The Ice Hole

Version 1

interlinear text by Thomas A. Seboek

English Translation

This text comes from an Ediphone (wax) cylinder recorded sometime well prior to 1945. In that year it was forwarded to Indiana University to be transcribed. A native Hocąk speaker, Stella Stacy of Black River Falls, Wisconsin, listened to the text three times, then repeated it from memory. The text was slightly redacted by Alvin Stacy, who described it as "archaic" and "awkward." [1]

Expressions appearing in brackets, [ ], are supplied by the editor (Richard Dieterle).

 

p. 168 —
Higų́hayninegì hap'énįk wa'ų́ąhírežè. Hirarexcįgàją wirá
In the morning early they got there. In a little while [the] sun

 

 

haǧép hužé. 'Égi Pų́zakexétenąkà homąkíni
comes up [to start] coming. And Big Sand visit

 

 

hahí wa'ų́hirežé. Hicawįra wežé, "Héną
over there they did it. His wife said, "There

 

 

nínįgrà hahí hašgugi. 'Egi rex'ížap
little water over there get it. And water bucket

 

 

hižą́ heregíhanianągà žegųrežè. Manį́regìheregí nųǧrágiháp
one he went down with it he did. In winter time chop hole in the ice

 

 

hiránągà niągų́nąkì. Nųx hoyhábra wažonązįže.
he did it where they get water. Ice where hole is piled up around edge.

 

 

'Éja nązábre hiánągà. Nųx hoyháp
There slip he did it. Ice in the hole

 

 

'éja howireže. Rohą́ 'éja mącíwa'ų́nąkí.
there he went in. Lot there camping.

 

 

Hirorugwéja nųxhoyhàp hicanežą 'éja hahiáǧepše.
Some distance from it ice hole another one there he came out there.

 

 

'Eja hiské niągwa hiregáją hajáyreže.
There some went after water [when] they did it they saw him.

 

 

"Pežé'e janinéže?" higáyregi. Weže, "Pų́zagexètega
"Who he belongs to?" they called it.* He said, "Big Sand

*this can also be translated as "they said."

 

 

heníhanà." 'Egi 'eja kérehahírežè. Žegų́
my brother." And there they took him over. [So]

 

 

wą́gnąkà hąké xabníže.* Žegų'epa† hątáginąc
that man not say nothing. From then on he fasted

*xap, "to speak, be companionable"; ní, "not"; -že, sentence terminator.
†Sebeok concludes the previous sentence with this word, when it should probably initiate this sentence.

 

 

jirežé. Cegéja wirarocą́jegà warų́cs'áže.* Hahížigé
he did it. When all was new† at noon time [he used to] eat. All day long

*Sebeok has S'aže as the initial word of the next sentence, translated as "day goes on"; however, it is also a suffix meaning "he used to ..., he would ..." and probably goes with the last word of this sentence (waruc).
†more idiomatically translated as "first," "the first time."

 

 

hąhąhehis'áže. Hahi'ųja'ų 'įhąp nąžé. Žegų'ųjes'àže.
night comes. Fasting overnight [he spent the] night slept. He [would] keep on doing it.

 

 

Hoyšip* Pų́zakexetenąkà hakarakižu 'unihežè.
All the time Big Sand he was with him keep doing it.

*Sebeok has this as the last word of the previous sentence, but spatio-temporal words usually begin a sentence and verbs usually end them, although there are exceptions.

 

English Translation

Source:

Thomas A. Sebeok, "Two Winnebago Texts," International Journal of American Linguistics, 13 (1947): 167-170; Text I — Vision Quest, 168.