Hočąk Syllabic Text — First Contact

Hočąk Text — First Contact

interlinear text by Richard L. Dieterle

Stylistic Features

hapaxlegomena: 'ųnigigi, "to land"; hawašu, "to pour on something"; hehere, "he was" (emphatic reduplication of the first syllable ?); skara, "the whites" used to denote white people; waruwuč, "to pour (rub ?) on someone" (cf. the stem wu, to apply pressure); wawanąk, "to be victorious"; wonąk, "to shake"; wošgara, "honors".

rare words: hokisa, "battle", attested only by Jipson; kipahi, "to be sharp"; ta, "to ask for", attested only by Marino; warujox, "to make something explode" (attested only in Seboek); wogita, wogit'a, "to ask, tell, them".

frequent use of -ke, "often".

the use of a very odd construction: kanąknįžą, "a not-to-marry" ("not having made a marriage"); similarly, hiruxurukižą, "an obtainer".

use of reduplication for emphasis: hehere, "he emphatically was"; hok'ųk'ų, "to give abundantly".

a strong preference for the full -kjanaheną over the contracted -kjaneną.

the use of hajire, "it is come (down)", in reference to a tradition.

the use of Mą'ųra rather than Mą’ųna for Earthmaker.

Words in brackets are those not found in the loose translation of Paul Radin (see below).

p. 1 —

Ao ttA Kse	K * liAi ni (?).	w Kdi K [...]s ‡	de e.	mo K doAotto ‡‡
H?očąkre	g[i]-pi[ni]†	wąkšik[-į]ra	žee	Mogašuč
[...]	they liked (?)	living (?)	[these]	Red Banks

*after the letter /K/ there is a dash followed slightly above the line by "#17". To the right of this is a large spot of ink, which may or may not cover further characters.
†this may be K[...] w K[o] liAi ni, "... spirits".
‡some syllables from the second line of this story are partly occluded due to ink spots and other damage to the top right corner of the manuscript.
‡‡there is a large superscripted "1" written to the right of the syllable /mo/.

ay se Ki di	e tt.	Ao ttAK	wi Ky se Ki di.	w KdiKi i ne de.
airegiži,	éja	Hočąk	wigairegiži,	wąkšik-įneže.
[as they say,]	[there]	["Hočąk"]	[as they called them,]	[they lived.]

A Ke	dKe.	wi so Ko	w d	A ni s ni de.
Hąké	ške	wirókų	wažą	haniranįže.
Not	[also]	tool	anything	they did not have.

m s.	m ttoKo s.	e Ki	di Ke.	leAe tti o.
Mąra	mąčgúra	égi	žigé	peji'ų
Arrows	bows	and	[again]	fire-starter

leAette	t e	Ai s n.	de de Ko	Ki s.
peč	tae	hiraną.	Žežegų	kira
[fire]	[to light]	they had.	[Thus]	[only]

Ai se de.	Ai Ke.	mr	wi so Ko	de rKe
hireže.	Hįké	mąz	wirókų	žesge
[they did.]	Not	iron	[tools]	[that kind]

w d	A ni s ni de.	i ni s.	Ai d.	mr
wažą	haniranįže.	Inira	hižą	mąz
[things]	they did not have.	Stones	[one of them]	iron

ni rKe.	A tty se	deKe	w K ttAK deAe	ay s n K.
nisge	hajaire	ške	wakąčąkše,	airánąga
like	they saw	[even]	it was holy,	they say, and

p. 2 —

t ni	Ao Ki do	Ai s n de.	t ni s.	di Ke
tani	hokižu	hiranaže.	Taníra	žigé
tobacco	[with it]	[it was.]	Tobacco	[again]

de e	A ni	w KidiKi i ne de.	e	w d
žee	hanį́	wąkšik-įneže.	E	wažą
that	to have	[they lived.]	It	[something]

ttAo ni s.	Ai Ki se se de.	e Ki.	A t Ki ntt tti s n K.	w K ttA Ki se de.
čonira	higirereže.	Égi	hataginąčiranąga	wakąčąkireže.
from the beginning	[it came to them.]	And	[they dreamt, and]	they were holy.

e Ki.	wo dK s.	Ai d.	xeAe te Ki di.	wK w doAo deAe s
Égi	wošgara	hižą	xetegiži,	wąkwašošera
And	honors	[one of them]	it was great,	a brave man

Ae se de.	e rKe.	Ki r s	dA n	oyi se de.
hereže.	Ésge	kisara	šana	'ųireže.
it was.	[For that reason]	[fighting]	only	they did.

tt tt n Ki di.	Aoyi diAili	Ki r K s Kttl nK ra de.		Al lK
Jająnągiži,	hoišip,	kisak	karakjąpnąks'aže.	Hąpak
Always,	at all times,	[killing]	they were always prepared.	[Every day]

p. 3 —

Ai K K.	w di tt Ai s.	Ai d	K s Kttl li s ni de.	e Ki.	di Ke.
hįkaga	wažįjahįra	hižą	karakjąpiranįže.	Égi	žigé
[never]	[anything else]	[one]	[they were not prepared.]	[And]	[again]

e dA n.	so xoAo soKo	n i nK deAe.	Ai d.	to ttA n K.
ešana	ruxuruk	na'įnąkše.	Hižą	točąnąga
[it alone]	[to accomplish]	[they tried.]	One	he went on the warpath, and

so A	tee Ai Ktte	de rKe	so Ko nK ra de.	e Ki.
rohą	t'ehikje,	žesge	rokonąks'aže.	Égi
many	he would kill,	[this way]	[he would be great.]	[And]

Ai d.	A t Ki ntt Ki di.	so A xitti n Ki di.	Al	so A xitti	Ai Ke
hižą	hataginąčgiži,	rohąxjįnagiži,	hąp	rohąxjį	hiké
[one]	[if he dreamt,]	[if he did much,]	day	very many	not

w so ttiniy n K.	e Ki.	t ni	wo Ki do Ke Ki di.	w xoAo liAi ni
waručnįanąga	égi	tani	wogižukegiži,	waxopį́nį
he did not eat, and	[then]	tobacco	if he offered it often,	spirits

p. 4 —

w s tt[i] se.	n tto tty se Ki di.	de e.	Ao Ki ry tt.	Ai Ke
waráj[i]re	nąjojaįgiži,	žee	hokisaija	hįké
[the various ones]	if they blessed him,	[this one]	in battle	not

tee Ai Ai se	A liAini n Ki.	Ai leAe se ri se Ke.	de de rKe	Ai s.
t'ehihire	hapinįnąki,	hiperezirege.	Žežesge	hira,
they kill him	[it would not be easy ?],	they knew it.	This sort	they did,

so K n	w oyi se ra de.	di Ke.	w Ki Ko Ke	Ai se de.
rokana	wa'ųires'aže.	Žigé	wagigoke	hireže.
[much]	[they would do it.]	[Again]	to give feasts often	they did.

Ai d	w Ki Ko Ki di.	w xoAo liAi ni	w s tti se.	t ni
Hižą	wagigogiži,	waxopį́nį	warajire	tani
[One]	if he gave feasts,	spirits	[the various ones]	tobacco

Ao Ki do Ki di.	rA ni Ki.	w lA Ai s.	Ki lA Ai Ktte	t nK dAe.
hokižugiži,	sanįki	wapahira	kipahikje	tanąkše.
if he offers,	[one side]	their weapons	they will be sharp	they asked for.

p. 5 —

rA ni Ki	w tee Ai Ktte	w K nK deAe.	e rKe	w Ki Ko Ke s
Sanįki	wat'ehikje	wakanąkše.	Ésge	wagigokera
[One side]	[they will kill them]	[they meant.]	That is why	to give feasts often

so K n	Ai se ra de.	Ki r s.	w w n Kette	a n K
rokana	hires'aže.	Kisara	wawanąkje,	ánąga
many	they would do.	[Fighting]	they will be victorious,	[and]

w o nK n de.	w Ki Ko n Ki.	w xoAo liAi ni.	w s tti se.	t ni
wa'ųnąknąže.	Wigigonągi,	waxopį́nį	warajire	tani
[they would do it.]	[If they give feasts,]	[spirits]	[the various ones]	[tobacco]

Ao Ki do n K.	wo n xi se	Ai so K n s.	wi K nK deAe.	de e
hokižunąga	Wonaǧire	Hirokanara	wiganąkše.	Žee
[they offered, and]	War	[the Controllers]	[they would call upon.]	[That]

p. 6 —

e tt	de rKe	Ao Koo Ai se Ki di.	so Ko n K	de rKe
éja	žesge	hok’ųhiregiži,	rokonąka	žesge
[there]	[that kind]	[after they gave it,]	[the great ones]	[this way]

Ao Koo Ai se Ktt n Ae Ke	w o nK dAe.	w Ki Ko n Kse.
hok'ųhirekjanahege,	wa'ųnąkše,	[wagigonąkre.]
if they would bless,	[they did it,]	[the feasts.]

At this point in the story the narrator inserted the Tobacco Origin Myth, Version 1 (q.v.). It is omitted here. For the Hočąk text, see Hočąk Syllabic Text — Tobacco Origins Myth, Version 1.

p. 14 —

e Ki.	A Ko seyi d.	te n tte tt	w di d.	A tti
Égi	hagoreižą,	teną́jeja	wažį́žą	haji
Then	[in the course of time,]	in the middle of the lake	something	to come

A xele deAe.	Green Bay *	te	e tt.	Ai ttAe tte tt
haxepše.	Green Bay	te	eja	hičejeja
it appeared.	Green Bay	lake	there	on the edge

*written in Latin cursive.

ttAi	w o nK deAe.	e tt	tteAe Kitti	w xoAo liAi ni s.
či	wa'ųnąkše.	Éja	čekjį	waxopinira
[lodge]	[it was it.]	[There]	[the first time]	[the spirits]

wi si tti se de.	m Ai xAe te s.	e Ki.	A Ko sey d.	a deKe
wirijireže,	Mąhixetera.	Égi	hagoreižą,	aške
[they came,]	[the Big Knives.]	[Then]	[finally,]	near

p. 15 —

A tti se de	w Kidi Kn Kese.	t ni	A ni s n K.	e Ki.
hajíreže.	Wąkšiknągere	tani	haniranąga	égi
they came.	[The men]	tobacco	they had, and	[then]

n li so x tts.	ttA A rK.	A ni s n K.	te	Ai tteAe tte tt
nąpiruxáčra	čahaska	haniranąga	te	hičejeja
the offerings	white deerskins	[they had, and]	lake	on the edge

A Ai	n di ne de.	e Ki.	A o ni xitti	Ai Ko so Ao
hahi	nąžįneže.	Égi	ha'ųnixjį	hikorohó
to go	they stood.	[Then]	about to land	to get ready

Ai se K tt.	Ai do Ks.	w Ke tt	A lA Ai	w so tto xi se de.
hiregają,	hižugra	wągéja	hapahi	warujoxireže.
when they were,	guns	above	towards	[they made them explode.]

w Kdi Kn Kse	w wi K s Ki	w oyi se de.	no ni Ke.	w KidiKi n Kese.
Wąkšiknągere	wawikaragi	wa'ųireže,	nunige	Wąkšiknągere
The Indians	to salute	they were doing it,	but	the Indians

p. 16 —

wy se de.	Ao Ao.	w K tt	w o nK dA n	ay se de.
waíreže,	"Hohó,	Wakąja	wa'ųnąkšaną,"	aíreže.
they said,	["Hohó,]	Thunderbirds	they are,"	[they said.]

Ai K K.	Ai do Koo	w n xoKo ni n Ki di.	e rKe.	w K tt
Hįkaga	hižuk'ų	wanaxguninagžiž,	ésge	Wakąja
Never	the report of a gun	they had not heard before,	that is why	Thunderbirds

wi s n i ne de.	w tts	o ni Ki Ki se Ki di.	n ls.	w Ki w A
wirana'įneže.	Wačra	'ųnigigiregiži,	nąpra	wagiwahą
they thought they were.	Their boats	after they had landed,	hands	to extend

Ai se Ki di	t ni	Ai tt	wo Ki do	Ai se ra de.
hiregiži,	tani	hija	wogižu	hires'aže.
after they did,	tobacco	there	to put	[they would do.]

n ls.	wo nK	n i	w o nK	no ni Ke.
Nąpra	wonąk	ną'į	wa'ųnąk,	nunige
Hands	to shake	to want	they did it,	but

Ai deKe.	w se ni K.	A ni n K	deKe	Ai Ke
hišgé	warenį́ka	haninąka,	ške	hįké
[indeed]	[whiteman]	[as he held it,]	[also]	not

p. 17 —

de rKe	Ai leAe se rini tte Ke.	tt Ko	o Ktte ni reKe de.	Ai Ko
žesge	hipereznįjege,	jagú	'ųkjenisgeže.	Higų
that	they did not know	what	he should do with it.	[Yet]

Ao t deKe.	w w Ki oy se de.	ttA lo ni A s.	t ni	w so wotto tti se de.
hotašgé	wawaki'ųireže,	čabónihára	tani	waruwujireže.
some	they put it on them,	the top of their heads	tobacco	they poured it on them.

wo n xi se	w Ki t	w o nK deAe.	w se ni K.	wo Ki ta *
Wonąǧire	wagita	wa'ųnąkše.	Warenį́ka	wogit'a
War	to ask	they did it.	[The whitemen]	to tell

*the terminal letter looks more like an /n/, but if it were, the spelling would not be coherent.

n i K dKe.	A Ke	se dKe	w d	de rK n ni de.
ną'įkaške,	hąké	rešge	wažą	žesganąnįže.
[they tried repeatedly,]	not	[even]	[anything]	[they could not do.]

A Ai.	w d s.	ttAo doKo ni	w o nK s.	w wi lAe se ri se Ki di.
Hahi	wažąra	čųšguni	wa'ųnąkra,	wawipereziregiži,
After awhile	[the things]	[perhaps to have]	[they were it,]	[they knew about them, and]

p. 18 —

mr	wi o	w Ki Ko ri se de.	w n K wy se de	deKe.
mąz	wi'ų	wagigųzireže.	Wanąkawaireže,	ške
ax	to use them	they taught them.	They were afraid of them,	[even]

e Ki.	w K ttAK	wi s n i n Ke.	di Ke.	Ai do Ki se Ki
égi	wakąčąk	wiraną'įnąke.	Žigé	hižukiregi
[then]	holy	as they thought.	Again	guns

dKe.	Ai o s.	w Ki Ko ri se de.	te e ttA	w K ttA Ki se d[e]
ške	hi'ųra	wagigųzireže.	Teečą	wakąčąkirež[e],
[also]	to use	they taught them.	[These indeed]	they were holy,

a nK deAe.	e tt.	Ai dKe	w se n[i] K.	w o de.
anąkše.	Éja	hišgé	waren[i]ka	wa'ųže,
[they said.]	[There]	[also]	[the whiteman]	[he did it,]

w Kono ni Ki d.	t n[i]	Ai Ki di.	ni	A w doAo de.
wąknunįkižą	tan[i]	higiži,	ni	hawašuže.
an old man	to smoke	as he did,	water	he poured on him.

p. 19 —

ta e nK deAe	e Ke.	tti	ni.	Ai Ke	t ni Ai
Taenąkše,	ege	ji	ni,	hįké	tanihi
It burned,	[as he thought,]	[to come]	[water,]	[not]	[he was smoking]

Ai leAe se ri s ni de	e tt.	Ke ni	t ni s.	Ai leAe se ri s ni de
hipereziranįže.	Éja	keni	taníra	hipereziranįže.
they did not know.	[There]	[before]	[smoking]	[before they knew.]

e Ki.	A Ai	o nK Koo	w o mK	ni rKe
Égi	hahi	'ųnąnk'ų	wa'ųmąk	nisge
[Then]	after awhile,	[finally,]	accustomed to them	[like]

Ai se de.	A Ai.	Ai do Kn K.	w wi o s.	w wi lAe se ri se de.
hireže.	Hahi	hižuknąka	wawi'ųra	wawiperezireže.
[they were.]	After awhile,	the guns	[the use of them]	[they knew about them.]

mr n K	deKe.	e tt.	di Ke.	w d
Mąznąka	šge	éja	žigé	wažą
Axes	[also]	[there]	[again]	[things]

p. 20 —

w wi Ki so ttA	Ai se de.	w A.	de rKe	w wi Ki so ttA
wawíkiručą́	hireže.	Wahá	žesge	wawíkiručą́
to trade	they did.	Furs	[that kind]	to trade

Ai se de.	Ai do Ks.	m rs.	m Ai s.	no ni Ke.
hireže,	hižukra,	mązra,	mąhira,	nunige
they did,	guns,	axes,	knives,	but

Ai Ko	w K ttA Ki se de	Ai s nK dAe.	e Ki.	A Ko sey d.
higų	wakąčąkireže,	hiranąkše.	Égi	hagoreižą,
still	they were holy,	[they thought.]	[Then]	[in time,]

Ai do Kn K.	w wi o s.	Ai leAe se ri se Ki di.	m dtt	Ki liAi se de.
hižuknąka	wawi'ųra	hipereziregiži,	mąšją	gipireže.
the guns	the use	they learned, and	very much	they liked.

e tt.	w o nK deAe.	A Ae se Ki	deKe.	leAe tto too Ai s n K.
Éja	wa'ųnąkše.	Hąhéregi	ške	pejot'ųhiranąga
[There]	[they did it.]	At night	[also]	they woud build fires, and

p. 21 —

e tt	Ai do Ki o tt	Ai se de.	A Ke	Ay ni	A leAe	Ai s ni de.
éja	hižuki'ųja	hireže.	Hąké	haíni	hapé	hiranįže.
there	to try their guns out	they did.	Not	morning	to wait	they could not.

rii xitti	Ai s n i ne de.	Ay ni Ki	A leAe s.	e tt.
S'ixjį	hiraną'įneže.	Hainigi	hapera	éja,
[For a long time]	[they thought about it.]	[When morning]	[that they waited for]	[there,]

Ai do Ks	w so de n	Ai se Ki di.	A ttiy K sy se de.	di Ke
hižukra	waružena	hiregiži,	hajiakaraireže.	Žigé
[guns]	[taking them apart]	[after they were,]	[they went home.]	Again

A tti se Ktt n Ae de.	w wi Ky se de.	Ai Ko K tt K.	wi Ko Ko rs
hajirekjanaheže.	Wawigaireže,	higų gająga,	wigųgųsra
they would come.	[They said to them,]	by this time	making signs

dKe.	tt Ko	e	w o Ai se K.	w wi Ki leAe se leAe sere wi de.
ške	jagú	e	wa'ųhirega,	wawigipereperezwiže.
[also]	[how]	[it]	[as they did it,]	they learned to make themselves understood.

p. 22 —

e Ki.	e tt.	Ai no l A s.	A tti se Ki di.	w d s.
Égi	éj	hinųpáhąra	hajíregiži,	wažąra
[And]	there	the second time	when they went,	[the things]

A ntt.	A ni	A tti se de.	e tt	dKe.
haną́č	hanį́	hajireže.	Éja	ške
all	possessing	[they came.]	There	[also]

w so ttA Ks.	w Ki Ko ri se de.	mr	wi o s	dKe.
waručakra	wagigųzireže.	Mąz	wi'ųra,	ške
sewing	they taught them.	Ax	how to use it,	and

m Ai	wi o s	dKe.	e tt.	Ae se de.
mąhi	wi'ųra	ške	éja	hereže.
knife	how to use it,	and	[there]	[they did.]

Source:

Paul Radin, "Winnebago Contact with the French," Winnebago Notebooks, Freeman #3897 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, n.d.) Winnebago V, #17, 1-6, 14-22. A loose translation is found in Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 17-19.