Tumgik
#native languages
neechees · 4 months
Text
79 notes · View notes
americangirlstar · 1 year
Text
Two Hawks’s Name
So. I got curious about what Two Hawks’s name would be in his own language. I mean, I’m curious about what all of Kaya’s contemporaries would be named, but a few weeks ago I got hit with a strong desire to look into Two Hawks’s name specifically while doing research on the Salish nations.
Tumblr media
As Two Hawks lives in the general Washington area, he would liikely use the Kalispel or Spokane dialect of his language. In both Kalispel and Spokane, “Esel” means “two,” but it was a bit hard to find a word for “hawk” or “hawks.”
So I ended up on native-languages.org, a non-profit organization site dedicated to the survival of Native languages. They have a specific page in which you can email their experts and request to know a word in exchange for a $10 donation. So I did send them a request, telling them that a character in a book I liked was named “Two Hawks” in the Salish Kalispel-Spokane language and I would like to know what his name would be.
They actually did respond to it, which I’m very excited about! I’m posting the email they sent to me below w/ a transcription under it. (Note: I wasn’t sure if Ms Redish’s email was from the site or personal? So to be safe I blacked it out). The tl;dr is there’s three possibilities for Two Hawks’s name, which is very exciting!
Tumblr media
Thanks for taking part in our fundraiser!
Well, the Salish word for "Two" is "esel," but there are several different words for hawks in Salish. A fish hawk or osprey is c'ixʷc'xʷ. It's very typical of Salish words to be eye-popping tongue-twisters like this, the Salishan languages are considered to be among the most difficult in the world for English speakers to pronounce. The c' is pronounced like the "ts" in "cats" but with a clicking sound, and the "xʷ" sounds a bit like the "hw" sound you might make blowing out a candle. So c'ixʷc'xʷ is pronounced a little like tseets only with extra clicking and guttural blowing sounds. A red-tailed hawk is c'lc'lšmu, which is easier to pronounce, it sounds a little like chull-chull-shmoo only with clicks.
A sparrow hawk or falcon is the easiest to say, Aatat (pronounced ah-tot.) So this character's name could have been something like Esel C'ixʷc'xʷ, Esel C'lc'lšmu, or Esel Aatat.
Hope that is interesting to you, have a good day! Laura Redish Native Languages of the Americas
Everyone say thank you Laura Redish!!
What do you think is most likely to be Two Hawks’s name? Personally I think Esel C'lc'lšmu is the most likely, as I feel the translated name would have reflected it if he was named after an osprey or falcon, but any of them are possible.
177 notes · View notes
languagecoffee · 2 months
Text
Fruits in Cherokee
Tumblr media
Fruit - ᎤᏓᎾᏛᎠᎩᏍᏗ (udanadv-agisdi)
Apple - ᏒᎦᏔ (svgata)
Apricot - ᏓᎶᏂᎨᎠᏓᏛᏍᎩ (dalonige-adadvsgi)
Banana - ᏆᏁᎾ (quanena)
Cantaloupe - ᎦᏩᏒᎩ (gawasvgi)
Cherry - ᎩᏔᏯ (gitaya)
Grape -ᏖᎸᎳᏗ (telvladi)
Lemon - ᎴᎹᏂ (lemani)
Orange - ᎠᏓᎶᏂᎨ (adalonige)
Peach - ᏆᎾ (quana)
Pear - ᏗᎦᏛᏗ (digadvdi)
Persimmon - ᏌᎵ (sail)
Plum - ᏆᏄᎾᏍᏗ (quanunasdi)
Pumpkin - ᎢᏯ (iya)
Watermelon - ᎬᎩᏍᏗ (gvgisdi)
Blackberry - ᎧᏄᎦᎵ (kanugali)
Huckleberry - ᎧᏩᏯ (kawaya)
Raspberry - ᏒᏗᏩᎵ (svdiwali)
Strawberry - ᎠᏂ (ani)
19 notes · View notes
llyfrenfys · 7 months
Text
Are any of my followers familiar with Native American terms and terminology? Or know someone who is?
I'm from the UK and currently doing some research on a Welsh play from 1777 in which a character representing England is talking to a character representing a native group from Philadelphia. The play itself is possibly a satire on the American War of Independence. I'm aware of these historical events, but as I grew up in the UK I lack the cultural knowledge of these events. In Welsh, the character representing the native groups in Philadelphia calls her lands Caea (pronounced in Welsh phonetically as kai-ah). In Welsh the word 'cae' means field, perhaps this is relevant somehow?
Given that the text is from 1777, is in Welsh and seems to be making light of the atrocities of settlers towards native groups in America, it could just be a made up group name from some Welshman nearly 250 years ago. But I don't know nearly enough about Native American languages to connect the dots between any term or place.
I know enough to know that if there is a group being referred to here, they're likely speaking an Algonquin language. But I will be the first to say this is slightly out of my wheelhouse and would appreciate any help with this!
18 notes · View notes
polyglot-thought · 8 months
Text
Critically Endangered Language Introduction:
Spokane Language
Npoqínišcn
Tumblr media
Some information about the Spokane language:
It’s critically endangered, meaning there are very few native speakers left, who are also elderly, and young people are not picking up the language, but the Spokane Tribe website offers language classes, so hopefully things are improving! Spokane doesn’t have its own original writing system, so a modified Latin script is used. You can read more about the Spokane and Salish languages and people on Wikipedia, here, here and here.
Example Words & Phrases ↓
Provided by Spokane Tribe at this link
ʔa x̣est skʷekʷst
Hello, good morning
ʔa x̣est sx̣lx̣alt
Hello, good day
ʔa x̣est sč̓luxʷ
Hello, good evening
ʔa x̣est skʷkʷʔec
Hello, good night
n̓em heł wíčtmn
I will see you again.
kʷʔec̓ščén̓?
How are you?
hi čn x̣is
I’m fine.
čn ayx̣ʷt
I’m tired.
čn weyt
I’m sick.
stem̓ ha skʷest ?
What is your name?
hi skʷest ____.
My name is…..
____ łuʔ hi skʷest.
My name is…..
Tumblr media
Please correct me if I made a mistake
4 notes · View notes
indio-politics · 2 years
Text
two spirit culture is being tired of English being centered above all other languages and English gender/sexuality terms and constructs being forced on us
3 notes · View notes
stavee · 2 years
Text
My university is now offering an Ojibwe language class!
They've been trying to offer it for a while, but they needed to get it certified. We have a large Native American population of the Ojibwe people, and being able to offer students the opportunity to learn the language will be really cool for our area!! I'd take the course if I had the time.
2 notes · View notes
addieclo · 2 years
Note
Heyyy❤️just a little reminder that u don't bring shame on ur family for not speaking Spanish!/ur native tongue. I'm half Turkish half Kurdish living in Germany and I don't even know my fathers native tongue-which is kurdish obviously... It was taken away from me cuz oppression
Omg i don’t know how I never got notice for this in my box but thank you, you’re absolutely right. So much oppression that has gone on for centuries to different cultures because of racism or prejudices and all that behavior needs to stop. And people shouldn’t judge others for not speaking their native tongues when families had to choose between survival or something worse. So again thank you for this kind words. I really appreciated it 🥹
2 notes · View notes
erzvolnes · 10 months
Text
27K notes · View notes
chlorophyllium · 7 months
Text
Tumblr media
10K notes · View notes
m-eowdy · 6 months
Text
This is the list of most natively spoken languages in the world, and I want to see how it relates to the (English speaking) tumblr population that will see this.
6K notes · View notes
Text
0 notes
americangirlstar · 1 year
Text
Kaya’aton’my’s Series – Nimiipuu Names
Tumblr media
While we have a pretty good shot at guessing Two Hawks’s name, I wanted to make a list of the most likely names for the Nimiipuu/Nez Perce characters in Kaya’s series, as a few Nimiipuutímt dictionaries are available.
Even as a kid, I always wondered what everyone’s name was in their actual language, as all but Kaya’s names are translated to their English meaning. I see why this was done– the English-speaking children that make up the target audience would likely be confused by an abundance of names they’d have trouble pronouncing– but even then I do wish to know the names of the characters we all hold so dear.
This is the dictionary I was able to use. I’ll also cite it properly at the bottom of the post. I also utilized nimipuutimt.org, which was incredibly helpful and includes video lessons as well as grammar lessons.
However,
Disclaimer: I am an English-speaking white girl. While I’m using as many official dictionaries as I can, I will likely fuck up grammar on occasion.
Most importantly I will likely fuck up grammar/sentence structure due to my low education in this field; I also have trouble deciphering how (or if) one changes a word when it switches structure; for instance, a verb becoming an adjective. There is information on this on nimiipuutimt.org, but I’m afraid I have not been very good at translating it from English properly.
As such, I will provide each word separately, but not make any definitive claims on word order. I have everything under the cut so that I can keep everything updated should new information come in or should I become more confident in translation.
If anyone who can speak Nimiipuutímt would like to add anything, please for the love of everything do so, your input would obviously be way more useful than mine.
So. Let’s begin.
First off– pronunciation guide.
Ck = the same as a double K
S as in she
A U accented or preceeded by a consonant should be pronounced as normal in English; however, if it is followed by an A, E, or I without a consonant prior, it’s to be pronounced like W.
Y as in yellow.
Extra information on pronunciation, simple phrases, etc. can be found at https://nezperce.org/about/language/ or https://www.nimipuutimt.org/.
Now that we got that out of the way,
Bear Blanket
Tumblr media
Kaya’s medicine woman.
There are multiple words depending on the type of bear we are discussing. A black, reddish or yellowish bear would be “Yáka”; a grizzy, white or brown would be either “Gagáz” or “Iyúmie.” The bear constellation in the northern hemisphere would also be “Iyúmes,” with its tail being “Pitaikin.”
The noun for blanket, meanwhile, is Zizkan. [the verb form is Zizkanisa.]
Beaver Tail
One of Tall Branch’s relatives.
The noun for beaver is “Tákzpul,” while tail is “Túinu.”
Bent Bow
An orphan boy in Kaya’s village.
So. “Bent” is where my anglophonic issues arise, since I’m not quite sure what the adjective form of this verb is. The simple verb form, I can say, is “Zepékillikse,” but there’s a few other uses– to curve by pulling is “Nikékillikse,” to curve in a circle is “Zepezilkse,” to bend as if bending a tree branch is “Nikézipitkse.”
“Bow,” meanwhile, is much easier, with “Timúni.” Alternatively spelled “tim’úuni”, this word in modern times can also mean “gun.”
Brown Deer
Tumblr media
Kaya’s elder sister.
There are two words for brown in Nimiiputímt; the dictionary I have says it denotes “two degrees” of the same color, though it doesn’t specify beyond that. The two words are “Sukúisukúi” and “Siuiusiuiu.”
There are actually several words for “deer,” depending on different species. “Ímes” (’ímes) is used for the general species, with specific deer having different words depending on gender– a female red deer would be “Yémes”, reindeer would be Tatápai, elk would be Tisipg, and moose deer would be Sákslas (sáaslaqs).
Claw Necklace
Swan Circling’s husband.
“Claw” is “Kipzuz.”
“Necklace” is “Ueéikt.” [A bead necklace would be Kaláun.]
Crane Song
Cut Cheek’s aunt.
Crane would be “Yétiin.”
Song would be “Uenipt,” though I do wonder if this part of her name may be something more like Crane Call or Sound of a Crane rather than a direct comparison to a song...
Cut Cheek
Kaya’s brother-in-law.
There are quite a few verbs for “cut”, but his name appears to use that word in adjective form. So let’s try this out.
First, the verbs:
Trigger Warning: There is a self-harm mention among these, third to last bullet point.
Cut by striking (ex: axe): “Uekíukse.”
Cut, as with a knife, saw or scissors: “Isekíukse.”
Cut, as in dislimbing or quartering an animal: “Isiueze.”
Cut, as in paring or clipping: “Uesúpse”
Making a small cut: “Izetíkise.”
Wounding via cutting: “Iseuéize.”
Cutting self: “Iné-seuéize.”
Cutting into two parts: “Izepékse.”
Cutting into several parts: “Izipékse.”
End of TW.
It’s likely that the verbs could be used in past tense, but again, I’m having trouble finding differing tenses. I will say that I feel the most likely would be Isekíukse (cut as with a knife), Izetíkse or Iseuéize (small cut / wound).
As for adjectives,
Lacerated, torn, as in a rope: “Getílgetil”
As well as noun/verbs:
To hurt physically: “Komáiz.”
Wound via stabbing: “Iptéye” (n) “Iptéyeze” (v)
Wound via shooting: “Éutes” (n) “Euise” (v)
Wound via dashing against something: “Ueíptet” (n) “Ueiptése” (v)
And finally, scars:
Scar as a noun: “Kaskásuit”
As an adjective: “Kaskasuin.”
So after all that, I feel like the most likely is “Kaskasuin” (scarred).
And then cheek is just “Mástai.” That was way easier.
Finger Cakes
In Meet Kaya, Kaya’s Aalah tells her of her own cruel childhood nickname, “Finger Cakes,” when she was caught stealing some from her brother.
I wasn’t able to find the specific word for Nimiipuu finger cakes, but “Cake” in general is “tam’áamin’.”
Flaming Stick
A member of Kaya’s village from The Roar of the Falls.
I was unable to find an adjective for flaming. The noun is “Liun” (burning), “Ilakáuit” (shining) or “Álla” (fire). “Liun” is probably the most likely. The verb is “Liuze” (with rising/steaming fire) or Ilepilikse (when the flame breaks forth).
Stick is a bit easier I think. The only word for stick was referring to a walking-stick, which might be what his name refers to? That word is “Túkes.” If they’re referring to a random stick, branch is probably more likely a translation, which makes it “Pátoi.”
Fox Tail
Kaya’s cousin, a young boy in her village.
Fox is “Telipe.”
Tail is “Túinu.”
Jumps Back
A young man in Kaya’s village.
This one is a bit hard. If we presume his name is “jumping backwards”, there are a lot of terms for jumping. A lot of them refer to jumping on a horse, so if we presume that that is not what his name means...
"To jump, as in trying to get above the ground” is “Ualásasa”, and “to go about jumping” is “Ualasáiksa.” I think the latter is probably likely.
The word for back in terms of direction is “Elekinike.” However, backward specifically is “Élekipg.”
I think the most likely is Ualasáiksa + Élekipg, but it could be any combo of the above.
Light on the Water
Tumblr media
Kaya’s baby cousin, the daughter of Running Alone. She is saved by Swan Circling at the beginning of Kaya’s Hero.
Okay, so light is “Hawkáuit.”
The on preposition is already contained in many verbs and expressed by the removal of the –zese in the root of verbs. So first we need a verb for the light being on the water. To sit on is “Ueksilikézese,” and to fall upon in drops is “Isiséulizése.” So whether her name has Ueksilik or Isiséuli depends on whether her name is light sitting upon the water or light falling upon the water.
Water specifically is “Kus.” Considering her name isn’t “light on the river” or “ocean” or whatever, “Kus” is probably correct.
Little Branch
Rushing Brook’s infant daughter, from The Roar of the Falls.
Little is “Kúzkuz.”
Branch would be “Pátoi.”
Little Fawn
Tumblr media
A girl in Kaya’s village. In Kaya’s Hero she is hurt jumping out of a tree, and she’s often noted to play Shinny with Kaya.
Little is “Kúzkuz.”
According to nimipuutimt.org, a general term for a fawn would be “tatx.”
Lone Dog
Tumblr media
The lone wolf that Kaya helps and the mother of Tatlo.
Lone as an adjective is used by putting -zuàtg at the end of the personal pronoun. Ipzuàtg is “they (singular) lone,” but I think we can just add it at the end of the word “dog”? I may be wrong tho.
A normal dog is a “Zikámkal.” There are two names for wolf meanwhile; “Izeyéi” is small and “Ímiin” is large. I’d say lone dog’s name is likely Zikámkal, as she seems to be less of a wolf and more of a dog if you know what I mean.
So her name could potentially be Zikámkalzuàtg.
Magpie
Kaya’s despised nickname.
This one is very simple: Ékeg.
Many Deer
A temperamental man in Kaya’s village.
Many is “Illégi” as an adjective. As a pronoun for persons only, it’s “Illegniue.”
Now we get to talk about the words for male deer yay!! Once again, Ímes is for the general word. The male red deer is Téuisin, reindeer is Tipitéuisin, elk is Ueúkie, and moose deer is Sákslas.
Rabbit
A daring girl in Kaya’s village a little older than her.
Another simple one: rabbit is Éyukz.
Raven
Kaya’s older cousin who lives in her village.
Raven is Kókog.
Red Duck
Kaya’s aunt in her village.
For red: bright red / vermilion would be “Hilpilp”, while a deep red / crimson would be “Lemtlémt.”
A wild duck would be “Kétket.” A tame duck would be “Éutet.”
Red Stone
Tall Branch’s relative.
For red: bright red / vermilion would be “Hilpilp”, while a deep red / crimson would be “Lemtlémt.”
There are a couple words for stone colors but haven’t found one for red, only yellow, white and black. So the normal word for stone is “Pisue.”
Runner
Kaya’s father’s horse.
Ulekeiktípez.
Running Alone
Tumblr media
Kaya’s young aunt, mother of Light on the Water.
We got a couple words for “run.”
To move swiftly: “Ulékeikse.”
To make [another] run: “Seulekéikse”
To run suddenly: “Tekekéikse”
To run to help somebody: “Tekékeikezése”
To run in a race: “Uléluikize”
To run after someone else: “Tiuekikze”
Alone, meanwhile, is “Inzuáty” as a noun. As an adjective, it is used by putting -zuàtg at the end of the personal pronoun. Ipzuàtg is “they (singular) lone,” with “Inzuátg” as I lone and “Imzuátg” as you lone.
Runs Home
A young man in Kaya’s village, the one who taught Two Hawks to make and play the flute.
We got a couple words for “run.”
To move swiftly: “Ulékeikse.”
To make [another] run: “Seulekéikse”
To run suddenly: “Tekekéikse”
To run to help somebody: “Tekékeikezése”
To run in a race: “Uléluikize”
To run after someone else: “Tiuekikze”
Home is “Init.”
Rushing Brook
A young mother in Kaya’s village.
"Rushing” is a bit hard to find. Looking at different versions of flow, though,
“Uéleze” is basic flowing,
 “Uelétze” is to come out flowing,
“Tekeuéleze” is to flow suddenly/falling down,
“Uelikze” is to rise flowing.
As with other words, fast as an adjective is “Ámtiz,” and I’ve already copy-pasted the words for run up above.
A small stream (brook) would be “Póol.”
Snow Paws
A dog in Kaya’s village.
Snow as a noun is “Méke.” Paw would be “Kípzuz.”
Sparks Flying
Tumblr media
Kaya’s horse’s colt, named for the fire he, his mother and Kaya escaped.
“Sparks” is a bit hard to figure out.
The noun for fire is “Álliksa” or “Álla”, but I don’t think it would just be fire, but specifically the sparks.
“Líuze” (to burn with rising, steaming fire) or “Ilepílikse” (to burn as when a flame breaks forth) could work, though it is a verb and Sparks is a noun here...
Another verb/adjective instead of a noun, but glitter as a verb would be “Ilapáiksa” or “Ilapáikin” as an adjective.
Verb for sparkle is “Itgolizása”, adjective sparkling is “Pítgolzatipaz.” I wasn’t able to find a word just for a Spark.
We got a couple options for “fly” too:
To fly: “Ueikze”
To fly about: “Ueinikse”
To go about flying: “Ueikéikse”
To fly upward, as on a tree: “Ueletiekse”
To fly upward, to soar / float: “Iyalásasa”
To flee, run away: “Ulelikze”
I think the most likely in context for Sparks Flying would be “Ueinikse” (fly about) or “Ulelikze” (flee). Also to note: the nouns for flight are “Ulelikin” for running away and “Ueíkin” for soaring.
Sparrow
One of Kaya’s twin brothers.
Uekiukíun.
Speaking Rain
Tumblr media
Kaya’s beloved sister; she is biologically her second cousin, but was adopted by Kaya’s immediate family after her parents’ death.
So, there are a lot of words to be used for “speaking.” These are the most likely for her name:
“Tennése”: direct translation of “speak.” If her name means “rain that talks,” this is probably the word.
“Pitenuése”: to speak mutually. If her name means “rain talking amongst themselves”, this is the word. [”Pitáutennése” is also this word for specifically speaking at night.]
“Ueuise”: to begin speaking.
“Uainakasa”: to cease speaking.
The second part of her name is much easier: Uéket means “rain!”
Squirrel
A young boy in Kaya’s village, mentioned in The Roar of the Falls.
Zilmii.
Steps High
Tumblr media
Kaya’s beloved horse.
If we assume that the steps is a verb, the first word is either “Uetikise” (to advance) or “Uatikzása” (to set the foot upon). [Noun would be “Uetikt”]
Now there’s a couple words for “high” as well. “Tústi” means being in elevated place. “Kuhét” means of a tall statue.
Swan Circling
Tumblr media
Kaya’s hero; this will also be Kaya’s name as an adult.
A swan is “Tákaisin.”
Circling, meanwhile? Difficult, but I believe it’s “Temepéise,” which is to encircle.
Tall Branch
Kaya’s maternal aunt.
With tall, we have to wonder if this would be referring to actual height, or simply length; the good news is, the first word we have can mean both “tall” and “long!” Our options are “Kuhét” or “Imékes”; Kuhét is used for more slender items, with Imékes for large-framed.
Branch would be “Pátoi.”
To Soar Like an Eagle
Tumblr media
Kaya’s village chief.
As stated with Sparks Flying, to soar is “Iyalásasa.”
Like as in denoting similarity is to add –uàkos to the end of the noun.
As for eagle, a bald eagle is “Sakantáig,” and other fully-red eagles are “Kaspaaláya.” So either Sakantáiguàkos or Kaspaaláyauàkos.
Two Crows
Tall Branch’s relative.
Two is “Lepit.” “Lepú” is used as a pronoun for persons only.
A crow is “Áa”, though a jackdaw or blackbird would be “Kuóskuós.”
So it’s likely Lepit Áa.
Wing Feather
One of Kaya’s twin brothers.
Large/Quill feathers are “Uéptes,” and Down/Small feathers are “Kótkot.” I believe Wing Feather’s name would thus be Kótkot but I do not know a ton about birds.
Yellow Flower
A young mother in Kaya’s village.
Yellow as an adjective is “Maksmáks,” (maqsmáqs) though yellowish would be “Keugkéug.”
A flower is “Látis.”
Another thing to note: specifically “the flower becomes yellow” is translated as “Látis imkasiza,” so this could be her name as well.
Yellow Sky
An elderly storyteller in Kaya’s village.
Yellow as an adjective is “Maksmáks,” (maqsmáqs) though yellowish would be “Keugkéug.” 
Sky is a word that depends on whether it is cloudy or clear. Cloudy sky is “Ipelikt,” while a clear sky is “Aikát.”
BONUS: Non-Nimiipuu Characters
Gift from the Stick People
The Nimiipuu name given to Hawk Rising’s baby after Crane Song found her.
A gift would be “Ínit.” (though “Pinit” would be a mutual gift, which I believe means a traded item? I think Ínit would be most appropriate here.)
Now, from is used in this language by the suffix “-kínig.” (IE: from Kaya would be Kaya-kínig).
The Stick People are dwarves in several Indigenous-American traditions, including both the Nimiipuu and the Arapho. The Nimiipuu called them the Its’te-ya-ha, and said that they lived in the deep woods and had the power to make themselves invisible and become incredibly strong.
So Hawk Rising’s baby would be named Ínit + Its’te-ya-ha-kínig.
Hawk Rising
Kaya names the Silent Stranger “Hawk Woman” after she sees her watching a hawk on a cliffside. At the end of the book, she establishes to Kaya that her name is actually “Hawk Rising.”
So Kaya’s name for her:
A hawk that’s often seen in poultry yards: “Pitámianun”
Goshawk: ironically, “Káya”
These were also listed as “various kinds of hawks,” with no specifics. Hopefully I can find specifics later: “Íkeg, Talauyágoz, Káyauákos, Leplépuékos.”
Woman would be “Háyat.” Rising would be...
To come out, as the sun: “Tilétze”
To go up, as the sun: “Tilása”
To come out on a sudden: “Tekétilètze”
To rise from death or unconsciousness: “Utelétze”
To rise, as fog: “Ipalásasa”
To cause to rise (such as standing up and scattering dust): “Tulékoksa”
I feel like the most likely here would be Tilása or Tekétilêtze. However, considering her backstory of escaping a deadly fire, thematically Utelétze would work incredibly well.
But let’s find out what tribe she’s from to find her real name.
From the first chapter of The Silent Stranger:
“Her hair is in one thick braid instead of two, like ours, and the backs of her hands are tattooed.”
“What’s she wearing?” Speaking Rain asked, giving Kaya a nudge.
“Under her bearskin she’s got a cape of woven bark with fur at the throat,” Kaya said. “She’s wearing a necklace of dentalium shells, and abalone ear ornaments, too. She looks like the women who live on the seacoast and come to the Big River to trade.”
Here is her backstory, from pg 99-100:
[...] warriors from up the coast had raided her village. She was taken captive and made a slave. Her captors took her with them to the Big River. There, a man from over the high mountains saw her and made her his wife. He was a good man. She went with him and lived with his people. She was traveling with her husband when a storm stranded them[....]
We also have this description of her baby’s tee-kas:
“[The baby’s] tee-kas is part of my story. It’s not made like ours. It’s made of cedar, with cedar-bark cloth for a wrapping. Women from the coast make their tee-kas like that, and the baby has a pretty necklace of dentalium shells. Why her unfortunate parents were traveling in Nimíipuu country is a mystery, but she’s safe now in Crane Song’s care.” - pg 109
The coast tribes by the Northwest would be Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Kwakiutl, Bella Coola, Nuu-chah-nulth, Coast Salish, and Chinook.
So we gotta find which traded with the Nimiipuu at the Big River. Because there are so many tribes, I could be wrong, but I think it is likely that she is from the Coast Salish; they were known to use cedar bark for weaving many things, including tee-kas. [1, 2] They would have had access to dentalium shells as well, and the very real historical connections between the Nimiipuu and Salish were already established in the mainline series.
Other possibilities include the Haida and Tsminshian, who are noted to have had abalone access, and the Nuu-chah-nulth, who not only would have had access to abalone but were the primary harvesters of dentalium. They were known to dress their high-status unmarried girls in dentalium shell necklaces. While that wouldn’t apply to Hawk Rising, it could apply to her daughter.
There are many, many different dialects of the Salish language, but looking at this map, I think it’s likely that in order to be near Nimiipuu territory, Hawk Rising would be in the Lushootseed or Cowlitz/Chehalis areas.
 We have two options for “Hawk” from the Lushootseed dialect, actually.
Fish Hawk: c̓ix̌c̓ix̌
Redtail Hawk: x̌ibx̌ib
The similar dialect Twulshootseed also uses “x̌ibx̌ib” to mean hawk; I can’t find info on whether or not they use “c̓ix̌c̓ix̌” as well. I will say that I think x̌ibx̌ib is probably more likely.
As for the word for “Rising” or the Cowlitz translation, this is where I kinda. Cannot continue currently. I have not been able to find a dictionary for the Cowlitz. However, when I have the ability I would love to ask native-languages.org once again. If anyone else would like to do so, or take part in their fundraiser, here is a link.
Otter Woman
A woman from “Enemy Country” that held Kaya and Speaking Rain as slaves. “Otter Woman” is only what Kaya calls her, and thus we don’t know her actual name.
First: Kaya’s name for her. Otter is “Tulúlg.” Woman is “Háyat,” with an elderly woman being “Hátuai.”
But onto figuring out her potential tribe, just for fun. From Chapter One of Kaya’s Escape:
She thought they spoke the language of enemies from Buffalo Country[...] they had driven the herd all the way through Nimíipuu country to the northern trail through the Bitterroot Mountains.
Chapter Two also says they go over the Buffalo Trail, and Kaya spots the Lochsa River as they pass. As the Lochsa River is to the west of the Bitterroot Mountains, that means the enemies are traveling west and live in that direction.
I am absolutely useless at Geography, but Google tells me that the Bitterroot Mountains border Idaho and Montana. So if they’re traveling west, that would most likely put them in the areas of Idaho, Washington, Oregon or even Canada, depending on how far their homeland was.
When moving to the Northwestern Plains to hunt buffalo, Wikipedia says that the Nimiipuu enemies there were the Blackfoot Confederacy (Piegan, Kainai, Siksika), Lakota, and Cheyenne. 
Looking at a map of indigenous land, directly west of the Nimiipuu were Coeur D’Alene/Skitswish, Yakima, and Walla Walla. If her tribe were in what is now Montana to hunt Buffalo at the time of Kaya’s Escape, they would be in Flathead Kutenai territory, perhaps even Blackfeet. They could also still be near the Skitswish or Okanagan.
Spotted Owl
Tumblr media
Kaya’s Wishram trading partner, from Kaya and the River Girl.
Spotted Owl is a Wishram girl, so she would be speaking Upper Chinook. Using washington.edu’s abridged Chinook dictionary, Spotted would be le kye or tzum, depending on how it’s spotted: calico is tzum and piebald is le kye. I’m not sure which one would refer to the actual spotted owl, perhaps calico?
Owl was a bit harder to find; the anthrosource online library does have a Chinook dictionary that I poured through, and I believe owl may be “qoēl.”
So her name could be le kye + qoēl.
If translated to Nimiipuu: an owl would be “Saglatáma,” while a small owl would be “Púgpukélez.” Spotted would be “Kaskás”; while it specifically refers to dapple-gray pattern, it is used for most spotted things.
Two Hawks
Tumblr media
I have a full post here, where I contacted Laura Redish of the Native Languages of the Americas to ask about his name. Here is what she said:
The Salish word for two is “esel.”
A fish hawk/osprey would be c'ixʷc'xʷ.
A red-tailed hawk would be a c'lc'lšmu.
A sparrow hawk/falcon would be aatat.
“So this character's name could have been something like Esel C'ixʷc'xʷ, Esel C'lc'lšmu, or Esel Aatat.”
Considering what English-speakers mainly associate with hawks, I’d say “Esel C'ixʷc'xʷ” is probably the most likely.
Additional information: according to spokanelanguageculture, a redtail hawk could also be “Spya.”
White Braids
Tumblr media
Speaking Rain’s Salish adoptive mother.
White Braids would, like Two Hawks, be using the Salish Spokane-Kalispel dialect, as they live in the same tribe.
White would be “piq,” pronounced like the English pick. I have not yet been able to find the specific word for braid– I have been able to find the sentence “they braided their hair.” (čyilya’xʷ qnm) I tried to go through the Kalispel-English dictionary I could find online but could not find “braid”– if anyone else wants to try, the links are here and here. I will also try to ask native-languages.org when I have the ability.
Sources: spokanelanguageculture
Young Uncle
Two Hawks’s maternal uncle. “Young Uncle” probably isn’t his name but it’s the best we have to go on.
A maternal uncle would be “ssiʔ.” Young as a descriptor would be “sk̓ʷu̓k̓ʷiml̓t.”
Dictionary
Morvillo, Anthony. A dictionary of the Numípu or Nez Perce language.    ,    https://doi.org/10.5479/sil.1076821.39088005784111
48 notes · View notes
Text
The "Americanization of the global internet" post and slow deterioration of local native culture gave me an idea: many users don't even know there is native language communities on this website, so if you know of a regional group/"subculture" on Tumblr, reblog/comment with the tags they use so people can find them and connect with other folks from their countries or speakers of a language they'd like to learn
I will try to update this post with every new addition to hopefully make a comprehensive list of Tumblr regional communities
Edit July 29th: the post has reached a point where Tumblr won't let me add any more links, so from now on all tags are plain text to make it fair
The list so far:
Europe
• Czech
#česky, #hezky česky - general Czech language posts, frequently featuring user-written poetry, art, sometimes politics and current events, warning: often contains vent posts
#čumblr - Czech but frequently used by Slovaks as well, primarily memes and fandom things, shipping, art, cultural things, frequently overlaps with #česky
#obrození, #obrozujeme - memes and fandoms as well but with more emphasis of maintaining and developing Czech culture, is a mostly humorous parody/self-proclaimed continuation of the Czech National Revival of the 1800s, overlaps with #čumblr and #česky
• Slovak
#slovensky - general Slovak language posts
#slumblr, #sumblr, NEW - #ťumbľr - Slovak, general posts, memes, fandom and culture things, sometimes overlaps with #čumblr
• Polish
#polska, #polish - Polish, general posts, art, politics and current events
#polblr, #polishposting, #polskie rzeczy - Polish, more humorous general posts and memes, often overlap with the above
• Ukrainian
#ukraine - general Ukrainian posts, often in English
#укртумбочка - mostly used by artists
• General Slavic
#slav, #slavic, #slavposting, #slavic stuff - mixed Slavic, usually cultural things, memes, art and photography, sometimes politics, sometimes visited by other East Europeans
• Irish
#gaeilge - Irish, general posting but especially cultural things and memes, often features posts for language learning
• Welsh
#cymraeg, #tymblr - general Welsh posting, memes
• Romanian
#romanian - general Romanian tag
#romanisme, #vlandom - Romanian, mostly memes and humor
• Hungarian
#magyar, #hungarian, #tumbli - Hungarian language, mostly quotes
• Finnish
#suomitumblr, #suomitumppu, #suomipaskaa, #suomeksi, other variations beginning with suomi - general (shit)posting
any and all swear words such as #perkele, #vittu, #saatana, #helvetti and #paska - shitposts, overlap with above
• Dutch
#dutch, #the netherlands, #netherlands, #holland, #nederland, #nederlands - general Dutch posts
#nedermemes, #dutchcore - memes, shitposting
• German
#deutsch, #german stuff - general German posting
#BundesTag - memes and humor
blogs like @official-deutschebahn, @official-german-medienlandschaft and other official-deutsche- blogs, "because THE joke of German tumblr is to act like an overly bureucratic public institution"
• Swedish
#sweblr, #swedenposting, #svea rike - memes, shitposts, fandom stuff, sometimes political
#svenskt, #sverige - general Swedish stuff
#all makt åt tengil vår befriare, #sa du sten - used mostly by @svenskjavel
#borås - posts and memes about the city, "kinda like Swedish Ohio"
#lesbisk, #bög, #bisexuell, #pansexuell, #hbtq+, #hbtq, #homosexuell, #asexuell - Swedish queer tags
• French
#upthebaguette, #french side of tumblr, #whatthefrance - general French posting but especially memes, comics, art
#bagaitte - French queer posting
• Greek
#greek tumblr, #ελληνικα, #ελλαδα, #γρεεκ, #ελληνικο ταμπλρ - general stuff
#greek memes - memes
Catalan
#coses de la terra - general stuff
Belarusian
#беларускі тамблер - general stuff, fandoms
#артшляхта - art
Italian
#itablr - general stuff, not very populated yet
#welcome to italy, #italian things, #italian stuff, #italy tag, #roba italiana
#sanremo - for the Sanremo Music Festival, also #domenica in but only after the end of the festival
Italians also frequently gather under #leonardo rai, #medici, #i medici, #montalbano and #il giovane montalbano
Estonian
#eestiblr, #eesti - general stuff
@unofficial-estonia - blog
Danish
@useless-denmarkfacts - blog
Spanish
#español - general Spanish (* I noticed some Mexicans using these too so there may be overlap with American Spanish-speaking countries as well)
#citas, #frases - quotes
#humor grafico - memes
Scottish Gaelic
#gaidhlig, #gaelposting - general, art, language
Africa
Moroccan
#المغرب, #Maroc -general, often photos
Asia
• South Asian
#desiblr, #desi, #desi tag - general South Asia posting, memes, humor, sometimes also used by Arab people
• Indian
#dabara tumblr, #தம்பிளர் - suggested tags for South India
Russian
#русский тамблер, #русский tumblr - general stuff, memes
Sri Lankan
#අරගලයට ජය, suggested tags LKA or #Lankablr if anyone's interested
Indonesian
@useless-indonesiafacts - blog
Israeli
# עברית# ,ישראבלר - general stuff (sorry if these are broken, tumblr keeps fucking with right-to-left scripts)
Arabic
#عربي - general
#كتب, #كتاب, #كتابات - books and writing
Oceania
Australian
#auscore, #straya - general stuff, culture, memes and shitposts
#auspol - politics
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
#māori, #te reo māori - Māori tags
Americas
Brazilian
#brazil, #brasil, #Come to brazil, #br posting, #meu brasil brasileiro, #tumblr br - general and memes
Turtle Island (North American) Indigenous
#ndn, #ndn tumblr - usually about culture, memes etc
"If you're looking for something specific to your tribe, try the non-English spelling of your tribe's name (Tsalagi for Cherokee, for example)"
Not location-specific
Jewish
#jumblr, #frumblr - general stuff, history, discussions, posts mostly in English
Romani
#romani, #rroma, #rrumblr - romani sides of tumblr, general stuff, history, discussions, mostly in English
Please share around wherever you're from, US American local cultures are welcome as well, especially indigenous (though that should go without saying)
Reminder that this is a post made to allow people to find others of the same culture/language, be respectful and do not use these tags to target groups and spread hate
15K notes · View notes
metamorphesque · 2 years
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
why do all the words sound heavier in my native language?
—  @metamorphesque, Yoojin Grace Wuertz (Mother Tongue), Still Dancing: An Interview With Ilya Kaminsky (by Garth Greenwell), Jhumpa Lahiri (Translating Myself and Others), @lifeinpoetry
˗ˏˋ☕ˎˊ˗        
34K notes · View notes
Text
It's not what I expected by 我是阿彪叻
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
2K notes · View notes