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Lenape Talking Dictionary

By English WORD or PHRASE

By Lenape WORD or PHRASE

Xkweyok Enta Naxkuhëmunt Enta Këntkahtit - 2

Origin of the Delaware Woman Dance - Part Two . . . Told by Lillie Hoag Whitehorn (1902 - 1994) to Bruce Pearson and Jim Rementer in 1977. Lillie was a member of the Delaware Tribe of Western Oklahoma (now The Delaware Nation), and she was half Caddo.
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English:
Then the man went back and got his little son and carried him. They left
Lenape:
Na ktëki hùnt na lënu hùnt na tòlëmuxòlan na kwitëta. Na alëmskeyok
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English:
they went to where his relatives lived, and he went to tell them.
Lenape:
nèkao eyok èlànkumachi wikhatihtit, na mòy luwèn.
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English:
They then all notified each other at that place. The chief was notified and all the people, and
Lenape:
Na wèmi yu tali wehumawtin hùnt. Na na sakima wèhumao, òk
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all the people. Then
Lenape:
wèmi awèn lan. Na hùnt kènu
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they held a council. They went after the deceased woman
and brought her. The deceased one
Lenape:
na achimulsahtuwàk hùnt. Na nalan naka xkweyo na pèshëwan. Kèku èt ma waka
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was really burned when she was struck by the thunders.
Lenape:
wëli lusëwa ènta ìka alahukuk nèl pèthakhuweyo.
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Then they had a council. They were surprised
Lenape:
Na hùnt kènu na achimulsuwàk hunt. Na hùnt kanshelìntàmuk
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because she was struck by those thunders.
Lenape:
èli alahukuk nèl pèthakhuweyo.
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thunders. One man said, "I could back bring her," he said.
Lenape:
Na hùnt na kwëti lënu luwe hùnt, "Ntèpi a ni ktëki pèshëwa," luwe hùnt.
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The man said, "I know what I could do to bring her back."
Lenape:
Kwëti na lënu luwe hùnt, "Nuwatun ni a ènëmën wënchi a ktëki pèshëwan."
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Then he said, "But for four days
Lenape:
Na luwe hùnt, "Shëk neyukwëni xu
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for four days I will be gone. I am going to the east.
Lenape:
neyukwëni xu nsakhakèn. Xu wënchi opànk nta.
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English:
I will hold this little gourd rattle. This is what I will hold," he said.
Lenape:
Xu nkënëm kènu shuhòhòktët. Nal xu na nkënëmën," luwe hùnt.
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"Then if that woman is to be brought back
Lenape:
"Na pèshëwàke na xkwe ktëki pèshëwàte
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you will hold a dance, you will have a dance," he said.
Lenape:
nèch këmanituhëmo li mawhwin, mawhwinch," luwe hùnt.
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He said, "All the women will be two at a time behind each other.
Lenape:
"Wèmìch," luwe hùnt, "nihënisha nek xkweyok tèkawtuwàk.
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Then those old women will lead and the two will lead." he said.
Lenape:
Na kìkuwi nek xkweyok nàlch nèk nisha nikàniyok," luwe hùnt.
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"Then when the women are in fours we will see that woman," he said,
Lenape:
"Na yushe," luwe hùnt, "alàshi a èluwèt newëna na xkwe
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when the women are in fours we will see that woman
on the fourth [day]," he said,
Lenape:
ènta newihtit nàlch na newa na yukwe naka nàni," luwe hùnt,
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when he brings her back. "Then they will have a dance," he said, "the men will sing,
Lenape:
"ènta ktëki pèshëwat. Nàlch mahuwàk mawhwin," luwe hùnt, "asuwàk nèk lënuwàk,
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and the women will dance in a circle," he said. "Then when they have this dance
Lenape:
na nèk xkweyok òkakeyok," luwe hùnt. "Na ènta mawhwihtit, na yushe ènta
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for four times at night," he said, "she will be there, she will be there, that will be her."
Lenape:
newën ènta piskèk," luwe hùnt, "xu ìka wìchi, ìka wìchi xu, nal xu nàn.
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The man will carry his little son, " he said.
Lenape:
Nàch na lënu kwënao nèl kwitëta," luwe hùnt.
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"Then when the woman steps aside she will tell her husband,'Give-me that our-little-son.'
Lenape:
"Na hùnt na pàxke na xkwe na xu tëlao nèl witaemachi,
'Mili na kwitëtëna.'
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Don't try to give him to her,"
Lenape:
Kàchi kahta milahich," luwe hùnt.
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he said, "because if he hands him to her she will never return, and she will take him to where
Lenape:
"èli ìka lënamawtèch na ta chich kwëtkënaio xu chimi tòlëmuxòlao
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where a person goes forever," he said, "Then don't anyone cry," he said.
Lenape:
wëntahkwi awèn eyat," luwe hùnt. Na kàchi kahta awèn melimwihich," luwe hùnt.
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he said. "If anyone cries he will ruin it and I can never bring her back.
Lenape:
"Awèn mëlimwite pòlitun nëni, na ta chich nkàski ktëki.
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He will ruin it for me, and in the future I cannot bring anyone back."
Lenape:
Mpalitakwën, na xu ènta ktëki awèn kàski pèshëwàk."
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Then he said, "You all have a dance!" It really happened [the dance].
Lenape:
Na luwe hùnt, "Këmawhwihëmòch ta." Na hùnt kìchi hùnt na në le.
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Then they had held a dance for four days.
Lenape:
Na yu ènta neyukwënàkàt hùnt mawhwin hùnt.
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On the fourth day when it was night the woman returned and there
Lenape:
Na yu newën ènta piskèk nèka wìchi na xkwe ktëki pè èt ma
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with the people she danced, she danced with those women when they danced.
Lenape:
ìka wìchi witke, ìka wìchi këntke nèk xkweyok ènta këntkahtit.
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Then she saw her husband, and she stepped to one side.
Lenape:
Na wëneyòn hùnt na witaemachi, na pòxkèn hùnt.
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She told him, "Give me our little son. I love him, my little son, I want to see him."
Lenape:
Na tëlan hùnt, "Mili na kwitëtëna. Ntahola na nkwitët, nkata neyo."
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The man tightly held onto his son.
Lenape:
Na hùnt na lënu chitani kwënao na kwisa.
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While they were doing that [dancing]
Lenape:
Nèli na lënamihtit luwe hùnt
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an old man who lived separately came toward them.
Lenape:
kèku èt ma na hilusës wëntahkwi hùnt pali wiku na hilusës hùnt.
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He was not often there among the people, he was always separate.
Lenape:
Ku tëmiki ìka wìchi awènike, nkëme pali.
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He came there and he said, "Grandchild,"
Lenape:
Na hùnt ìka pòn, na hùnt tëluwèn, "Nuxwitët,"
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and he began to cry. He said, "Grandchild, you have truly
come back. I am glad to see you."
Lenape:
hùnt tòlëmi mëlimwin. Luwe hùnt, "Nuxwitët, kehëla èt ma ki ktëki kpa. Nulelìntàm newëlàn," hùnt.
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When he did that, when he told his granddaughter that
Lenape:
Na ènta në lënink, ènta në lat nèl uxwisa,
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then that deceased woman disappeared. She was not seen again, never was there again.
Lenape:
na naka xkweyo ta èt ta hùnt. Ku chich nèhkwësi, ku chich ìka wìchi.
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Now this is where it comes from when they have
Lenape:
Na hùnt yukwe nëshè ènta mahwin nëni wënchixën
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the Delaware Woman Dance. This then is the length of the story.
Lenape:
në Lënapei xkweyok ènta naxkuhëmunt hùnt. Na nëshè shëk nkàski sakawchimwin.
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English:
This is what I heard from my late mother and grandmother when they told stories.
Lenape:
Na na ntihëlëstàmën waka nkahèsa òk nuhëma ènta achimwihtit.
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We are better! Here Lillie sings a portion of a Woman Dance which contains the words Alëwi kiluna - We are better, in responsorial singing with the men singers. The rest of the song is vocables..
Lenape:
Alëwi kiluna!