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Lenape Talking Dictionary

By English WORD or PHRASE

By Lenape WORD or PHRASE

Nsùkwis Nshinkalùkw

My Mother-in-Law Hates Me . . . Told by Martha Ellis to Nora Thompson Dean, Bruce Pearson, and Jim Rementer in 1977. Martha was a member of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma (now the Delaware Nation). The same story was told in English to William Newcomb about 1955 by James H. Thompson.
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English:
I want to talk about what some people now departed did a long time ago,
Lenape:
Yukwe nkata ahkënutëmen në èlsihtit hùnt lòmëwe awènikahke,
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English:
the older folks. They had a daughter, a young woman.
Lenape:
khikayàk. Ahpiyo hùnt tònëwaa, skixkwe,
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English:
it is said that eventually the young woman married someone, a young man.
Lenape:
Hùnt xantki awèni wëlahële na skixkwe, skìnu.
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English:
It is said that the old one did not like her son-in-law; she hated him.
Lenape:
Na hùnt na kìkay ta ku hùnt ahi winkalaio nèl nòtunamako; wshinkalaa.
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English:
Then the young man knew that his mother-in-law hated him.
Lenape:
Na na skìnu uwatun tëli shikalkwën wsùkwisa.
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English:
He was sad. So then (that being the case) he went walking around at the edge of the brush
Lenape:
Mahchatènamu hùntànkw na hùntànkw tëli-ayahpamskan shaohwe nën.
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English:
near the lake, he walked by there it is said.
Lenape:
kèxiti në mënëpèkunk, në pwëpamskan hùntànkw.
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English:
Oh, the young man was in a quandary. He thought, "I wish my mother-in-law wouldn't treat me that way!
Lenape:
E, kwila hùntàkw lelëntàm na skìnu. Litehè hùnt, "Kwëlaha ta mata në ntëlihkuwën nsùkwis.
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English:
I love her daughter, I love them all, I want to try to help them!" he said.
Lenape:
Ntahola nèl tòna, ntaholaok wèmi, nkata kwchi wichëmaok!" luwe hùnt.
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English:
Then again the next morning he went there, then went to where they always got water.
Lenape:
Na hùnt nèli làpi òpànke làpi nanë tòn, nanë wële tòn èhèhèli mpi natamihtit hùnt.
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English:
There was a spring there at the lake, that the old one always got water. That is where the young man went.
Lenape:
Thëpèkw në hate mënëpèkw, na në tihëlilaman na khìkay. Na në tòn na skìnu.
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English:
Then when the young man got there, all at once a person approached. Oh, everything that he had on was very yellow;
Lenape:
Na hùnt ènta në an na skìnu, kèku hùnt wa awèn peyat. E, wëli wisae wèmi kèku ika ètakw.
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English:
He had on hide leggings and he had something green he was wearing on his neck.
Lenape:
Xèsii kakuna ika hatu òk àskàskwe yukwe yushe tëli hùkwenin hùnt.
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English:
He said to him, "What's the matter, my son, it seems like you are sad?"
Lenape:
Tëluwèn na, "Kèku hàch tëlsi nkwis, alàhshi a ta ksàkhòtènami?"
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English:
"Oh, I really am sad because my mother-in-law hates me!" he said.
Lenape:
"O, khìchii ta nsàkhòtènami èli nsùkwis nshinkalùkw," luwe hùnt.
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English:
That is the reason I am walking around." Then he told him,
Lenape:
"Na yukwe në shè hànkw nëwënchi ayahpamskan hànkw." Na hùnt tëlkwën,
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English:
"I will help you! She will love you!
Lenape:
"Ni ta xu kwichëmel, ktahòlùkw xu.
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English:
Now then you must come back, you must come very early tomorrow morning, while it is still dark."
Lenape:
Na yukwe kwëtki xu, xu alàpaiti xu kpa, kwiakwi piske."
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English:
Then the young man did that. The next day he went there again.
Lenape:
Na hùnt nanë tënëmën na skìnu. Opànke làpi nanë tòn.
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English:
Then he told him, "Now I want to show you what you must do."
Lenape:
Na hùnt tëlkwën, "Yukwe ta nkata wëntamulën xu wèlaihòsiàn.
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English:
He told the young man, "Go and peel
Lenape:
Tëlao hùnt nèl skìnuwa, "Këmay kènu pòthòò kènu
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English:
off the elm tree, the elm tree
Lenape:
lokanahunshi, nèl lokanahunshi.
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English:
When you make straps and let them hang down. Then tie them
Lenape:
ènta kènu shëhkayuwik kpaxakënëmën nalch na kwëtënëmën ènta
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English:
Then you must take them where they hang down
Lenape:
chichilukehi shèshèhëlak nèl na hùnt
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English:
then you must tie them together and then you must make a ball," he told him.
Lenape:
na hùnt ktahònhùkòptuna, nalch këmanihan pahsahikàn," tëlao hùnt.
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English:
"Then we will do it when you get here tomorrow evening
Lenape:
"Na ktënëmënèn xu kpaana alàpa lòkwike
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before anyone comes to get water," he said.
Lenape:
ta chich awèn mpi natamu," luwe hùnt.
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English:
So the next day he went there when it got to be evening that is the way they did.
Lenape:
Na làpi òpànke na në tòn ènta lòkwik na hùnt në tënëmëneyo.
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English:
It was already dark when he went there, and that one was standing there again.
Lenape:
Mèchi kìshi piske hùnt ika tòn, kèku wàn làpi nipait.
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English:
He had placed everything there that he wanted to use.
Lenape:
Mèchi ta hùnt tohalehòn wëlituneyo nëni kèta hnakatink.
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English:
Then he picked up that bark which he had
Lenape:
Na hùnt ènta wètënëmënèn ènta òhshàkayuwik
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English:
peeled from that willow, or rather,
Lenape:
nèl pohathòwoo nèl nushemakw, shëmuch kènu
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English:
elm. Then he told him, "Now we will leave
Lenape:
lokanahunshi. Na hùnt tëluwèn, "Yukwe ta yushe punitiwënèn
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English:
this and we will make several balls from it," he said. Then they finished fixing it.
Lenape:
kèxàch manihahëna pahsahikana yu wënchi," luwe hùnt. Na hùnt në tòneyo
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English:
they finished fixing it he told the man,
Lenape:
kìshi wëlituneyo na tëluwèn na lënu
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English:
Then he said, "Then you say,
Lenape:
Na hùnt tëluwèn, "Nàch ki ktëluwèn,
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English:
'Really, it is true, it is true!'" he said
Lenape:
"Kìchi, na në le, na në le." luwe hùnt.
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English:
Then that other one told the man to say,
Lenape:
Na hùnt làpi takok kwëti tëlao lënu tëlao hùnt,
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"You will die, you will die!" he said. Then he said
Lenape:
"Ihànkël, ihànkël!" luwe hùnt. Na hùnt tëluwèn,
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English:
She threw her bucket away and she ran back home very quickly.
Lenape:
Ikali hùnt tëlahèna tahusa kwëtahkixin tëki machhatahkihële.
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English:
She said, "I really don't hate my little son-in-law!"
Lenape:
Luwe hùnt, "Taku ta shinkala natunamakwtët.
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English:
"I think very highly of him!", she said. "What did you
Lenape:
Nëmaxinkwelëma," luwe hùnt. Tò tàch ktëlituneyo na
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with my little son's leggings? I want to soften them
Lenape:
na nkwitët kòkuna nkata ta tòkënëmëna
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English:
and his shoes that he always wears,
Lenape:
òk mòchipahko ika èhatakwën nkëme
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English:
they always did that long ago she softened the things which
Lenape:
ènta tëlënëmëneyo lòmwe tòkënëmaon awèn
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her son-in-law would wear
Lenape:
nòtunamako kèku èkwilit
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and use, and the shoes he put on,
Lenape:
wënchi kàski làpi ikahatun kèku ènta chipahkwèt.
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that is what that little old one did. Then he (the other man) told him
Lenape:
Na tënënëmën na kiketët. Na hùnt tëlao hùnt
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English:
"Now after what we have done she will never again hate you.
Lenape:
"Mèchi yukwe she xu ktënëmënèn ta chich kshinkalku hùnt.
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English:
Now then, you will see us the way we really look
Lenape:
Na yukwe ta kneihëna èlinakwsiènkw hùnt
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English:
Then when he looked at him again, here he was a bullfrog,
Lenape:
Na ènta làpi pënaot kèku èt ma wa xànthane,
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English:
both of them were bullfrogs
Lenape:
èlii nèk xànthanèyok nèk.
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English:
Now the one jumped back into the water.
Lenape:
Na yukw na kwëti ktëki mpink lakihëleyunkahke hùnt.
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English:
Oh, if ever she doesn't like her son-in-law,
Lenape:
E, ènta ku chich wshinkalaio nèl natunamako,
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English:
then they said, then we will help you again!"
Lenape:
na hùnt tëluwèneyo, na làpi shè ktëli wichëmëlënèn."