Hočąk Text — The Fatal House

The Fatal House

narrated by Philip Longtail (Sįčserečka), Buffalo Clan
interlinear translation by James Owen Dorsey

Reproduced with the kind permission of the
National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Dorsey's orthography has been changed to the contemporary IPA standard. Notes by the editor (Richard Dieterle) are indicated by "—RD." Question marks in parentheses, sic (?), are those of Dorsey, all others mark uncertain readings.

IV.1 —

Éja	ną	kíkųnúñk	-i	čí	-žą	nañk	s'á	škúni.	Wañk-núniñg	-ižáñgi
There	wood	to cut into large poles with an ax	by means of	house	one	sat	always	perhaps.	Old man	one

-ra	éja	či-náñk	s'á	škúni.	Hąp-gá	waré	ra	ų́	je	s'á	škúni
the	there	he dwelt	always	perhaps.	Every day	work	the	he did	standing	always	perhaps

Wañk-núniñg	jegá	jé	-warúti	-ra	nųpiwí	nihí	škúni.	Egí	hagoréžą
Old Man	the std.	ox, cow	there who pull	the	two	he owned	perhaps.	And	at one (past) time

Wañk-núniñg	-rá	we	škúni:	ną	-kíkųnuñk	-i	čí	-žą	kikų́	kčąné	e
Old man	-the	he said	perhaps:	wood	to cut into large poles with an ax	out of it	house	one	he made it for himself	will	he said

škúni.	Egí	wañk-núniñg	-rá	waré	jiré	škúni.	Hąp-gá	ų	jé	s'á
perhaps.	And	old man	the	to work	he began	perhaps.	Every day	he did	standing	always

škúni.	Egí	hágoréžą	ną	-rá	hirúščą	-wáhi	škúni.	Égi	hágoréžą
perhaps.	And	at one (past) time	wood	the	ready	-he caused them to be	perhaps.	And	at one (past) time

čé	-ra	waí-ške	škúni.	Žegų́	-he	ánañgá	ną́	harúti	ré	škúni.	Hąp-
oxen	-the	he put a yoke on them	perhaps.	So	-he did	after	wood	to pull along	he went	perhaps.	Day-

gá	žegų́gų	težeské-hi	jé	s'á	škúni.	Égi	hagoréžą	ną	-rá	hiną́
every	so (in that manner)	he did just this way	standing	always	perhaps.	And	at one (past) time	wood	the	he made so

IV.2 —

hi	škúni.	Egí	gajáñga	či	kikų́	čiré	škúni.	Gajáñga	wañk-nų́-
r?ough	perhaps.	And	at length	house	he made it for himself	he began	perhaps.	By that time	a man very

xčį-níñk	škúni.	Hiñké	hičáwį	čų	ní	škúni.	E	warúč	kik'ų́
old man	perhaps.	Not	his wife	he had one	not	perhaps.	He	food	he made for himself

s'á	škúni.	Égi	hágoréžą	čí	-ra	k'ų	čebí	škúni.	Egí	hagá	hąp´
always	perhaps.	And	at one (past) time	house	the	made	he finished it	perhaps.	And	one time	day

régi	či-éja	hakirí	miñg	-anañgá	wawéwi	wañk	škúni,	čowéja	wawewí
time	at the house	he had come home	he was lying down	-when	he was thinking	he lay	perhaps,	in front (= of the ?future)	he was thinking

wañk	škúni.	Égi	hiraréxčįníñk-gają́	ną	-kikų́nuñk	—hičí	-ra
he lay	perhaps.	And	in a very little while	wood	-out of large poles	house made of	the

čučuá	škúni.	Égi	wañk-núniñg	-rá	nawą́	čiré	škúni.	Égi	raščą́
made ?weak and ?ready to ?break and fall	perhaps.	And	old man	the	to sing	he began	perhaps.	And	he stopped singing

gają́	Mą-ų́	-ra	kikaráč	škúni.	Égi	hiraréxčįníñgają́	ną	-kikų́núñk
when	Earthmaker	-the	he prayed to him	perhaps.	And	in a very little while	wood	out of large poles

IV.3 —

-hiči	-rá	xanąrá	čiré	škúni.	Égi	wañk-núniñg	-rá	hai-séwe
house made of	the	to fall ——, with all the logs together	it began	perhaps.	And	old man	the	he was covered up

škúni.	Tée	hoš'éją	heré	na.
perhaps.	This	end	it is (identical with)	.

English Translation

Source:

Phillip Longtail , "The Fatal House," text with interlinear translation by James Owen Dorsey, 4800 Dorsey Papers: Winnebago 3.3.2 (Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution, National Anthropological Archives, October and November, 1893) IV.1-3.