Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2002)
October 3, 2002 Page 9 THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES LANGUAGE LESSON Learner's Corner The "Learner's Corner" is a new segment for us. This will be an on-going section that will cover, little by little, the gramma details of our three languages. (Grammar, put simply, is the set of rules that determine how words are put together and then ordered.) As the weeks go by, reading the usual lessons on the previous page should be come easier and easier. It has been some time since we have covered the written alphabet and their sounds, so this week we wil start from the very beginning Please practice pronouncing the words on the previous page and listen to the KWSO language broadcasts for examples from the language p-ogram staff. (Hopefully this and coming issues will be helpful to you in learning languages. Since this is meant foryou, your feedback would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to leave comments for Tim Spilyay Tymoo, Wqrm Springs, Oregon Character a aa a' a c c' ch ch' h i ii k k' kw kw' m n P p' qw qw s sh t t' tt tt' u uu w X xw The Ichishkiin Alphabet a I a laala' I c c' lchbh'1 h 1 )M q'qvqwjs sh t t' tt ttj u u w x xyyx ii J ii Jl K i. L hl sl jp. p! q q sh t t' tjfu wx x im ' The Numu Alphabet ; alaal b d,dydz e eel g I h i i JL 1 SI !2 ooooo3oaooecw p s t tstzu uuwy I z , ' Sound Like the a in "father". An elongated (held longer) a sound. The apostrophe indicates the sound before it is shortened by a sudden stop of breath and voice. The closest equivalent exists in this (poor) English example: "a owl". Like the a in "can". This sounds like a slightly sharper English s. An English example is the ts sound in "cats". The apostrophe after the c indicates a"glot tal stop". Temporarily close your air:way to build up a burst of air, and then say the c. Like the ch in "chip".. The apostrophe following the ch indicates a "glottal stop". Position your tongue to say the ch sound, then put extra pressure on your tongue and say the ch sound. Identical to the English h, as in "hill". Pronounced like the ee sound in "seem". An elongated i sound.,. This is said like the English c in "cake". , The apostrophe indicates a glottal stop" ' after the k. Position your tongue for th')f) I I. I 4.U -...4. w-n S normal k buunu diiu uien (jul cauci picopuip j against your tongue as you say k sound. Pronounced like the qu in "quit . This is the kw sound said with a "glottal stop". Similar to k this sound requires extra pressure behind the tongue as you say the normal kw sound. This is the same as the English I, as in "lay". The "barred-L" has no English match. It is said similarly to the th sound in "think". First, position your tongue for the "th" sound and then slide the front tip of your tongue back so that it is touching the front of the roof of your mouth. Keep your tongue there and push air out, as you would with th. . Identical to the English m, as in "mother". Identical to the English n, as in "need". Identical to the English p, as in "proud". This is the p sound said with a "glottal stop". It is made by tightening the throat and adding extra pressure just before making the normal p sound. - - This is said much like the c in "cool , only with the tongue even further back. The q sound forces the tongue to block air flow all , the way at the very back of the mouth. The glottal q is pronounced by momentarily M holding the normal q sound to build up ,,-v .... pressure behind the tongue." Then, In a burst," release the pressure without exhaling and say the normal q. This result is sudden, louder, ; ; and sounds as if there is a catch in your 1" ' throat. TZl Pronounced by combining the Ichishkiin q and the English w sound (as in "will"). The result j; sounds much like kw only with a deeper catch" in the throat. This is said by combining the q' sound and the English w sound (as in "wish"). The result sounds like kw' only with a deeper catch in the throat. Identical to the English s, as in "silly". Identical to the English sh, as in "shout". Identical to the English t, as in "tall". The glottal t (hard t) is said by momentarily holding the normal t sound to build up pres sure behind the tongue. Then, in a burst, release the pressure without exhaling and say the normal t. The "t-barred-l" sound is one for which, again, English has no equivalent. To pro nounce this sound, position your tongue for the t sound, but say the (barred-L) sound. Say the the normal t-barred-l, but with more pressure behind the tongue. The result is a sharper, more sudden, and slightly louder tt sound. Said like the English oo sound in "boot". An elongated u sound. Identical to the English w, as in "wash". The x sounds similar to a clearing of the throat. As the middle of the tongue touches the top of the roof of the mouth, breathe out with a friction sound. This sound is a combonation of the x and the w sound, with no pause or space between them. To put it another way, it xw sounds much like the normal x said with a rounded open mouth. Identical to the English y, as in "yellow". a' a b c c' Character Sound Like the a in "father or the u in "up", The apostrophe indicaiej4he sound before it is shortened by a sudden stop of breath and voice.,, The cjosest equivalent exists in this (poorf English example: "a owl". Like the a in "can". . Like the. b in "boy" Thjs sounds like j6 slightly sharper English s. An English example is thes sound in "cats". , The apostrophe after the c indicates a "glot- ital stop". Tempprarilyxlose your airway to $ buiy up a burst of airand thersay the c. 4.ike the ch in "chip". cfrTht , aposlrpphfflfoirowtjjg Jhth indicates a '' 'jglottaKstop'yf psitionjyouripngue to say B-"' ithrch sobndtheh piit extraa presure - against your tbngjue and say XhS&h sbund4 Mf fdenticaf to tfVEnglisii d, s id "dog". v pk'e.teuinfup'! 1 , identical to tfrejfigM g, asfytfoWe". ffeg (deep gourtfLis similaNSthe gar gling sound. Jh: deep g is a g sound made in the throat instead of the mouth. "" Character a aa b $6und. v d dy dz e ee 9 h i k kw m mm "great" "mother". e 9 9 A :U-A : I 4. U in "hill" . WW : -IlltfllLILrll LU LI IB Ll It-JIOI I II. 111 I IIIL. w T ifvnl -s-M i'ia a it-irtml-n ; v -XV' 'i . . l (( k k' V 4 m n P P' This is said like the English-Inn "kite The apostrophe indicates a "glottal stop" after the k. Position your tongue for the normal k sound and then put extra pressure against your tongue as you say k sound. This is the same as the English I, as in "lay". The "barred-L" has no English match. It is said similarly to the th sound in "think". First, position your tongue for the "th" sound and then slide the front tip of your tongue back so that it is touching the front of the roof of your mouth. Keep your tongue there and push air out, as you would with th. Identical to the English m, as in "mother". Identical to the English n, as in "need". Identical to the English p, as in "proud". This is the p sound said with a "glottal stop". It is made by tightening the throat and adding extra pressure just before making the normal D sound. ' ' , . v' This Is said much like the c in "cool", only? X with the tongue even further back. The q Kv .'V sound forces the tongue to block air now all V the way at the very back of the mouth. v The glottal q is pronounced by momentarily holding the normal q sound to build up - 1 pressure behind the tongue, uhen, in a burst, y f A Like the a in "father". v l An elongated (he(d longer) a sound. This is a cross between th4 English "b" and "v" sounds. It is closest td the pronounciation of the "b" ound except that the lips do; hot quite meet in the Numu b. Identical to the English d, as in "dog". Like the English j in "Judge". This sounds like the'ds in "adds". Like the ee in "seem". y' 'An plinnnatprl P -----7 " Identical to the English g," as in Identical to the English h, as in Like the i in cite"'. Like the English k, as in "kid". Like the English qu sound, as in Identical to the English m, as in An elongated m. This sound usually receives the emphasis in a word (like the double-m in the English word f commemorate", Identical to the English n, as in "need", An "elongated r? This sound usually receives the emphasis in a word. ' " Like the English ng, as in "sing". Like the English 0, as in "rope". Like the English oa, as in "koala". Like the English vowel sound in "coin". This sounds like English vowels in "coin". Identical to the English 00, as in "boot". An elongated 00, like the English expression for what a cow says: Mooo! This sounds like how English would pronounce "oo-wa", but without a break after 00 and with a softened w sound. This sounds like the vowels in the English word "gooey". Like the English ow, as in "cow". Identical to the English p, as in "proud". Either like the English s (as in "silly) or like the English sh (as in "shop"), which of the two depends on what sounds are next to it. If the s is next to an e or an i, it sounds like the sh. (For example, the word "pesa" sounds like "p-ee-sh-a".) If there is no e or I next to the s, it is simply an English s. (For example, the word "soba" sounds like "s-O-b-a", with a long 0 like in rope.) Irlentiral tn the Enalish t. as in "tall". ' o - - tsl Like the English ts, as in "bits . tz Like the English ds, as in "loads", or like the "ts" in "cats". nn oa oe oi 00 000 00a ooe ow P s u i f ' This vowel doesn't have an exact match in release the pressure without exhaling and say sh t , t'- tt u w X y z the normal q. This result is sudden, louder, and sounds as if there is a catch in your ' .throat. .: Identical to the English, s, as in "silly".v- , Identical to the English sh, as in "shout"., ' Irlpntiral tn the Fnnlkh't.'ac in "tall".' . ' - The glottal t (hard t) is said by momentarily holding the normal t sound to build up pres- sure behind the tongue. Then, in a burst, release the pressure without exhaling and say the normal t. ' The "t-barred-l" sound is one for which, again, English has no equivalent. To pro- . nounce this sound, position your tongue for ; the t sound, but say the (barred-L) sound. Say the the normal t-barred-l, but with more pressure behind the tongue. The result is a V sharper, more sudden, and slightly louder tt .. sound. A Like the u in "pull". ?', Identical to the English w, as in "wash". . , The x sounds similar to a clearing of the j throat. As the middle of the tongue touches , the top of the roof of the mouth, breathe out with a friction sound. The "deep x" is same friction sound as x . except that the tongue makes contact with , the roof of the mouth as far back as possible. Identical to the English y, as in "yellow". Identical to the English z, as in "zoo". w y z I- l:U U..4. . U II.. M a, in ,N cngiibn, uui 11 is uuac iu we u ao in pui , but the lips aren't rounded. Instead they are flat almost smiling which makes it sound a little different. , An elongated u. Like mm and nn, this long sound receives emphasis over other short sounds in a word. -. j This sound is a cross between an English w and an English m. It sounds like the w in "will", but softer. Identical to the English y, as in; "yellow". Identical to the English z, as in "zoo". ' ! Numu also has several glottal stop characters (ones marked with an apostrophe immediately follow ing them). However, unlike Kiksht and Ichishkiin, all of the Numu stops take place after vowels (such as a, 00, and u, for example). These vowels are pronounced like their un-stopped counter-parts except with a sudden v. end. . A common example is the a vowel in the Numu word wuda'a. While English works to avoid these sounds, you can see examples in some (bad) English sentences, such as "a afternoon". The sound of the j two neighboring a vowels is exactly the sound you hear j in the Numu a'a combination. Another example can bee seen on the previous page: pu'a. The U'a sound can be seen, approximately, in the English example "do a".! The momentary catch in breath you would make after "do" is he same catch in breatri that fits between the Numu u and a. So instead of simply sliding be tween vowel sounds, as happens In the Numu 00a, the glottal stop (apostrophe) marks a split-second inter- ' ruption of breath and sound. ) . I ::;.v ,- wyw. "Xccfi mtdtttf fuxqe over tttctc ttoUt$ evecfo 04 m continue U teavtmtie of mxcU dad umhcU fou icxtft &cic(