchmiye]

Napčiyúŋka. Because its just a fun word to say

Mitch

[Kevin]

Pahá wičhóiye waŋ iyótaŋwala čha eháŋni kaȟníǧe ló. Wiyákpakpa. Wičhóiye ki lená nakúŋ waštéwalake: aglágla, kpaŋkpáŋla. Táku uŋ lená waštewalake ki slolwákiye šni éyaš lená nakúŋ onáȟ'uŋwašte, kȟá, háŋtaš, zizípela.

[onestar]

háu kevin, paha, mitch
i knew this would be a cool idea! i woulld like to hear jan's answers!
i thought it might not take off, it took awhile but i got some responses.anyway, paha i like your answers.i am always looking for those type of meanings myself.i was always curious of background things.this is more common in this area.i would like to see that type of info in more text in the future.maybe i will mention to jan.it is difficult for us outsiders to get that info ya know? my friend died awhile ago, he was a linguist( jim running dog westerman) i did get alot of info from him but no i have no more fluent speakers.anyway i will be adding words myself in the future. i say we run with it and see how far it goes! tókša aké woúŋglakiŋ kte

[onestar]

háu mitákuyepi
wičóiye tȟéča waŋ bluha
pusíla-kitten it souŋds like šikšílya wóglaka to me - haha- but i think its a cool sounding word!
i dont know why it has nothing to do with šikšílya wóglaka.i have a little, midget cat, a calico named cloe
and i call her pusila.

[Jan]

Most of the words that I like became my favorites because of the situations in which I learned them or thanks to the speakers I learned them from. Those moments always bring back happy memories of the elders I lived with and became close to.
One such word is wiȟópeča which I first heard from Rudy Fire Thunder in 1992. He always said it in reference to younger ladies he liked and pronounced it with such special emphasis that it made it sound very complimentary. That I will never forget.

Another word is itéšniyaŋ. It was very often used in a teasing way in one of the Cheyenne River families that I stayed with for several months.
I like paŋȟyá for the same reasons that Pahá gave above. That word is used a lot by speakers in Cheyenne River and Standing Rock, and I have happy memories of many of those.

Then there are words that I like because they are somewhat funny to me for one reason or another. For example šúŋka means 'ham' in my native language.

Another set of my favorite words comprises words that are rare and were difficult to find or to interpret. The main representative of this group of words is kibá 'to regret smth'. Deloria gives this word in one of her early materials on Lakota from around 1930, but the word does not occur in any of the older texts (Sword, Bushotter, Buechel) so for a long time I thought that Deloria borrowed it from Riggs dictionary and adopted it into her own Lakota or that she knew it because her father spoke Yankton-Dakota. But I occasionally asked fluent speakers about the word and during many years the number of those I asked reached several dozens. Around 2003 I gave up trying to find someone who would confirm that word to be Lakota and excluded it from the words to appear in the dictionary.

In summer 2007 when NLD was way into final editing, I once again recorded an old friend of mine, a man that I have known since 1992 and an excellent speaker. It was a long and nice narrative, he spoke for about two hours. As usual I had a notebook and a pen to take notes in case I heard words that were new to me so that I could ask about them when the narrative was over. All of a sudden, in the middle of the narrative, the speaker said the following sentence "Léčhanuŋ kiŋháŋ yakíba kte." I could not believe my ears. When he finished talking I asked him about kibá (yakíba is the 2nd singular) and he gave the exact same definition as Deloria. I was really surprised and very excited.
The next day first thing in the morning I went to see that man's brother, also an excellent fluent speaker, because I wanted a confirmation on the word from another member of the family. He gave the same definition and usage of kibá and said he uses the word actively. I tried hard to find someone else in the area (Pine Ridge) who would know and use the word but to no avail. But I did hear it from a couple of speakers up north since. So, it is one of those words that survived in very few families. I though it is a good word that could be useful if brought back to life. And many speakers who worked on the dictionary thought the same, so we included it in the selection for the printed version.

I have many more favorite words so maybe I will mention some others next time.
Many thanks to Onestar for a nice topic and to all contributors.

Jan

[ȟoka]

lená waštéwalake:

škibíbila - kinda reminds me of a "baby word"

haŋtanaš - i like hearing this word, sounds cool and smooth

čhaŋhéyala - my grandpa calvin always talked about this little bird

čhíŋke šni

abu...memories of grandma and her lullabies!!!

bubú maŋké - my uncle dom uses this after eating a good meal

and then there are names that just sound cool when elders says them: Tȟatȟaŋka Iyotake, Tȟašuŋke Luzahaŋ, Wačhápȟe, Tȟašuŋke Ota, Siŋte Gleška, Maȟpiya Ičaȟtagya

[Kostya]

Ȟʼúŋuŋtʼeʼ ("I and you are tired to death from working")
--This phrase I usually pronounce (with glottal stop in the end) when someody gets to know that I know a bit Lakota iyapi and asks me to "say something"

[Ken]

Here's some I like, they all have repeating sylables:

uŋžíŋžiŋtka - I was at Potato Creek on Pine Ridge when I learned this one.
gnugnúška - I don't remember where I was when I learned it, but I remember hundreds of them jumping in my open car windows and pinging around inside my car in SD.
yamnúmnuǧapi - don't remember where I learned it.

[Gerda]

Hello onestar

I too like your idea. This is an interesting and pleasing thread.

My favorite is the word is škaŋškáŋ and all words combined with it. Especially I like the modern words like mázaškaŋškaŋ (moving iron), wičhítenaškaŋškaŋ (moving human face) because the are like a picture, a clear view of what has be seen when looking to the little wheels of a pocket clock or someone speaking in the TV. The same is about máza which describes things the same way, e.g. mázaska (white iron), mázasu (iron seed).

But there are words I like because of its sound. The words gnáška and gnugnúška are two of them. Other favorites are the two words haŋkáši and mitákuyepi which sound so cozy to my ears. And I like the words sutá and sutáya which let me feel a strong will.

Of course there are many more favorite words, it would be too much to mention them all here. This is just a little choice.

Gerda

[Gerda]

While I typed in my text Ken also sent his favorite words. So when I sent my message I discovered that I am not the only one which likes to hear gnugnúška.
Gerda

[mitchmiye]

I see reduplications are a recurring theme here. Most are indeed fun to say

Mitch

[onestar]

háu mitákuyepi
líla iyómakiphi yeló.
i would like people to continue this as much as they wish! it is fun and interesting.it dosen't matter to me how many words people write.i think it is interesting to hear the stories and such people have to tell. i think it makes people want to read in this section. perhaps it could bring new words to some ears? i am always willing to learn new words and their backgrounds.
i think also it might get people to open up, by the way, i will now call this a "string".....lol. thats a new word for me.
i think this will give some insight into people and why they think things.perhaps it could help everybody understand eachother, and their reasonings. i am having fun with this, and im glad i thought of it.
gnugnúška-that is one of my sons favorite words also.he sings a song like gnugnúška gnugnúška.
i heard him mention he wanted to jump the easter bunny and force him to change his name to "pȟeží hop hop"
kičhí- i think its a cool word
čhéya-i think its a smooth sounding word.
waníyetu-i think this is a smooth word.

[Paha]

Hey,

I gotta put in another plug for kȟaŋsú. On our radio show yesterday, lekší Bryan used kȟaŋsú a couple of times to refer to a license plate. (Something like "Iyéčhiŋkiŋyaŋka él kȟaŋsú ikȟówake kiŋ hé"). What a wonderfully flexible word. What does your car's plum pit say?

Also forgot one of my favorite words, which I noticed yesterday is not in the new dictionary (kȟolá Jan onáȟʼuŋwaye) - ištóȟli, as in "Híhaŋni ištóȟliya wékta yeló.

P

[Wapasika]

Me, I love these (both sound & sense) :

ȟabȟápela "silk cloth"

napȟóbyapi "firecrackers"

ǧobǧópa "to snore a lot"

iwáȟatʼe "I roar with laughter"

Čhaŋnápȟopa Wí "February"

zizíškopela "banana"

žážayela (wéksuye) "(I remember it) clearly"

mázawiŋšwiŋžahela "wire"

Last but not least, like haŋkáši Gerda, I'm an absolute sucker for compounds of máza (the longer the better!) :

mázaškaŋškaŋ and itówapi naškáŋškaŋyaŋpi

Work for me, everytime!

Nearly forgot --

Ištá Tȟotȟó Wičháȟčala Kiŋ "Old Blue-eyes" (Hey, that's me! O.K., I made that one up. )

Hóčha, mitákuyepi, tókša akhé wóčhičiyakapi kte ló,

Wapásika.

[Paha]

I would just like to say that I was thrilled to actually get to use thíȟamnamnamna in a sentence the other day (i.e. to smell like that part of the tȟaníǧa, in this case, as a result of cleaning it). It is fun to conjugate too: "Waná thíȟamnamnamamna yeló!" Here is a fun tongue-twister (I am in a silly mood today):

Thíȟamnamna hé ówamna na šičámna čha yamnúmnuǧapi awákalala yuŋkȟaŋ waštémna čha tȟebwáyiŋ na waná thíȟamnamnamnamamna!

Try saying that five times fast!

"Paha"

[Wapasika]

Hey Pahá!

I would just like to say that I was thrilled to actually get to use thíȟamnamnamna in a sentence the other day (i.e. to smell like that part of the tȟaníǧa, in this case, as a result of cleaning it). It is fun to conjugate too: "Waná thíȟamnamnamamna yeló!" Here is a fun tongue-twister (I am in a silly mood today):

Thíȟamnamna hé ówamna na šičámna čha yamnúmnuǧapi awákalala yuŋkȟaŋ waštémna čha tȟebwáyiŋ na waná thíȟamnamnamnamamna!

Try saying that five times fast!

"Paha"

Lečháš hé wičhóie híŋskokeča kiŋ yat’íŋsya wóglakapi kiŋ uŋ eyá-wačháŋmi ičhuŋhaŋ čheží waglápšuŋ s’elé!

Good one!

"Lohd, have muhssy!"

Wapásika.

[Paha]

[Jan]

One of my favorite words is akáȟpA - to cover sb/smth with smth.
I am not sure I can explain the reason why it is so but it might have to do with the fact that I learned quite a lot of grammar early on by studying the forms of this verb and using them in context. It is also one of the few Lakota verbs that allow four participants (technically arguments) in one sentence - something very unusual for language in general.

[Ali]

There are many favourite words for me also. But when I was starting out learning Lakota and I saw the words talo and mato (spelled with missionary style), those made me smile. Those mean in my language a house and a worm .
I was quite relieved when I later saw those written with SLO as tȟaló and matȟó

AV

[Jan]

There are many favourite words for me also. But when I was starting out learning Lakota and I saw the words talo and mato (spelled with missionary style), those made me smile. Those mean in my language a house and a worm .
I was quite relieved when I later saw those written with SLO as tȟaló and matȟó

That is funny!!

P.S.: Slightly off topic but I a m curious: what is the phonemic value of the t in talo and mato in Finish? Does Finish have only plain (unaspirated) stops or aspirated one's as well?

[Ali]

There are many favourite words for me also. But when I was starting out learning Lakota and I saw the words talo and mato (spelled with missionary style), those made me smile. Those mean in my language a house and a worm .
I was quite relieved when I later saw those written with SLO as tȟaló and matȟó

That is funny!!

P.S.: Slightly off topic but I a m curious: what is the phonemic value of the t in talo and mato in Finish? Does Finish have only plain (unaspirated) stops or aspirated one's as well?

Yes that is right, they are all plain (unaspirated) stops. T is pronounced as tee (in SLO as té).

We also lack definite and indefinite articles.

AV

[Jan]

Yes that is right, they are all plain (unaspirated) stops. T is pronounced as tee (in SLO as té).

That makes mastering Lakota pronunciation somewhat easier for you than for an English speaking person (provided you can learn how to aspirate stops).

[Ali]

I guess so. I think I might benifit in some extent my motherlanguage being pronounced occasionally close to Lakota.

AV

[Jana]

Mitákuyepi,

When I first heard spoken Lakota, the thing I loved most was the sound of yeló at the end of sentences. I thought it was really cool. You cannot imagine how very disappointed I was when I found it was for man only. This was years ago. Still, it's one of my favorite words.

I also love the word uŋčí. Its sound is coming from somewhere deep down and it feels warm and homely to me, like I feel when I think of my uŋčí.

The word máȟpiya has grown on me. I love the way it unites clouds and sky when all other languages I know divide them.

And I definitely join the gnugnúška club.

[Stephen]

Mitákuyepi,

How about that Lakota onomatopoeia?

Nothing makes a splash like č’o.

And why just brush your teeth when you can hi-kpážaža?

And while it's not strictly onomatopoetic, I have to add kimímela to my collection.. the most beautiful phonetic description of a creature that I'm aware of, complete with a little flutter.

Tókša

Stephen

[onestar]

i thought of a word i like
kȟaŋsúkhute-to play cards
it sounds like a cool word to me
and khuté to shoot or i guess loosely to throw something

[Rolf]

One of my favorite words is
gnašká – a frog.
The reason for it is understandable only if you could imagine the frog which is on my mind everytime I read or even remember the word. It is a funny looking frog with a friendly smiling face, merely a cartoon...

[LéMiyé]

Mitákuyepi

I think everybody likes gnugnúška

I have to add kimímela to my collection.. the most beautiful phonetic description of a creature that I'm aware of, complete with a little flutter.Stephen

Kimímela is definitely one of my favourite words too, along with pispíza, hiŋháŋ and skíbibila (they're all animals ).

Although my very favourite is probably iná. It sounds so... mothersome LOL. It's such a lovely word to call, so pretty, it sounds just like what mothers should be. Does anyone else feel that, or am I just weird?

Tókša akhé,

Joe.