Dictionary of the Arapaho Language First Edition by Zdenek Salzmann, 1983 Second Edition by Jeffrey Anderson, Arapahoe School, and Northern Arapaho Language and Culture Commission, 1998 Third Edition by Alonzo Moss, Sr. and Avalene Moss Glenmore, 2002 Fourth Edition by Andrew Cowell, with Alonzo Moss, Sr., William C'Hair, Wayne C'Hair, Arapahoe Immersion School, and elders of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, 2012 Permission is hereby granted to all individuals and institutions of the Northern Arapaho Tribe and Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe to reproduce this document as needed for personal and educational use, as well as to any educational institution which offers instruction in the Arapaho language, for the same uses. All other reproduction is restricted by copyright. Copyright: Northern Arapaho Tribe, Ethete, Wyoming, USA, 2012 1 This edition of the Arapaho dictionary has several new features compared to previous editions. First, an effort has been made to include new words for modern items. This includes the results of meetings held in June 2008 and March 2012 by elders specifically to create new words, and also words in use at the Ethete and Arapahoe Immersion schools that have been documented. This also includes detailed words for activities such as basketball, which were not included in earlier editions. New entries exist for e-mail, text-message, website, homepage, the Internet, Facebook, Twitter, cell-phone, and a number of other items. In some cases, no official new word has been designated, and no word seems to be in popular use, but an individual elder has suggested a word. These are labeled "suggested word" in the accompanying entry. Secondly, more examples have been added for many entries, and clarifications of meaning and part of speech have been added as well, to make the dictionary more complete and easier to use. Third, an effort has been made to standardize spellings, especially where the same word is spelled differently in different entries. A "formal" spelling style has been used. The biggest difference between this formal style and everyday speech comes in words like Nih'oo3oo 'white man,' which in everyday speech would often be said Nihoo3oo, or booo 'road,' which in everyday speech would often be said bo'o. Speakers can easily pronounce the words in this way if they want, and even write them this way, but here we have tried to produce the slow, careful pronunciation. The main reason for this is that users can always "reduce" words from nih'oo3oo to nihoo3oo or booo to bo'o if they want, but if only nihoo3oo and bo'o are listed, it is very hard for non-native speakers to go back to the "full" form and know what is missing. Wherever you see three vowels in a row, for example, feel free to pronounce them as vowel-stop-vowel. Fourth, we have tried to add more colorful and fun words, to allow users to spice up their conversation. See the entries for 'heck' or 'darn' or 'lost' (gambling) or 'drunk.' Fifth, we have added place names for Oklahoma, expanding beyond the Northern Arapaho area, as well as names for plants and animals of that area. In a number of cases, old words documented in archives have been included, though they may not be in use any longer. Sixth, some personal names of important individuals have been added. Finally, we have put (?) question marks after entries which are unclear, at least to the editor. We suspect that the spelling or meaning may be wrong in these entries, but have not been able to check them yet. They could be correct, however: the question marks reflect the limitations of Andrew Cowell's knowledge of Arapaho, perhaps. But users should ideally check with an elder before using forms with (?) after them. Be aware that there are many thousands of additional words which could still be added, many documented in notes and texts recorded by Andrew Cowell. Many of these words refer to old cultural items or practices, or to specific birds, animals, plants, or place names. There are also many uncommon (but often highly expressive) words which we hope to add to a future edition. 2 Pronunciation and the Arapaho Alphabet Consonants: b, c, h, k, n, s, t, 3, w, x, y, ' Vowels: e, i, o, u Short vowels: e as in English 'bet' i as in English 'bit' o as in English 'hot' u as in English 'put' Long vowels: ee as in English 'bat' but held longer ii as in English 'beat' but held longer oo as in English 'caught' but held longer uu as in English 'food' but held longer Triple vowels: Triple vowels occur with either a pronunciation ée-é, íi-í, óo-ó and úu-ú or else with a pronunciation é-ee, í-ii, ó-oo, ú-uu. They form two separate syllables, but without a consonant between the vowels. The word 'road' is pronounced bóoó, while the word tepee is pronounced níiinon Vowel combinations: ei as in English 'wait' ou as in English 'boat' oe as in English 'bite' Long vowel combinations: he vowel combinations can occur long as well as short: eii, often pronounced ei'ei ouu, often pronounced ou'ou oee, often pronounce o'oe 3 Consonants: b roughly as in English, but more like b before other consonants or finally c like English j but without any puff of air, but more like ch before other consonants or finally h like in English k like English g but without any puff of air, but more like k before other consonants or finally n like in English s like in English, but always s sound, never z t like English d but without any puff of air, but more like t before other consonants or finally 3 like English th 'thin', never as in 'that' w like in English x as in German 'lach' y like in English ' glottal stop, as in the middle of oh-oh! in English parentheses indicate sounds which are pronounced in slow, careful pronunciation, but often dropped in rapid everyday pronunciation See the Arapaho Language Project website: http://www.colorado.edu/csilw/alp/index.html This website has sound files to illustrate pronunciation (as well as many grammar lessons, also with sound files) Abbreviations: anim. animate subject or object inan. inanimate subject or object subj. subject of sentence obj. grammatical object of sentence excl. exclusive (we) incl. inclusive (we) obv. obviative sg. singular pl. plural voc. vocative, address form c.f. means 'compare to' e.g. means 'for example' See the Appendix for further explanation of these terms, and for advanced users: The Arapaho Language, by Andrew Cowell with Alonzo Moss, Sr. Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 20008. 4 A ABANDON it was abandoned: nihnooto'; he (she) was abandoned: nihnoo3eiht; he (she) abandoned him (her): nihnoo3oot ABBREVIATE it (e.g., a person's name) is abbreviated: niitou'kuuhu' ABDOMEN (someone's) abdomen: wonot, pl. wonotno; my abdomen: nonot; his (her) abdomen: hinot ABDUCT he (she) abducted him (her): heniixoyooniihoot ABJECT I am in an abject state: 3onoonouubeihinoo (means: "lazy," "sad," "low," and "despondent") ABLAZE it is ablaze (burning bright): noo'ohutee' ABLE I am able (I am capable of accomplishing a task): nii'eeniinoo; I am able to handle (manage) it: nii'enowoo; I will be able to handle it: heetni'enowoo; he (she) is able to handle it: nii'eno' ABLOOM they are abloom: konoo'okuunoo'ou'u ABODE (home): niinowoohut; his (her) abode: hiniinowoohut ABOLISH he (she) is abolishing it: neeneenontiit; abolish (destroy) it completely!: neneenonitii ABORTION she had an abortion (presumably): he'ih'etenowuuneih hiniisoon ABOUT bebene (approximately); about two or three days: bebene niis wo'ei3 neesiiis; I am about to go: heeyeihce3ei'oonoo; it is about time for me to eat: heeyeihbii3ihinoo; he (she) is just about here, almost here: heeyeihno'useet; he (she) told me a story about long ago: nih'oo3itooneinoo hi'iihi' teecxo'; I head about him (her): nihniitowoo3o'; I am telling about him (her): henei'towoo3o' ABOVE hihcebe'; the clock is hanging above where you are sitting: he'iyoo honouu3i' hihcebe' heetoh3i'okun ABOVE ALL it is most important above all: ceebe'eico'ouute' ABRUPT it is abrupt (sudden): koxuuten teebinoo'oo' (means: breaking suddenly) ABSCESS beniini hesiwo 5 ABSENT I am absent (not there): neihooweentoot; I am absent (not here): neihooweentoo; my husband was absent from the meeting: nees hih'ooweentoo nih'iitoh'eenetiitooni' (from where they were talking) ABSENT-MINDED he (she) is absent-minded (forgets a lot): noonih'ihiinit ABSORB I am absorbing it (soaking up liquid): hii3konootowoo ABUSE he (she) is being abusive: hononot'noohoet (verbal abuse) (?); noononooxo3ihetiit (harm physically) ABYSS niicooniteto'wuu'ooni' (without bottom); niicoonitetouhu' A CAPPELLA niikonouniibei'it (without accompaniment) ACADEMICS neyei3ooot ("learning") ACCELERATE (faster) nohohooniihi' ACCENT (style of speech) he (she) speaks with an accent: niice'eseitit; they speak with an accent: niice'eseiti3i' ACCEPT I will accept it (anim. or inan. obj.) for you: heetniitenowuune3en (also means: "I will take it from you"); I will accept it (e.g., a gift or what is said): heetxouwoteneetowoo ACCESS I have access to this: heetno3ontonouni' ACCIDENT he (she) is in an accident: ceeteenowoot (also means: "in trouble"); he (she) found the key by accident: nihcee3bii'ino' koonootoo'hoe; he (she) did it by accident: nihcee3toot; my son was in a car accident (turned over his car): neih'e nih'i3eckuu3oot hitotiiw ACCLAIM they yell in acclamation: hoowooni3i' (men used to say "yeihii," women would yodel); yelling as acclamation: kookokoceii' (old word) ACCOMMODATE I accommodated him/her (provided housing for the night): nih'eteiniho' ACCOMPANY I will accompany you: heetnii3neniibe3en