Wyandot Words for Coffee and Tea
Conversations About Coffee
The noun for coffee will be ukasešraˀ. Following other Iroquoian languages, the word ‘coffee’ is incorporated into the language. The -f- becomes a –s-, as there is no -f- in Wyandot and there is a precedent for this conversion with other examples. The words that are bolded are on the recording
ukasešraˀ coffee
[oo-kah-seh-shra-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-aˀ noun suffix
ayekasešraˀ my coffee
[ah-yeh-kah-seh-shrah-ah]
aye- 1st person singular patient ‘my’
kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-aˀ noun suffix
ędi ayekasešraˀ my coffee! (The first person particle ędi adds emphasis.)
Kwižuh ǫndaˀe sakasešraˀ Is that your coffee?
Yes-no Q that your coffee
Kwižuh deka sakasešraˀ Is this your coffee?
[kwee-zooh] this
sakasešraˀ your coffee
[sah-kah-seh-shrah-ah
sa- 2nd person singular patient ‘your’
-kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-aˀ noun suffix
hęh ayekasešraˀ Yes, it is my coffee.
Deka ayekasešraˀ This is my coffee.
ąˀą teˀayekasešramęh No, it is not my coffee.
[an-an]
teˀayekasešramęh It is not my coffee.
[teh-eh-ah-yeh-kah-seh-shra-menh]
teˀ- negative prefix
-ay- 1st person singular patient ‘my’
-kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-aˀ noun suffix
–mę– verb root ‘to own’
-h stative aspect
ayekasešrayǫh It is in my coffee.
[ah-yeh-kah-seh-shrah-yonh]
aye- 1st person singular patient ‘my’
-kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-ayǫ- verb root ‘to be inside’
-h stative aspect
teˀayekasešrayǫh It is not in my coffee.
[teh-eh-ah-yeh-kah-seh-shrah-yonh]
teˀ- negative prefix
-aye- 1st person singular patient ‘my’
–kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-ayǫ– VR ‘to be inside’
-h stative aspect
sanǫrąhšaerat ayekasešrayǫh Add milk to my coffee.
sanǫrąhšaerat Add milk.
[sah-non-ranh-shah-eh-rat]
sa- imperative + 2nd person singular agent ‘you (s)’
-nǫrąhš- noun root ‘milk, breast’
-a- noun suffix
-erat- verb root ‘to add to’ + imperative aspect
sutsikeˀtaerat Add sugar
[soo-tsee-keh-eh-tah-eh-raht]
su- imperative + second person singular agent ‘you’
-tsikeˀt- noun root ‘sugar’
-aˀ noun suffix
-erat- verb root ‘to add to’ + imperative aspect
ukasešruhskǫh It is black coffee. It is pure, unmixed coffee
[oo-kah-seh-shrooh-skonh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
–uhskǫ– verb root ‘to be pure, unmixed.
-h stative aspect
skukasešrat It is one coffee.
[skoo-kah-seh-shrat]
sk- repetitive
-u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
ukase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-aˀ noun suffix
Tęndih teukasešrayeh Two coffees.
[ten-deeh]
teukasešrayeh It is two coffees.
[teh-oo-kah-seh-shrah-yeh]
te- dualic prefix
-u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-a noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
Ahšęhk ukasešrayeh Three coffees.
[ah-senhk]
ukasešrayeh It is such a number of coffees.
[oo-kah-seh-shrah-yeh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-a noun suffix
-ye- verb root ‘to number’
-h stative aspect
ukasešraˀtarihęh The coffee is hot.
[oo-kah-seh-shrahah-tah-ree-henh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-aˀtarih- verb root ‘to be hot’
-ęh stative aspect
tsukasešraˀtarihęh The coffee is very hot.
ts- repetitive ‘very’
-u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-kase– noun root ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
–aˀtarih- verb root ‘to be hot’
-ęh stative aspect
utiˀšranduhstih It is cold coffee. The coffee is cold.
[oo-tee-ee-shran-dooh-steeh]
u- feminine-zoic patient ‘it’
-kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-nduhst- verb root ‘to be cold’
-ih stative aspect
tsutiˀšranduhstih It is very cold coffee. The coffee is very cold.
[tsoo-tee-ee-shran-dooh-steeh]
ts- repetitive ‘very’
-u– feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-kase– ‘coffee’
-šr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-nduhst- verb root ‘to be cold’
-ih stative aspect
Talking About Tea
Learning and borrowing from the terms used in the related languages of Cayuga, Oneida, and Onondaga, we are introducing a term for ‘tea’ in Wyandotte. It takes the u- conjugation, as it does in those languages.
utiˀšraˀ tea, her tea
[oo-tee-ee-shrah-ah]
utiˀ- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’ + ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-aˀ noun suffix
ayutiˀšraˀ my tea
[ah-yoo-tee-ee-shrah-ah]
y- 1st person singular agent ‘my’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-aˀ noun suffix
šutiˀšraˀ your (s) tea
[shoo-tee-ee-shrah-ah
š- 2nd person singular ‘your (s)’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-aˀ noun suffix
hutiˀšraˀ his tea
[hoo-tee-ee-shrah-ah]
h- masculine singular agent ‘his’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-aˀ noun suffix
autiˀšrǫndih She is making tea.
[ah-oo-tee-ee-shron-deeh]
a- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘she’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-ǫndi- verb root ‘to make’
-h stative aspect
aˀutiˀšrǫngyaˀ She made tea.
[ah-ah-oo-tee-ee-shron-gyah-ah]
aˀ- factual
-utiˀ- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she’ + ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-ǫngy- verb root ‘to make’
-aˀ punctual aspect
autiˀšrǫngyatih It is used to make tea; it is a teapot.
[ah-oo-tee-ee-shron-gyah-teeh]
a- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
–ǫngy- verb root ‘to make’
-at- causative root suffix
-ih stative aspect
autiˀšrayawih It is sweet tea.
[ah-oo-tee-ee-shra-yah-weeh]
a- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-yaw- verb root ‘to taste good’
-ih stative aspect
autiˀšraˀtarihęh It is hot tea.
[ah-oo-tee-ee-shrah-ah-tah-ree-henh]
a- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-aˀtarih- verb root ‘to be hot’
-ęh stative aspect
autiˀšranduhstih It is cold tea.
[ah-oo-tee-ee-shran-dooh-steeh]
a- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
–utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-nduhst- verb root ‘to be cold’
-ih stative aspect
milk, breast: -nǫrąhš–
unǫrąhšaˀ milk, breast
[oo-non-ran-hshah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-nǫrąhš- noun root ‘milk, breast’
-aˀ noun suffix
unǫrąhšatętsih It is thick milk, cream.
[oo-non-ran-hshah-ten-tseeh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
– nǫrąhš- noun root ‘milk, breast’
-a- noun suffix
-tęts- verb root ‘to be thick’
-ih stative aspect
Tsinęęh šerhe unǫrąhšaˀ neˀšaˀ unǫrąhšatętsih
Which? you wish milk other one cream
Which do you want, milk or cream?
išerhe you wish, want
[ee-sheh-rheh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-š- 2nd person singular agent ‘you (s)’
-er- verb root ‘to wish, want’
-he habitual aspect
tayenǫrąhšǫˀ Pass me milk.
[tah-yen-non-ran-shon-on]
ta- imperative
-ye- 1st person singular agent ‘me’
-nǫrąhš- noun root ‘milk’
-ǫ- verb root ‘to give’
-ˀ imperative aspect
sugar: -tsikeˀt-
utsikeˀtaˀ sugar
[oo-tsee-keh-eh-tah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-tsikeˀt- noun root ‘sugar’
-aˀ noun suffix
Kwižuh išerhe utsikeˀtaˀ? Do you want sugar?
hęh iyerhe Yes, I want it.
iyerhe I want it
[ee-yeh-rheh]
i- partitive ‘such’
-y- 1st person singular agent ‘I’
-er- verb root ‘to wish, want’
-he habitual aspect
ąˀą teˀyerhe No, I don’t want it.
[an-an]
teˀyerhe I don’t want it.
[teh-eh-yeh-rheh]
teˀ- negative prefix
-y- 1st person singular agent ‘1’
-er- verb root ‘to wish, want’
-he habitual aspect
utsikeˀtaeratih Sugar is added.
[oo-tsee-keh-eh-tah-eh-rah-teeh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it’
-tsikeˀt- noun root ‘sugar’
-a- noun suffix
-erat- verb root ‘to add’
-ih stative aspect
satsikeˀtaeratih Add sugar
[sah-tsee-keh-eh-tah-eh-rah-teeh]
sa- imperative + 2nd person singular agent ‘you (s)’
-tsikeˀt- noun root ‘sugar’
-a- noun suffix
-erat- verb root ‘to add’
tayetsikeˀtǫˀ Give, pass me sugar
[tah-yeh-tsee-keh-eh-ton-on]
ta- imperative prefix
-ye- 1st person singular agent ‘me’
-tsikeˀt- noun root ‘sugar’
-ǫ- verb root ‘to give’
-ˀ imperative aspect
To Pour: –šra-
ayešramih I am pouring it.
[ah-yeh-shrah-meeh]
aye- 1st person singular patient ‘I’
-šra- verb root ‘to pour’
-m- transitive
-ih stative aspect
ayutiˀšrašramih I am pouring tea.
[ah-yoo-tee-ee-shrah-shra-meeh]
ay- 1st person singular patient ‘I’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-šra- verb root ‘to pour’
-m- transitive
-ih stative aspect
sašraˀ Pour it.
[sah-shrah-ah]
sa- imperative + 2nd person singular agent ‘you (s)’
-šra- verb root ‘to pour’
-ˀ imperative aspect
sutišrašraˀ Pour the tea.
[soo-tee-shrah-shrah-ah]
s- imperative + 2nd person singular agent ‘you (s)’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-a- noun suffix
-šra- verb root ‘to pour’
-ˀ imperative aspect
Drink: -ir-
tsiraˀ Drink it.
[tsee-rah-ah]
ts- imperative + 2nd person singular agent ‘you’
-ir- verb root ‘to drink’
-aˀ imperative aspect
sutišriraˀ Drink (your) tea.
s- imperative + 2nd person singular agent
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-ir- verb root ‘to drink’
-aˀ imperative aspect
kwęraˀ Let’s drink it.
[kwen-rah-ah]
kw- imperative + 1st person inclusive plural agent ‘we (inclusive)’
-ęr- verb root ‘to drink’
-aˀ imperative aspect
kyutišriraˀ Let’s drink tea.
[kyoo-tee-shree-rah-ah]
ky- imperative + 1st person plural agent ‘we (inclusive)’[
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-ir- verb root ‘to drink’
-aˀ imperative aspect
To Stir: -už-
ayutišruž I am stirring the tea.
[ah-yoo-tee-shroozh]
ay- 1st person singular patient ‘I’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-už- verb root ‘to stir, move’ + stative aspect
sutišružaˀ Stir the tea.
[soo-tee-shroo-zhah-ah]
s- imperative + 2nd person singular agent ‘you (s)’
-utiˀ- ‘tea’
-šr- nominalizer
-už- verb root ‘to stir, move’
-aˀ imperative aspect