Lenape Tribe Seal

Lenape Talking Dictionary

By English WORD or PHRASE

By Lenape WORD or PHRASE

Na Chëmamës Elëwènsit

The One Called Rabbit . . . Told by Martha Ellis to Ives Goddard in 1966. Martha was a member of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma (now the Delaware Nation).
Sound Icon
Sound Icon
English:
Athiluhakàn hùnt chëmamës lòmëwe xeleli ehathiluhèt
Lenape:
A story about Rabbit, who used to make a lot of stories long ago.
Sound Icon
English:
When animals had a council long ago, they would have a council and talk about something.
Lenape:
Na hunt maehëhahtit lòmëwe aèsësàk, maehëleyàk hùntùnkw, ahkënutëmuk kèku.
Sound Icon
English:
Every kind of animal, including deer and buffalo.
Lenape:
Wèm elinakwsit aèsësàk, òk ahtuhuk òk sisiliyeyàk
Sound Icon
English:
Then Rabbit would be asked, “What’s the matter with you?
Lenape:
Na hùntànkw lan chëmamës, “Kèku hàch ki ktëlsi?
Sound Icon
English:
Your shoulder blades really stick way out when you sit down?”
Lenape:
Kehëla hànkw kena nèk khòpikònàk ahi sakixinuk ènta lëmatahpiyàn?”
Sound Icon
English:
He said, “That’s right, I had two wives long ago.
Lenape:
Luwe hùnt, “Ahëkta kehëla; nisha mah xkweyok nulhala lòmëwe.
Sound Icon
English:
I used to sleep between them.
Lenape:
Lelai hànkw nkawi, nani she kena
Sound Icon
English:
That’s why when I used to sleep they really crowded me up, that’s why my shoulders are like that.
Lenape:
ènta kawiya ntahi tahchikakok nàni wùnchi linakwsineyo kena nhòpikònàk.
Sound Icon
English:
And they asked him again, “How come those ears of yours are so long?”
Lenape:
Na hùnt lapi lan, “Kèku hàch wùnchi nèlshe khitaoka ahi ahkòneya.
Sound Icon
English:
He said, “Well, I was a chief’s messenger, long ago.
Lenape:
Luwe hùnt, “Kena ta ni pùchël lòmëwe.
Sound Icon
English:
I would be made a chief’s messenger all the time.
Lenape:
Mpùchëlahalke nkëme hànkw.
Sound Icon
English:
“I delivered some messages to all these different kinds of animals,” he said.
Lenape:
Ntëluxòhtun kèku aptunakàn òk she wèmhàki èlinakwsichik aèsësàk,”
Sound Icon
English:
That is what the one called Rabbit said.
Lenape:
Luwe hùnt, na yukwe nëshe tëlëwèn hùnt na chëmamës èlëwènsit.
Sound Icon
English:
He said, “That’s really true.
Lenape:
Luwe hùnt, “Khichi ta nàni le.
Sound Icon
English:
That’s how come my ears are long, so that I will hear anything well.
Lenape:
Nani wënchi kèna nhitaòka ahkòneya, èli hànkw ahi këlëstama kèku.
Sound Icon
English:
I don’t want to miss hearing anything.
Lenape:
Ku nkata palëstamu kèku.
Sound Icon
English:
because I want to deliver (the message) to them, to animals of every kind, when the chief hires me, when he makes me his messenger.
Lenape:
èli nkata ika luxohtaòòk, wèmi elinakwsit aèsës, washe sakima ènta alukalit ènta pùchëlahalit.
Sound Icon
English:
That’s the reason why I would want to hear things well.”
Lenape:
Na yukwe nëshe nëwùnchi hànkw kahta ahi këlëstamën kèku.
Sound Icon
English:
That’s why his ears are long, because he always wanted to hear things well.
Lenape:
Nani wùnchi hùnt ahkòneyo nèl she hwitaoka, èli hànkw ahi kahta këlësànk kèku.”
Sound Icon
English:
When the animals would assemble in council, they would talk about when they hide from people.
Lenape:
Na hùnt ènta ma ehëlahtit hùntànkw òk aèsësàk, ahkënutëmëneyo hùntankw ènta kèna kònshiphahtit awèni.
Sound Icon
English:
The buffalo said, it’s hard for us, because we’re big.
Lenape:
Luwe hùnt na sisiliye, “Ahòt niluna, èli nëmëmànkilhùmëna.
Sound Icon
English:
We have to flee to where there’s thick brush, and we are able to hide.
Lenape:
kënch kènu ènta ahi ahwèk lësimwiyenke kënch niluna nkàski kànchixinhùmëna.
Sound Icon
English:
And that deer said the same.
Lenape:
Luwe hùnt òk na ahtu
Sound Icon
English:
And then the rabbit jumped up. He said,
Lenape:
na hùnt na chëmamës pòskwiphatun. Luwe hùnt,
Sound Icon
English:
“Well, for me, though, it’s easy to hide from anybody.
Lenape:
“E, ni xane apëwat, ntëli a kena kònshiphan awèn.
Sound Icon
English:
On the hillside, in the grass, all I have to do is make a hole, and that’s where I back in.
Lenape:
Nani she èli pënaònkèk ènta skikwikèk, sèki olheya, nàni she ntëli ahshakchèin.
Sound Icon
English:
That’s how I hide from anybody. Sometimes someone comes close by, and he doesn’t see me,” said that rabbit.
Lenape:
Nani shè ntëli kònshiphan awèn. Tamse nëkhùkwitit pëmëske awèn, taku neykuu,” luwe hunt na chëmamës.