Category Archives: HE word of the day

lurcá- (transitive verb), imperfective lurcávam: to talk, converse, sit with (someone). lurcá-m mál surát cúrcur-cándaremec speak.with-TRANS he/she.ACC earlier year.GEN-three.INESS “I last spoke with him/her three years ago”

cúris- (transitive verb), imperfective cúrisaram (occasionally cúrsaram): to look at, examine, inspect; to study, read up on. ngúrnam hangaral ivá lapá tacettárut issá ca cúris-am see.PERF.TRANS smoke.ACC and go.PERF place.ILL.DEF so.that I examine.PERF-TRANS “I saw smoke and went over to … Continue reading →

attám (noun): wet, soaked; moist, moistened. civa tenámbes issá tás civa y-attámb-es become.COMPL rain.ESS so.that soil become.COMPL 0-wet-ESS “it rained so the soil became wet”

tattá- (intransitive verb), imperfective tattár: to chat, chatter, babble. cavá ngillándá tattá-ndá lecá len tandingucám finally uncle.PL chatter-COMPL and.so we continue.POT.1.TRANS “finally, [my] uncles ended their chatter and we could continue” The verb tattár is generally used to mean senseless … Continue reading →

rassim (noun): edge, border, corner; periphery, edge (of something). civa mullates se-tersa-rassimba-mecut become.COMPL bread.ESS your-mouth-edge-INESS.DEF “[you have] bread[crumbs] at the corners of your mouth”

varná- (transitive verb), imperfective varnávam: to wake up (someone). ca layúcav yat már varná-m cal I sleep.IMPERF then he/she wake.up.PERF-TRANS I.ACC “I was sleeping when he/she woke me up” The verb varnávam is underlyingly transitive, but may also be used … Continue reading →

ngurá (noun): bottom, lower part (of); anvil. tiráng aca ngurá-lártettárut wound.MID.PERF I bottom-leg.ILL.DEF “I was wounded in the lower part of [my] leg”

tarúc- (transitive verb), imperfective tarúcatam: to hold close to oneself, be close to (something), be pressed against. tarúc-ettám sutúndalut va yat ava crambes press.against-IMPERF.1.TRANS cliff.ACC.DEF and then COP.COMPL storm.ESS “I pressed myself against the cliff until the storm was over”

tassá- (transitive verb), imperfective tassácam: to demand, ask (for something). ca tassá-mím calendalut varándangut mbe rícam cal I demand-COND.TRANS money.ACC.DEF father.EL.DEF and kill.PERF.TRANS I.ACC “my father would kill me if I asked him for [more] money” The verb tassácam may … Continue reading →

hursen (noun): high, tall, prominent. lecá yallándut capápam hursend-alut and.so hero.DEF fight.PERF.TRANS highest.ACC.DEF “and then the hero fought the highest man [among them]” The word hursen is used to mark entities of exceptional or prominent height in comparison to others, … Continue reading →