Color Terms in Wyandot
The Wyandot language has no word that translates as ‘color’. So, if you want to ask “What color is it?” you can use the following.
Tautę yaˀatsih What is the nature of what it is called?
[tah-oo-ten]
yaˀatsih It is called.
[yah-ah-tseeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
The Colors
uętaˀatsih It is called vermillion, ochre (earth dyes). red
[oo-en-tah-ah-tseeh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
–ęt- vermillion, ochre
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
tihšǫt yaˀatsih Strawberry it is called red
[teeh-shont]
ęrutaˀatsih It is called plants green
[en-roo-tah-ah-tseeh] (-ęrut- ‘plant’)
ęrut- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it‘
+ noun root ‘plant, grass’
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
yarǫnyaˀatsih It is called sky. blue [yah-ron-nyah-ah-tseeh
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it‘
-rǫny- noun root ‘sky’
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
yatsehęstatsih It is called charcoal[1]. black
[yah-tseh-hen-stah-tseeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it‘
-tsehęst- noun root ‘charcoal’
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
yaˀtaraˀatsih It is called clay, mud. brown
[yah-ah-tah-rah-ah-tseeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it‘
-ˀtar- ‘clay, mud’
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
uˀęraˀatsih It is called ash, ashes. gray
[oo-oo-en-rah-ah-tseeh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it‘
-ęr- noun root ‘ash, ashes’
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
yandinyętaˀatsih It is called snow white
[yan-deen-nyen-tah-ah-tseeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it‘
-ndinyęt– noun root ‘snow’
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
aˀtunęhst yaˀatsih It is called plum. (two words) purple
[ah-ah-too-nenhst]
aˀtunęhst feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it‘
+ verb root ‘to be a plum‘ + stative aspect
akyaręhtaˀatsih It is called squash/pumpkin blossom. yellow
[ah-kyah-renh-tah-ah-tseeh]
akyaręht- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it‘
+ noun root ‘squash or pumpking blossom‘
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
yandišraˀatsih It is called sun. yellow
[yan-dee-shrah-ah-tseeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it
–ndišr– noun root ‘sun, moon’
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
uramęhšraˀatsih It is called sunflower yellow
[oo-rah-menh-shah-ah-tseeh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it‘
-ramęhšr- noun root ‘sunflower’
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
auristih yaˀatsih It is called watermelon. pink
[ah-oo-ree-steeh]
a- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it‘
-urist- veb root ‘to be a watermelon’
-i stative aspect
unyǫhšaˀatsih It is called pumpkin orange
[oon-nyonh-shah-ah-tseeh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it‘
-nyǫhš- noun root ‘pumpkin, squash’
-a- noun suffix
-ˀats- verb root ‘to call, name’
-ih stative aspect
[1] This name was used to apply to the Jesuit priests because of the fact that they always wore black robes.