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Lenape Talking Dictionary

By English WORD or PHRASE

By Lenape WORD or PHRASE

Mwekaneyok òk Tëmeyok

The Dogs and the Wolves . . . Told by Nora Thompson Dean in May 1976 to Carrie Briggs, a student of linguistics in Bruce Pearson's class at the University of South Carolina. Interestingly, this story theme appears in many tribes' folklore in various forms as a way to explain why dogs smell each other when they meet.
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English:
Today I want to tell and old story about the dogs and wolves.
Lenape:
Yushè kishkwik nkata xuachimwi - mwekaneyok òk tëmeyok.
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English:
It has long been known that wolves and dogs hate each other.
Lenape:
Lòmwe nòchi wahkòt yuki tëmeyok òk mwekaneyok shinkaltuwàk.
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and when they see each other they want to fight.
Lenape:
ènta nèwtihtit mathakeyok.
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English:
Once a long time ago a dog, supposedly an old dog, said,
Lenape:
Kwëtën èt mah kwëti mwekane, kikexàm èt mah, luwe,
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"All right, let's hold a council meeting - there at that council house,
Lenape:
"Nëpèhta achimulsahtihënuk - shè në tali achimulsikaon,
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and near the council house door there will be a little basket.
Lenape:
òk kixki në achimulsikaon skonteyunk hate tànkhakànëtët.
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English:
That is the place we will gather." Then those dogs said,"Okay, that will be it."
Lenape:
Nal në tali maehëlanèn." Luweyok nèki mwekaneyok, "Yuh, nal ta nën."
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Then when they came there to the council house
Lenape:
Na ènta pahtit achimulsikaonink tali,
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the old dog said, "You all should now detach your things,
Lenape:
Luwe na kikexàm, "Këchkënëmuk kwèkunëmëwo,
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and there is the little basket, and put your things in there
Lenape:
shè la shè në tànkhakànëtët, ikàch na ktëlanihineyo kèkunëmëwo
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because in the council house it is pure, everything is well arranged and pure."
Lenape:
èli na achimulsikaonink pilët, wèmi kèku wëlixën òk pilët."
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Then when those dogs came to that little basket
Lenape:
Na ènta nèk mwekaneyok pahtit në tànkhakànëtëtink
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they detached their things and they put them into the little basket
Lenape:
wëchkënëmëneyo na kwèkunëmëwoo ika talanihineyo na tànkhakànëtët.
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Then they all went one by one into the
Lenape:
Na ènta wèmi nènkwëti ahpihtit në shè
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into the council house. There was also a fire in that house.
Lenape:
achimulsikaonink tali. Tëntay òk hatè në wikwahëmink tali.
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Then when everyone was well seated, they were seated in a circle, then all at once
Lenape:
Na ènta kìshi wèmi wëlàpihtit, òkànkwèpuwàk, na wixkaochi
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the long-waisted dog arose because it has long been known
Lenape:
pòskwin na kwënahakwchat chëminkw èli lòmwe nòchi wahkòt
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that the long-waisted dog is smart.
Lenape:
tëli na kwënahakwchat chëminkw tëli lëpwein.
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Then the long-waisted dog stood up and held a little stick in his hand
Lenape:
Na nipu na kwënahakwchat chëminkw hìtùkwtët këlënëm
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because it seemed like it helped him when he stood.
Lenape:
alàshi wichëmùkwën ènta nipait.
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The long-waisted dog then began to talk and he said,
Lenape:
Tòlëmtunhèn na kwënahakwchat chëminkw luwè,
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"My fellow dogs, we all know that we are afraid of
Lenape:
"Mwèkanèwtuk, kuwatunèn tëli kòxawënanàk
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those wolves. What should we all do now?
Lenape:
nèki tëmeyòk. Kèku hàch xu ktëlsahtihënuk mèchi?
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If anyone wants to say some of his ideas I will be glad for what he has to say."
Lenape:
Enta awèn kahta luwèt kèku nulelìntàm a kèku ènta awèn kèku luwèt."
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Then when he finished saying that the little dog sat down.
Lenape:
Na ènta kìshi kèku luwèt na chëminkwtët lëmatahpu.
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Then all at once a mongrel dog stood up and he said, "that is so,
Lenape:
Na wixkaochi lënxàm nipai, luwè, "Nal ta nën,
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we will fight those wolves whenever we see them."
Lenape:
mathakawënanàk nèki tëmeyok ènta neyoke.”
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Then when he finished saying that suddenly a big wolf stuck his head in the doorway,
Lenape:
Na ènta në kìshi luwèt wixkaochi na xinkwtëme sakhùkwè skonteyunk,
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he had sharp teeth and he growled. Those dogs were all very frightened.
Lenape:
ahkinanikè òk lùkwixin. Nèki mwekaneyok wishas'hatuwàk.
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Some barked, some howled. They wanted to flee
Lenape:
Alënte mëkikeyok, alënte wehuluk. Kahta èt mah shimëwàk.
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Then when they came to the doorway they fell all over each other and
Lenape:
Na ènta skontenk ènta pahtit këkëlikawtuwàk òk
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everything got scattered. Then the dog yelled at them, and said
Lenape:
wèmi kèku ahasehële. Na na kwënahakchat chëminkw lòxkàmao, luwe
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"You all stop, you all stop!" but it was for nothing.
Lenape:
"Nahkihëlakw, nahkihëlakw!" shëkw nuchkwe.
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Then when they got out of the building they picked up their things
Lenape:
Na ènta kchihtit wètënëmëneyo nèl kwèkunëmëwo
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from the basket there. Then they all fled into the big forest.
Lenape:
tànkhakànink tali. Na tòlëmshimwineyo ènta xinkwi shinkèk.
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They were frightened, then that those dogs just any thing
Lenape:
Wishas'hatuwàk na nahkoi nèk mwèkaneyok
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of those things they picked up and put them on their bodies,
Lenape:
wètënëmuk nèl kwèkunëmëwoo, ikahatuneyo wtuhwèpiyëmink,
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That is the reason the elders say that even until now
Lenape:
Nal në wënchi luweyok yuki kìkayàk ili yukwe
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when these dogs meet each other
Lenape:
ènta yuki mwekaneyok kiskawtihtit
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they start to smell each other, they are looking for their own thing.
Lenape:
alëmi kwsiàntëluwàk, nòtunëmëneyo nihëlàchi kwèkunëmëwoo.
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English:
I heard this story long ago.
Lenape:
Lòmwe mpihpëntamën yushè achimëwakàn.
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English:
This is what I was told by my late mother.
Lenape:
Nal në shè ntëlkenèp naka nkahèsa.