Author Archives: jonafras

ngerul- (intransitive verb), imperfective ngerulav: to cry, weep. ringá ngerul hullangang woman.PL cry.PERF dead.EL “the women wept because of the dead”

mittám: tongue; taste. len náram mittámba-callangal yácindacarnútur we eat.PERF.TRANS tongue-cow.ACC dinner.GEN “we have eaten cow’s tongues for dinner” mittám is also used idiomatically with a possessive prefix and the sociative suffix -er in order to convey the meaning “to X’s … Continue reading →

cissá- (transitive verb), imperfective cissácam: to take; to eat (esp. formally), have a meal. máca cissá-pam túpalut carlavangut they take-PERF.TRANS child.ACC.DEF mother.EL.DEF “they took the child away from [its] mother” Along with its normal meaning “to take”, cissácam is also … Continue reading →

ecám: white, snow-white (in color); painted white. ngúyendut nartáyisam nivand-ecámb-alut grain.DEF lie.in.IMPERF.NON1.TRANS building-white-ACC.DEF “the grain is in the white building”

himánd- (transitive verb), imperfective himándaram: to say again, repeat; to order, instruct; to translate; to mediate. ca himánd-am panduttárut nget minarsám mbuttácalá I instruct.PERF-TRANS brother.ILL.DEF that sell.POT.NON1.TRANS sheep.ACC.PL “I instructed my brother to sell the sheep” Along with its more … Continue reading →

macan (noun): fire, flame; torch, light. ca-percánder cramára civa macand-es cá-caramándemecut my-wish.SOC at.night become.COMPL torch-ESS this-room.INESS.DEF “I wish [that there] are torches in this room throughout the night”

urman- (transitive verb), imperfective urmanaram: to sneer, despise, laugh at. len urman-aram racát-úndel we despise-IMPERF.1.TRANS foreigner-south.ACC “we despise the barbarians of the South”

timan (noun): empty, hollow; hollow, cave, cavern. civa sirmes timand-emec cártevisut become.COMPL snake.ESS cave-INESS mountains.SUBL.DEF “there are snakes in caves in the mountains”

yurind- (transitive verb), imperfective yurindaram: to extend, spread out; to raise (one’s arms). már yurind-am assembalá yusúnin he spread.out.PERF-TRANS paper.ACC.PL floor.SUPERESS “he spread out [his] papers [around himself] on the floor” Use of the verb yurindaram often implies movement or … Continue reading →

crás (noun): fat; fatty; lard, fat. amaracúmarangut ngúya crás-era-lurcandes people.valley.EL.DEF COP.IMPERF fat-SOC-lazy.ESS “the people of [this] valley are fat and lazy”