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Lenape Talking Dictionary
By English WORD or PHRASE
By Lenape WORD or PHRASE
Lënuwa Kiikàmaok Pèthakhuweyok
A Man Visited The Thunder Beings. . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean to Nicholas Shoumatoff in 1977
English:
Now on this evening I want to tell an old story
Lenape:
Yukwe ènta lòkwik nkata xuachimwi
English:
told to me by my now deceased ancestors.
Lenape:
ntihëlùkuk lòmwe nkikayuyëmënaninkahke.
English:
They said that once a man wanted to go and
Lenape:
Luweyok hùnt kwëtën mah lënuwa kahta hùnt may
English:
visit with the thunder beings.
Lenape:
kiikàmao nèki pèthakhuweyok.
English:
The man notified everyone there.
Lenape:
Wèmi tëli may wehomasin naka lënuwa.
English:
He told the men all village,
Lenape:
Tëlao nèl lënuwa wèmi èlikhatink,
English:
"I wish you would all help me, I want to cut some wood.
Lenape:
"Kwëlaha ta kwichëmihëmo, nkata mànàxe.
English:
I want to heat this boulder.
Lenape:
Nkata kshësëmën yushè xinkwi ahsën.
English:
Then when is is really hot, to
Lenape:
Na ènta kìshi këkhìchi kshëtèk, xu
English:
throw it into the big river."
Lenape:
ìka chòpònihin ènta xinkwi sipunk."
English:
Everyone came there, and for many days
Lenape:
Na wèmi awèn ìka pè, xahelukwëni
English:
they cut wood and finally they had a lot of
Lenape:
mànàxeyok, xantki xaheli
English:
wood. Then they began to heat the
Lenape:
taxàna ulhatuwàk. Na alëmi chësasu na
English:
big rock. When it got very hot,
Lenape:
xinkwi ahsën. Na ènta kìchi kshëtèk, na
English:
they threw it into the big river.
Lenape:
chòpònihineyo ènta xinkwi sipunk.
English:
Then when the steam arose
Lenape:
Na ènta na ehòlèk àspihëleyu
English:
the man jumped into it.
Lenape:
na ìka tëlakihëla naka lënuwa.
English:
He went in the direction where those
Lenape:
Na ènta pèchi pètuxweyu ènta nèki
English:
thunder beings live.
Lenape:
awènik pèthakhuweyok wikihtit.
English:
Oh, they all "made over" the man.
Lenape:
O, wèmi awèn pahòkòlao naka lënuwa.
English:
That one told him, "I am glad because you came here
Lenape:
Luwe, "Nulelìntàm èli paan yushe tali
English:
where we live, and soon we will eat.
Lenape:
wikinèn, òk xulënìti xu këmitsinèn.
English:
Oh, everyone shook hands with that man. Finally when it got to be evening,
Lenape:
O, wèmi ànkunsu naka lënuwa. Xantki ènta lòkwik,
English:
the thunder beings began to gather bones.
Lenape:
talëmi maehëmëneyo xkàna nèki pèthakhuweyok.
English:
They ate them when they made soup.
Lenape:
Na mwitsineyo ènta manituhtit kshitay.
English:
He said, "That soup, oh it looked good.
Lenape:
Luwe hùnt, "Në kshitay o,wëlinakòt në kshitay.
English:
Those beings had eaten it before
Lenape:
Nèki awènik mihëmichineyo
English:
whenever they ate. The bones,
Lenape:
ènta mitsihtit. Nèl xkàna,
English:
oh, they were wrinkled and dry and white,
Lenape:
o, pisëleyo òk kaxkteyo òk òpeyo,
English:
and the bones were old." The one
Lenape:
xuweyo èt mah nèl xkàna." Na kwëti
English:
old being told the man,
Lenape:
hilusës èt mah nàn lutëlao
English:
the man, "You people might hear us sometimes."
Lenape:
naka lënuwa, pwëntaihëmo èt wixkaochi.
English:
Soon after the old being said that he heard them a little,
Lenape:
Na ènta na hilusës kèku èluwèt mahtìti pëntaksu,
English:
but when those young thunder beings
Lenape:
shëk ènta nèk wësksichik pèthakhuweyok
English:
make a loud noise they are heard
Lenape:
xahi kèku luweyok ènta pëntahsihtit
English:
when it is going to rain. After the man
Lenape:
ènta kahta sukëlànk. Xantki na lënu
English:
had visited the thunder beings for several days,
Lenape:
kèxukwëni kiikàmaok nèki pèthakhuweyok,
English:
he told them, "Now I wil be going home."
Lenape:
xantki tëlao nèl awènik, "Mèchi xu nëmachihëna [nëmachi].
English:
Then when a little cloud floated by near where he was standing
Lenape:
Na ènta na këmhòkwtët pèmihëlak kixki nipay
English:
he jumped onto it. Then the man went home
Lenape:
na ìka tëlakihëlën. Na mòchin naka lënuwa
English:
he notified everyone and they held a council. He said, "Here is what was told to us
Lenape:
wehumasu achimàlsahtit. Tëlao, "Shè ta na kèku ntëlkuna
English:
by the thunder beings." Everyone was surprised
Lenape:
nèki pèthakhuweyok." Wèmi awèn kanshelìntàm
English:
when the man told the story.
Lenape:
ènta achimwit naka lënuwa.
English:
That is all I can remember of what
Lenape:
Nal në shëk nkàski mëshatàm nek
English:
my relatives of long ago told me.
Lenape:
elànkumàkik lòmwe ntëlkune.
More Traditional Stories
Na Òkwës Òk Na Chëmamës Achimëwakàn
Këkhìtkil Hùnt Na Xanikw
Nushhùkòwën Ta Ni
Wèwtënëwèsi Achimëwakàn
Xkweyok Enta Naxkuhëmënt Enta Këntkahtit
Xkweyok Enta Naxkuhëmunt Enta Këntkahtit - 2