The Happy Birthday Song in Wyandotte
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Happy Birthday to you
sǫtaręh ǫtahša- -tǫngyaˀ
Happy Birthday to you
sǫtaręh ǫtahša- -tǫngyaˀ
Happy Birthday dear _____
sǫtaręh skendurǫh _______
Happy Birthday to you
sǫtaręh ǫtahša- -tǫngyaˀ
Meaning of the Words
sǫtaręh Be on top of life, be happy.
[son-tah-renh]
s- imperative + 2nd person singular patient ‘you’
-ǫt- noun root ‘life’
-a- noun suffix
-r- verb root ‘to be on top’
-ęh imperative aspect
tahšatǫngyaˀ at the point when you were made, born
[tah-shat-on-gyah-ah]
ǫ- factual modal
-t- cislocative ‘when’
-a- factual prefix
-hš- 2nd person singular agent ‘you’ (singular)
-at- semi-reflexive voice
-ǫngy– verb root ‘to make’
-aˀ punctual aspect
skendurǫh You are valued, dear to me.
[sken-doo-ronh]
ske- 2nd person singular agent + 1st person singular patient: ‘you – me’
-nduron- verb root ‘to be valuable’
-h stative aspect