KRIH, or Knistenau[253]

American (an), Ketsemohkoman (e short and ½; otherwise German).

Arm, ospetonn.

Arrow, atúss.

Autumn, taquáhkinn.

Bird, piesiss (i and e separated; e full value).

Black (the color), kaskitä̍hsu (su short).

Blind, nanon-ski̍ssiko (on French).

Blood, mich-kó (mich short, like mi).

Blue, kaskitähuakinn.

Bone, oskánn; plural is oskanná.

Bow, adsabi̍ (adsa soft).

Brave (adj), sohketäheu (e ½; eu short; u barely audible).

Brook, sihpi-siss.

Brother (elder), niståhs.

Brother (younger), nissim.

Child, auáhsis (sis short and low).

Cold (adj), kesinnau (e ½; au German and together).

Dance (v), neméhetu (second e ½; tu short).

Day, uapánn.

Deaf, kakehpi-teu (pi like pich, guttural; e and u separated).

Devil (evil spirit), matsimann-tuh (short and run together).

Die (v), nepúh.

Dog, ati̍mm.

Drink (v), menih-kuä (final syllable short).

Dumb, namanich-tauéu (manich short and guttural; e and u separated).

Ear, ochtauakay (ch guttural; aua separated; kay German, with the rest of the word).

Earth, aski̍.

Enemy, ayachzi̍nuack (German; a barely audible).

Englishman, Hakaiahsu.

Evening, otahgusinn (gu German).

Eye, oski̍hsick.

Father, nochtauï (noch nasal; ch German, but barely audible).

Feather, meh-koánn (koann very short and run together).

Fire, skuttéhu (u barely audible).

Fish, kinussäu (au separated and short).

Flesh, wuiïäs (wui almost like wi or ui).

Forest, sakao (a and o separated).

Frenchman, Wemstegosó (German; second e short).

Go (v), pümontä̍.

God, keseh-mann-tóh (first e short).

Good, mioassih.

Great, ki̍nussuh.

Green, zipätákassu.

Gun, pasksigan (soft).

Hair, uästöchaiah (rather indistinct).

Hand, otsä-tschih.

Head, ustekuáhn (us very short).

Healthy, namoyáhkussu (kussu low and short).

Heart, otä̍.

Heat, ksasteo (eo short and half pronounced).

Horns (of a stag), hähskann.

Horse, mesatimm (e ½).

House (lodge), uaskaëgan; i.e., house of the white man; matsehkin, a leather tent.

Hunger, notä̍-keteu (keteu short; u barely audible).

Hunt (v), máhtsíu (u barely audible).

I, neia̍ (emphasis on ia, which is very short).

Ice, miskuami.

Knife, mohchkumann (ch barely audible, guttural).

Laugh (v), páh-piu (i barely audible).

Lead (ball), mosasinni̍.

Leg, oskáht.

Lightning, uauase-skutä̍-paiú (e ½; emphasis on second word; last word lower).

Live (v; life?), pemah-tesuh (second e ½).

Man, hiyenú.

Meal (to eat?), meh-tsú (tsu very short).

Moon, tepiskao-pissi̍mm (o barely audible).

Morning, kichsäpah.

Mother, enkauï (e barely audible).

Mountain, uatsih.

Mouth, otóhn.

Much, meh-zett.

Negro, keskiteuias (e short and ½; e and u separated).

Night, tipskao (a and o separated).

Nose, uskiuánn.

One-eyed, páskahpu (pu short).

Pipe (tobacco), spoagánn (soft).

Powder (gun-powder), kaskitéu (e and u separated).

Quick, kiépa (e ½; pa short; i and e separated).

Red (the color), mechkossúh (ch barely audible and with the point of the tongue).

Relate (v), a̍h-tsimo (last word short).

River, kistsissibi.

Sick, ahkussú.

Small, apsáhsinn (sin very short and without emphasis).

Smoke, (n), kaskaba-teu (e and u separated).

Snow, kóhna (na short).

Spirits (distilled), skutä̍-uapui (pui run together).

Spring (the season), meiuskamin (short; n French; in almost like i nasal).

Star, atsah-kossack (short and run together).

Stingy, sasahkiu (i and u separated).

Stone, assiniack (i and a separated).

Summer, nehpi̍nn.

Sun, pisi̍mm.

Teeth, uï̍pitt.

Thunder, piéh-su (pronounced together; su without emphasis).

Tobacco (smoking), tstäman (an French).

Tomahawk, tschi̍ga-hi̍ka-spoagánn.

Tongue, uttäh-eni̍ (e ½).

Trail, mäskanó.

Tub (barrel?), machkaak (ch guttural).

Tub (small), mach-kach-kuss (ch guttural).

Ugly, mayahtan.

War, notintuock (u and o separated and barely audible).

Water, nipi̍.

White (color), wahpiskesu (e ½).

Wind, jeoti̍nn (ie German; run together).

Winter, pöpúnn or pipúhn.

Woman (wife), iskwä̍u (au separated; u barely audible).

Wood, mistick.

Yellow, ussáussu (a and u separated).

Yes, ähä̍.


I eat, nemitsonn.

You eat, kimitsonn.

He eats, meh-dsú (ds soft).

We eat, nemitsunann.

They eat, mit-sú.

Eat (imperative), mihtissú.

Months of the Year

They reckon the months from one full moon to the next. [The order here given is that of the original.—Ed.]

November, Kaskattinoh-pisimm; i.e., the ice moon.

December, Kaie-iequatä̍-pisimm.

January, Kesäh-pisimm (e ½); i.e., the big moon.

February, Paua-zakenassis-pisimm (a and u separated; za short and like a); i.e., the moon which shakes the trees.

March, Mekssiuh-pisimm (e short and ½; siuh almost like suh); i.e., the moon when the eagle comes.

----, Niski-pisimm; i.e., the moon of the wild geese.

----, Ayiki-pisimm; i.e., the moon of the frogs.

May, Opineya-uäu-pisimm (uau separated), i.e., moon when the birds lay their eggs.

June, Opaskoh-pisimm; i.e., the moon when the geese shed their feathers.

July, Oochpahoh-pisimm (ooch guttural); i.e., moon when the birds fly.

----, Onont-chicheto (on French; tch with the point of the tongue; e ½); i.e., moon when the buffalo is in heat.

October, Opinna-skoh-pisimm; i.e., the moon when the leaves fall.

Numerals

One, pähek (e ½).

Two, nehsu.

Three, nistó.

Four, neó (e and o separated).

Five, neanann (e full value and separated from a).

Six, nguttuahsick (n barely audible).

Seven, tähpakup (up like ufp).

Eight, aehnaneu (a and e separated; ne and u separated and short).

Nine, kähkametatatt (e ½).

Ten, mitahtat.

Twenty, nehsittano.

Hundred, mitahtat-tamittanoh.

Thousand, kich-tche-mta-tach-tommetano (ich, tch, and ch with the point of the tongue; e ½).

Names of Animals

Antelope, apestat-jéhkus (e ½; j French; jeh with emphasis; kus low and without emphasis).

Bear (black), kaskitäh-maskuá (kua German).

Bear (grizzly), uapi̍h-maskuá.

Beaver, ami̍sk.

Buffalo, mostúss; the general term.

Buffalo (bull), japö̍h-mostúss.

Buffalo (cow), onintcháh-oniuack.

Elk, uauasskéhsu (su short and barely audible).

Elk (stag), eyapeu-uauasskéhsu.

Fox, machkéhsiss (ach guttural).

Otter, niki̍tt.

Skunk, sikáhk.

A Few Phrases

Sit down, a-péh.

Sit down and smoke, a-péh-pih-tuá.

Sit down and smoke and relate to us, a-péh-pit-tuá-ah-tsimo.

Whence do you come? tan-täh-kotuch-tann (ch guttural).

FOOTNOTES:

[253] Written from the pronunciation of a Krih Indian.—Maximilian.