Wyandot Noun Roots for the Upper Body
All these noun roots are consonant stem conjugation except for two that are specified as different.
Arm –žahš–
yažahšaˀ arm (including that of a corn plant), her arm
[yah-zhah-shah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it she, her’
–žahš– noun root, ‘arm’
-aˀ noun suffix
hažahšaˀ His arm
[hah-zhah-shah-ah]
ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
–žahš– noun root, ‘arm’
-aˀ noun suffix
ehažahšut He will stick his arm out.
[eh-hah-zhah-suoot]
e- future prefix
-ha- masculine singular agent ‘he, his’
–žahš– noun root, ‘arm’
-ut- verb root ‘to stand’ + punctual prefix
tehažahšuwanęh He has two large arms
[teh-hah-zhah-shoo-wan-nenh]
te- dualic
-ha- masculine singular agent ‘he, his’
–žahš– noun root, ‘arm’
-uwanę- verb root, ‘to be large’
-h stative aspect
Armpit -tǫr-
utǫraˀ armpit, her armpit
[oo-ton-rah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it, her’
-tǫr- noun root, ‘armpit’
-aˀ noun suffix
satǫraˀ your armpit
[sah-ton-rah-ah]
sa- 2nd person singular patient ‘your’
-tǫr– noun root, ‘armpit’
-aˀ noun suffix
Shoulder -nęhš
yanęhšaˀ shoulder, her shoulder
[yah-nenh-shah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent
-nęhš- noun root, ‘shoulder’
-aˀ noun suffix
yenęhšaˀ my shoulder
[yeh-nenh-shah-ah]
ye- 1st person singular agent ‘my’
-nęhš- noun root, ‘shoulder’
-aˀ noun suffix
Elbow –žuš–
yažušaˀ elbow, her elbow
[yah-zhoo-shah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it, her’
–žuš– noun root, ‘elbow’
-aˀ noun suffix
hažušaˀ his elbow
[hah-zoo-shah-ah]
ha- masculine singular agent ‘his’
–žuš– noun root, ‘elbow’
-aˀ noun suffix
šežušaˀ your elbow (a Wyandot tongue-twister)
[sheh-zhoo-shah-ah]
še- 2nd person singular agent
–žuš– noun root, ‘elbow’
-aˀ noun suffix
Hand/Palm -yǫres-
yayǫresaˀ palm, hand, her palm, her hand
[yah-yon-reh-sah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic agent, ‘it’ or ‘her’
-yǫres- noun root, ‘palm, hand’
-aˀ noun suffix
yayǫresaˀye on the palm, her palm, hand, her hand
[yah-yon-reh-sah-ah-yeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent, ‘it’ or ‘her’
-yǫres- noun root, ‘palm, hand’
-aˀye external locative noun suffix
yayǫresanhtǫtraˀ It joins the hand; the wrist.
[yah-yon-re-sanh-ton-tra-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-yǫres- noun root ‘hand’
-a- noun suffix
-nhtǫtra- verb root ‘to join’
-ˀ stative aspect
Finger, ring -ˀngy-
yaˀngyaˀ finger, her finger, fingers, her fingers
[yah-an-gyah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent, ‘it’ or ‘her’
-ˀngy- noun root, ‘finger, fingers, ring’
-aˀ noun suffix
yaˀngyaˀye on her finger
[yan-an-gyah-ah-yeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘her’
-ˀngy- noun root, ‘finger’
-aˀye external locative noun suffix
ayeˀngyamęh my finger, my ring
[ah-yen-en-gyah-menh]
aye- 1st person singular patient ‘my’
-ˀngy- noun root, ‘finger, ring’
-a- noun suffix
-mę- verb root ‘to have’
-h stative aspect
Metaphors With Fingers
ahuˀngyarahs His fingers were with him. He helped him [ah-hoo-oon-gyah-rahs]
a- factual
-hu- masculine singular agent + singular patient ’he to him‘
-ˀngy- noun root ‘finger’
-a- noun suffix
-ra- verb root ‘to be with’
-hs dative root suffix + punctual aspect
sahatiˀngyayęhąˀ Their (m) fingers have gone out. They have escaped
[sah-hah-tee-een-gyah-yen-han-an]
s- repetitive
-a- factual
-hati- masculine plural agent ’they (m)‘
-ˀngy- noun root ‘finger’
-ayę verb root ‘to go out’
-hą-ˀ inchoative root suffix
-ˀ punctual aspect
Thumb -nyǫkar-
unyǫkaraˀ thumb
[oon-yon-kah-rah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic patient ‘it’
-nyǫkar- noun root ‘thumb’
-aˀ noun suffix
unyǫkaruyęnęh under one’s, her thumb
[oon-yonkah-roo-yen-neh]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘one’s, her’
-nyǫkar- noun root ‘thumb’
-uyęnę- verb root ‘to be under’
-h stative aspect
Fingernail -ˀeht-
uˀehtaˀ (her) fingernail(s), toenail(s), talon(s), claw(s)
[oo-oo-eh-tah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient, ‘it, her’
-ˀeht- noun root, ‘fingernail’
-aˀ noun suffix
uˀehtetsiˀs Her fingernails are long; her long fingernails.
[oo-oo-eh-teh-tsee-ees]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘her’
-ˀeht- noun root, ‘fingernail’
-ets- verb ‘to be long’
-i- stative aspect
-ˀs plural aspect suffix
Back –ˀnǫm-
yaˀnǫmaˀ back, her back
[yah-ah-non-mah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent, ‘it’ or ‘her’
–ˀnǫm- noun root, ‘back’
-aˀ noun suffix
yaˀnǫmaˀyeh on top of her, at her back
[yah-ah-non-mah-ah-yeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘her’
–ˀnǫm- noun root, ‘back’
-aˀyeh external locative noun suffix
Backbone. Spine: –haęhš–
hahaęhšaˀ his spine, backbone
[hah-hah-enh-shah-ah]
ha- masculine singular agent ‘his’
-haęhš– noun root ‘spine, backbone’
-aˀ noun suffix
hahaęhšuwanęh He has a large backbone, spine.
[hah-hah-enh-shoo-wan-nenh]
ha- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-haęhš– noun root ‘spine, backbone’
-uwanę verb root ‘to be large’
-h stative aspect
Rib(s) -yęhs/ihs- (yen-/i-conjugation)
yęhsaˀ rib(s), her rib(s)
[yen-hsah-ah]
yęhs- feminine-zoic singular agent, ‘it’ or ‘her’ + noun root, ‘rib, ribs’
-aˀ noun suffix
šihsaˀye on your ribs
[shee-hsah-ah-yeh]
š- 2nd person singular agent ‘your’
-ihs- noun root rib(s}
-aˀye external locative noun suffix
hęsayažas He eats ribs (often).
[hensah-yah-zhahs]
h- masculine singular agent ‘he’
-ęhs- noun root ‘rib, ribs’
-a- noun suffix
-yaža- verb root ‘to eat’
-s habitual aspect
Heart -atǫtehšr- (a- conjugation)
utǫtehšraˀ heart, her heart
[oo-ton-teh-shrah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it, her’
-tǫtehšr- noun root, ‘heart’
-aˀ noun suffix
ayatǫtehšraˀye on my heart
[yah-ton-teh-shrah-ah-yeh
y- 1st person singular patient ‘my’
-atǫtehšr- noun root, ‘heart’
-aˀye external locative noun suffix
Lungs – ˀndawa-
uˀndaˀwaˀ lung, lungs, her lung, her lungs[1]
[oo-oon-dah-ah-wah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it, her’
-ˀndaˀw- noun root, ‘lung’
-aˀ noun suffix
saˀndaˀwaˀ your lungs
[sah-an-dah-ah-wah-ah]
sa- 2nd person singular patient ‘you’
-ˀndaˀw- noun root, ‘lungs’
-aˀ noun suffix
waist, stomach -nderaˀt-
yanderaˀtaˀ waist, stomach
[yan-deh-rah-ah-tah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘it’
-nderaˀt- noun root ‘waist’
-aˀ noun suffix
hunderaˀtuwanęh His waist is large.
[hoon-deh-rah-ah-too-wan-nenh]
hu- masculine singular patient ‘his’
-nderaˀt- noun root ‘waist, stomach’
` -uwanę- verb root ‘to be large’
-h stative aspect
Chest, Breast, Box -ˀahš-
uˀahšaˀ her chest, her breast, her chest
[oo-oo-ah-shah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient, ‘her’
-ˀhš- noun root, ‘breast, chest’
-aˀ noun suffix
huˀahšetsih He has a long chest.
[hoo-oo-ah-sheh-tseeh]
hu- masculine singular patient ‘he’
-ˀhš- noun root, ‘breast, chest’
-ets- verb root ‘to be long’
-ih stative aspect
breast –nǫrąhš-
unǫrąhšaˀ breast, her breast, milk
[oo-non-ranh-shah-ah]
u- feminine-zoic singular patient ‘it, her’
–nǫrąhš- noun root ‘breast’
-aˀ noun suffix
waist -nder-
yanderaˀ waist, body, shawl, her waist, her body
[yan-deh-rah-ah]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent, ‘her, it’
-nder- noun root ‘waist, body’
-aˀ noun suffix
yanderih Her waist is full. She is pregnant.
[yan-deh-reeh]
ya- feminine-zoic singular agent ‘she, her’
-nder- noun root ‘waist, body’
-i- verb root ‘to be full’
-h stative aspect
Translate the Following into English
- eyažahšut________________________________________________
2) hutǫraˀ___________________________________________________
3) hanęhšaˀ__________________________________________________
4) yežušaˀ____________________________________________________
5) hayǫresaˀye________________________________________________
6) haˀngyaˀye_________________________________________________
7) sanyǫkaraˀ_________________________________________________
8) huˀehtetsiˀs_________________________________________________
9) ayeˀndaˀwaˀ_________________________________________________
10) huˀahšaˀ___________________________________________________
Answers
eyažahšut She will stick out her arm.
hutǫraˀ his armpit
hanęhšaˀ his shoulder
yežušaˀ my elbow
hayǫresaˀye on his palm, his hand
haˀngyaˀye on his finger
sanyǫkaraˀ your thumb
huˀehtetsiˀs His fingernails are long.
ayeˀndaˀwaˀ my lungs
huˀahšaˀ his chest
[1] In some sources this is sometimes presented as meaning ‘liver.’ (see Barbeau 1960:273).