François Neptune
Wôlinak, PQ
1914
[Source: Speck, Frank G. 1928. Wawenock myth texts from Maine. Forth-Third Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1925–1926, 165–197. Washington: Government Printing Office.]
[Note: Speck’s transcription and his free translation are given in (a). A tentative retranscription and retranslation by Philip LeSourd are given in (b). A few notes on particular items follow the text.]
1. a. Ni·ga´ be·səgwəda´ alnąbα´ ki·wadi·eli´n nda´tαmα ke´gwi nami·təwi´
[Once there was a man who went hunting but he could not find anything.]
b. Ni=ka pesəkwəta alənąbe [wə]kiwatielin, ątahtąmą kekwi namihtəwi.
[One time a man went out hunting, but he could not find anything.]
2. a. ni·gayu´ pe´mose`t si·bu´k‘ ni´obe´dji·gada`dusəmi`n nspi·wi.´ bawadji·´ ądabi´t ni·yu·´gi·zi·´ abi·´t‘ ni·yu·´ ugada´wəs·əmi`n
[Soon he came to a river and as he had become thirsty, he sat down and after he had sat down, he was about to drink.]
b. Ni=ka=yo pemohset sipok, ni wəpeči-katawəssəmin, nspiwi=pa wači-ątapit, ni=yo kisi apit, ni=yo wəkatawəssəmin.
[Then he came to this river, and he had become thirsty, so he went and sat down, and when he had sat down here, he was about to drink here.]
3. a. ni·gełα´ ni·´yu. udli·´dαpsidoda`mən yunəbi´k lagwi·wi·` ni·yu·´ nəbi·´k wəda´li·na`mi·hαn aweni´li´l‘ eləwe´gwi·na` pmauzəwi·´n´u`k li·´nαŋgᵂzu‘ ndaganowa´ wᴐ·we´lmąwi·a`l‘ aweni·wa´ ke´nəwagi·zi·` una´ nodaməna`l
[While he stooped down toward the water, there in the water he saw some one’s reflection really resembling a human being, but one whom he did not know but of whom he had heard.]
b. Ni=kehla ni=yo wətəli-tapsitotamən yo nəpik lakwiwi, ni=yo nəpik wətali-namihąn awenilil eləwe kwina pəmawəsəwinnok linąkwəso, ąta=ka=nawa waweləmąwial aweni wa, kenəwa kisi wənąnotamənal.
[But in fact as he stooped down here toward the water, here in the water he saw someone’s reflection that looked almost exactly like a person, but not someone that he recognized, rather someone of whom he had often heard.]
4. a. ni·aweni·´ eli·gi´t‘ sak‘hi·wa´ bmulε·´ negani·´ wudji·am`ki´n ni· wəną´djigαntłązin u`wa alnąbe´ ni·gi·zi·´gątłązi`t‘ ni·yu·´ dą´dəbi·nawα`n yuli´l wi·dąba`l‘ dαni·dji·´wədla`dake`n ni·gewa´ bmulε´
[Behold he was like Bmulε´, and at once the man got up and hid himself and after he had hidden, he watched to see what the other, his friend Bmulε´, would do.]
b. ni aweni elikit sąkhi wa Pəmole, ni=ka ni oči-ąmkin, ni wənąči-kąthləsin owa alənąpe, ni kisi-kąthləsit, ni=yo wətątəpinawąn yolil witąpal tąni=či wətəlatahken nike, wa Pəmole.
[Then the one who looked like this, behold it was Pəmole! And right away he got up, and this man went and hid, and then he watched his companion carefully to see what he would do now, this Pəmole.]
5. a. ni·wədji·´pənądawe`n i·yu·´ abazi·´k
[Then he climbed into a tree.]
b. Ni oči-pənątawen iyo apasik.
[Then he climbed into this tree.]
6. a. ni·gat·e·´ eli·nawα´nt‘ yuli´l‘ alnąba´l‘ eli·taləs·əmi·´t‘ yu· si·bu´k ni·agəma´ egəmα´t·atci·` ąsi·dai·wi´ ogado´`səmi`n
[Then the other, whose reflection he had seen in the water while lying on his face, that one in his turn was about to come down and drink.]
b. Ni=ka=tte elinawąt yolil alənąpal eli-taləssəmit yu sipok, ni ekəma, ekəma=tt=ahči ąsitaiwi wəkatohsəmin.
[Then this person whom he had seen while he was drinking here at the river, then he, he also in turn was going to drink.]
7. a. ni·yu´ wi·ząwi·´mani·`m ge·´lada`k ni·wikwənəmə´n ni·yu´k·i·`k ubᴐ´nəmən.
[He had a piece of gold in his mouth and he took it out and laid it on the ground.]
b. Ni=yo wisąwi-mąnim kelatak, ni wihkwənəmən, ni=yo kkik wəponəmən.
[And he had a piece of gold that he was holding (in his mouth), and he took it out, and he put it on the ground.]
8. a. ni·wa´lnąbε`’ gi·zi·ne´mitąŋk‘w ei·gadənə´k i·yuwədo´nαk ni·yuwədli·dəhązi´n nądji·´kəmodənα´n
[Then the man, when he saw where Bmulε´ had hidden it after taking it from his mouth, thought that he would go and steal it.]
b. Ni=wa alənąpe kisi-nəmihtąkw eli-katənək iyo wətonək ni=yo wətəlitəhąsin [wə]nąči-kəmotənąn.
[Then this man, when he saw where (Pəmole) had hidden this thing from his mouth, decided to go and steal it.]
9. a. ni·geła´ ni·yu´ mądjegwzi`n walnąbε´ abαk·skadai·wi·` wadji·nda´ wewᴐ̹·lα´ŋk‘wyuli´l‘ wi·dąba´l‘ ni·gαn·i·´ gi·zi·be´sudji·wi·` pedji·gwəzi·´t ni·gi·gi·mi·wi·´ uwikwənəmə´n wi·ząwi´mani·`
[Accordingly, the man started to crawl flat on his belly so that his friend would not see him, and when he came near, crawling slyly along, he took the gold.]
b. Ni=kehla ni=yo wəmąčekwəsin wa alənąpe apakskataiwi wači- ąta wewoląkkw yolil witąpal, ni=ka ni kisi pehsočiwi pečikwəsit, ni kikimiwi wəwihkənəmən wisąwi-mąni.
[Then in fact this man started to crawl flat on his belly so that this companion of his would not be aware of him, and then when he had crawled up close, he stealthily took the gold.]
10. a. ni·wa´gizəs·əmi·`t wabmulε·´ eląbi´t ni· ndα`tαmą` unami·´towα`n wi·zą´wimani·`m ni·yu´ ga´dagi`dəhązi´n ni·wədli·´dəhŋzi`n “eli·kəmo´dənamα`k‘.”
[Then when Bmulε´ had finished drinking, returning for his gold, behold he could not find it and, thinking about it, he reached a conclusion. “So it is evidently stolen from me.”]
b. Ni=wa kisəssəmit wa Pəmole elapit, ni ątahtąmą wənamihtowən wisąwi-mąnim, ni=yo wəketakitəhąsin, ni wətəlitəhąsin eli-kəmotənamək.
[Once Pəmole had drunk, he looked around, and he did not see his gold, and then he thought greedily about this, and he decided that it had been stolen.]
11. a. ni·ganəwowa´ bmulε´ məde´oləno ogwa´ ni·gan·i·´. yu´t·e ni· no´ləmi·wi·` udli·´gelosi`n ni·udi·damə´n “ni·dąbε´ kmi·´li·n·əba ni· nəwi·ząwi·´mani·`m ki·yandaba´ ke´gwi· kdla´wakek·towα´n ni· ni·a´ pma´uzowαŋa`n. ni`· si·bi·wi· ndaba´ nzi´p`ki·ngi·zi·tcani·ła`n`tamą`. a´yagα`ntedji·´ nabi·´wi· mi·li·ane´ ni·mi·li·ane´ kule´ləməgwawi`n nəwedji·´ kəməs·e´ltodji·` mani·´ medji·mi·wi·´ αnda´ nadi·e´ləwαŋga`n kəne`´nodahαmə`.”
[Now that Bmulε´ was a sorcerer, and so right there he spoke aloud into the air and said, “My friend, please do give me back that, my gold, for you can not make any use of it. That is my life. Moreover, I can not stay long in any one place. Pray do give it back to me quickly and if you give it to me you will have good luck, for that you will always have an abundance of money and you will not lack in hunting.”]
b. Ni=ka=nawa=wa Pəmole mətewələno=akwa, ni=ka=ni yo=tte=ni noləmiwi wətəli-kəlosin ni wətitəmən, “Nitąpe, kəmilin=əpa ni nəwisąwi-mąnim. Kia, ąta=pa kekwi kətəlawehkektowən ni. Nia, pəmąwəsowąkan. Ni sipiwi ąta=pa sipki nəkisi-čanihląn tąmą ayaką=tte=či napiwi miliane. Ni miliane koleləməkwewinno, wəči kəməsselto=ci mąni mečimiwi. Ąta natieləwąkan kənenotahamo.”
[But this Pəmole was a mətewələno, they say, and at this point he spoke softly, saying, “My friend, would you give me that gold of mine? As for you, you would not be able to make any use of it. But for me, it is life. And furthermore not for long can I stay anywhere unless you give it to me right away. If you give it to me, you will be a lucky man, and thus you will always have a lot of money. You will never be short of game.”]
12. a. ni·udi·łəgu´n yuli´l‘ a´lnąba`l‘ “ni· gədą´ badji·`mi·l·α`n kəwi·zawi·´mani·`m ni·genowa´ moza´k pa´tcwuli·k·a`tc”ə
[Then the man spoke to him and said, “Then I will give you back your gold, but then don’t cheat me.”]
b. Ni wətihləkon yolil alənąbal, “Ni kətąpąči-milələn kəwisąwi-mąnim, ni=kenəwa mosa=hk pahčolihkač.”
[Then the man told him, “Then I will give you back your gold, but then don’t cheat me.”]
13. a. ni·udi·łəgu´n “nda`ba´ keba´tcwəl·o` ni·gąde´kse´gəzi·yanε` ni·ga´ a´ida tes·ądewα npəs·kwanə`k‘ ni·gəzą´ŋgəląbadji`n pi·´t·adji· kəse´łąbənα`.”
[And he, Bmulε´, said, “I can not cheat you. If you are afraid of me so now mount upon my back and hold tight to me for very fast we shall go.”]
b. Ni wətihləkon, “Ąta=pa kepahčolo. Ni kątak sekəsiyane, ni=ka aita tehsątawe nəpəskwanək, ni kəsąkəląpačin. Pihta=či kkəsihląpena.”
[Then (Pəmole) told him, “I would not cheat you. And if you are even afraid (of that), then come and climb up on my back, and then hold on tight. We will go very fast.”]
14. a. ni·geła´ walnαbε´ udes·ądawa´n ubə´s·kwanə`k yuli´l‘ bmula´l‘ ni´·wa umą´djełα`n ktci·´mədeolənu` ni·gąda´k e´dudji·ełα`nt‘ wabmulε·´ pek·i·´ląbegwa`si·məgi·`
[Accordingly the man mounted upon the back of Bmulε´ and the great magician started off traveling so fast, because that Bmulε´ could even rise in the air,]
b. Ni=kehla wa alənąpe wətehsątawen wəpəskwanək yolil Pəmolal, ni=wa wəmąčehląn kči-mətewələno. Ni kątak etoči-ihląt wa Pəmole pehki ląpikwihasiməke.
[Then in fact this man climbed up on the back of this Pəmole, and the great mətewələno set out. And this Pəmole even flew so fast that it was just as if one had blinked.]
15. a. ni·gi·´zi· met‘ki·wi´k wa´ obe´djiłα`n i·yu´ ede´li·bezwo`got bmulaiki·´ li·wi·tązu´.
[and then they came to the end where he brought him, Bmulε´’s country, as it is called.]
b. Ni kisi metkiwik wa wəpečihląn iyo etəli-pesəwokot, pəmolai-kki liwihtąso.
[Then he came to the end of the route where he had brought him, Pəmole’s country as it is called.]
16. a. ktaha´n·dwi· mədeolənowa`k ai·yi·di·´t ma´ǫwi·
[Great magicians lived there.]
b. Ktahąnətowi-mətewələnowak aihətit maąwi.
[Powerful mətewələowak lived there together.]
17. a. baskwε·´ payądi·´t yugi´k mədeolənowa´k ma´ǫwi· gau´ldowak
[Just at noon time these magicians assembled at that place and slept together.]
b. Paskwe payąhətit yokik mətewələnowak maąwi kawolətowak.
[At noon these mətewələnowak came and slept together.]
18. a. ni·yuli´l‘ bmula´l‘ pεzwogo´t ni´t·e yuk·i´k ubu´nəgu`n ni·ude´łəgu`l “yudala´di·eli·` təmakwa´k si·bi·wi·´ wunəgi·gwa´k ni· kwi·wi·ządji´n wi·biwi·´ ngedα´mkip·o`de kda´tcwi· ayi·´n ni·gi·za´di·eli·ane` ni·gəbəs·i·ha´dasi`n nabawi·´ ni·t·atci·´ ko´ląbekhąda`mən kəmade´gənoma`k ni·ni·ebla´ tek·a´ ndatcwi·´l·os·e` nda´ba sipki·wi·´ ni·dji·nəbaya´n esmadji·´ to`k·u´ldewi·a`k ktci·mədeolənowa´k nədji·´kəmαdja`ləlα´n mi·na´ wa´dənαla`n”
[Then this Bmulε´ bringing him right to this country put him down and said to him, “Here you may hunt beavers and otters. So hurry and get ready. Just until 1 o’clock you can stay, and after you have hunted, skin your game quickly and bundle up your hides. Until then I must go somewheres. It shall not be for a long time and I shall come back before the great magicians wake up, and carry you back again to the place where I got you.”]
b. Ni yolil Pəmole pesəwokot ni=tte yo kkik, wəponəkon, ni wətihləkol, “Yo talatieli təmahkwak sipiwi wənəkikwak. Ni kəwihwisąčin. Wipiwi nəkwətąmkipote kətahčəwi-ain, ni kisatielane ni kəpəssihatahsin napiwi, ni=ttahči koląpekhątamən kəmatekənomak. Ni nia pəla tehka nətahčəwi-lohse. Ąta=pa sipkiwi, ni=či nəpayąn ehsəma=či tohkolətiwiak kci-mətewələnowak, ni=či kəmąčalələn mina watənəląn.”
[Then this Pəmole brought him right to this country, put him down, and said to him, “Hunt beavers here, and otters as well. And hurry up. You can only be here for an hour, then you should skin whatever you have hunted right away, and then also tie up your skins well. But I have to go somewhere for a while. It won’t be for long, and I will come back before the great mətewələnowak wake up, and then I will take you back where I got you.”]
19. a. ni·geła´ ni·gat·e´ wa yuli´l‘. wi·dąba´l‘ ela´gəki·mgo`t ni·wi· hwi·ządji´n ni·gat·e´ nunadi·e´ləwąmα`n wunəgi·gwa´ si·bi·wi·´ təma`kwa´ ni·gi·zi·ni·łąni·´ kipke´‘tαhα`nt ni·yu´ bə´s·i·hada`s·i·łαn nabi·nαŋgwa´t ki·ni·´ eli·wi·za`ke´k ni·ga´ wᴐ̹·lαbek·hąda´mən umadegənoma´ ni·gi·zi·´ ki·ządji·´t eli·dəhαzi·´t “ki·zi·ε´t·o´ nahən´i·´ nəgwədα´mki·p·ode·` ągełαt·e´.”
[Accordingly at once the man did as his friend told him and he hurried on with it and he hunted beavers and otters and after he had killed them he cut off some meat and skinned them, quickly he proceeded with haste and then bundled up his hides, and after he was ready he thought to himself, “It must now be about 1 o’clock surely.”]
b. Ni=kehla ni=ka=tte=wa yolil witąpal elakiməkot, ni wihwisąčin. Ni=ka=tte ni wənatieləwąmąn wənəkikwa sipiwi təmahkwa, ni kisi-nihląt ni kepkehtahąt, ni=yo wəpəssihatahsihląn. Napinąkwat kini eli-wisahket. Ni=ka oląpekhątamən wəmatekənoma, ni kisi kisącit elitəhąsit, “Kisi=ehto nahəni nəkwətąmkipote ąkehla=tte.
[Then in fact this man did as his friend had told him, and he made haste. And he hunted otters as well as beavers, then when he had killed them and cut some thick slices of meat of them, he skinned them. This went quickly, as he really hurried. Then he had his furs tied up well, and when he had gotten ready he thought, “It must in fact be close to one o’clock for sure.”]
20. a. ni·ga´nowa wədli·dəhązi´n “ni·dąbε´ nowa´neləmu`k‘w”
[And he thought again, “My friend said what was true.”]
b. Ni=ka=nawa wətəlitəhąsin, “Nitąpe nəwaneləməkw.”
[But then he thought, “My companion has forgotten me.”]
21. a. ni·ganowanda´ tαnetu´l‘. la´k‘whε·ki·` wedji·bayα`nt yuli´l‘ wi·dąba´l‘ wəs·a´mi·wi·`tc nd´at·egəne` ki·zi·djanabi·wi·` wa ayagαnt·e´ we´dji·wi·` mε·łαntde´ spəmə´k‘
[But he did not know how far his friend had to come from, forasmuch as he could not stop anywhere since he was always traveling in the air.]
b. Ni=ka=nawa ąta tąni talahke kki weči-payąt yolil witąpal, wəsąmiwi=či ąta=tte=ka=ni kisi-čanapiwi wa ayaką=tte mečimi-pəmihląt=tte spəmək.
[But he did not (know) how far away the country was that his companion was coming from, nor would he be able to stop anywhere since he would always be traveling in the air.]
22. a. sala´k·i·wi·` ni· unodamə´n saŋkhi·mαmα´ntkami·`gip·ode`k eli·dəhązit ebəgwatcε·t·o´ gadi·me´t‘kami·ge` e´dudji·sαk·pa`tαŋgwa`k saki·´yulil‘ wi·dąba´l‘ sαŋkhe´łąli`t
[Suddenly then a great trembling he heard arise from the earth and he thought on account of so much disturbance that the world was about to come to an end. But behold it was this his friend coming along.]
b. Salahkiwi ni wənotamən sąkhi-mąmątkamikihpotek. Elitəhąsit epəkwahč=ehto kati-metkamike, etoči-sekpahtąkwahk. Sąkhi yolil witąpal sąkihląlit.
[Suddenly then he heard a great shaking arise from the earth. In fact he even thought that it was the end of the world, so frightful was the sound. Behold! Here came his companion.]
23. a. ni·ga´t·e pedji·´gədahi·t wa bmulε·´ ni·udi·´damən wa a´ida bmulε·´ “nabawi·´ tes·i·´gədahi`n nbə´skwanα`k gi·zi·na‘´ni mədeolənowa´k amku´ldowa`k.”
[Then Bmulε´ came bounding up and Bmulε´ said, “Quickly jump upon my back, it is already time for the magicians to wake up.”]
b. Ni=ka=tte pečikətahit wa Pəmole, ni wətitamən wa aita Pəmole, “Napiwi tehsikətahin nəpəskwanək. Kisi nahəni mətewələnowak amkolətowak.”
[Then this Pəmole came bounding up, and this, uh, Pəmole said, “Jump up on my back right away. Already it is nearly time for the mətewələnowak to wake up.”]
24. a. ni·geła´ ni·wa´ udes·i·´gədahi´n pə´s·kwanα`k. yuli´l wi·dąba´l‘ sε·wi·yu´ umadegənoma´ tαnławe´i· ki·za´di·eli·`t ni·wa´ omą´djełαn bmulε·´ ni·t·atci·´ tąławe´i· e´dudji·łα`nt pek·i·wi·´bi·wi·` lαmbi·gwa´hasi·de`
[Accordingly then the man jumped upon his friend’s back with his hides that he had secured, and Bmulε´ started off going so fast that one could only imagine it.]
b. Ni=kehla ni=wa wətehskətahin wəpəskwanək yolil witąpal sawi yo
wəmatekənoma tąhlawei kisatielit, ni=wa wəmąčehlan Pəmole, ni=ttahči tąhlawei etočihląt pehki wipiwi ląpikwahasite.
[Then, in fact, he jumped up on his companion’s back amidst these hides of his that he had hunted for, and Pəmole carried him off, going so fast that it was really just like a blink of his eye.]
25. a. ni·gi·zi·´ obesogu´n wa´də nogo`tα`p ntami·´ neni·gan·i·´ gi·zi·be´swogo´t ni·udi·´łəgun “nd´atci. mi·na´ kəne`na´mi·hodi·`p·əna` kenowadji·´ kədaskami·´ wule´ləməgwewin nəwedji·´ kweną´wəzi·a`n”
[Then he brought him to where he had been formerly. After he had warmed up his belly and his head, he said, “Never again will we see each other, but nevertheless you will forever have good fortune and besides you will live long.”]
b. Ni wəkisi-apəsəmən wate nąką wətəp ntami, nenikani kisi-pesəwokot, ni wətihləkon, “Ąta=či mina kənenamihotippena, kenəwa=či kətaskami-wəleləməkwewinno, wəči kwenąwəsian.”
[Then he warmed his belly and his head first, after (Pəmole) had brought him back, and then (the latter) said to him, “We will not see each other ever again, but you will be a lucky man, and for this reason you will have a long life.”]
26. a. ni·t·atci·´ notlo´`kαŋga`n ume´tąbegəs·i`n.
[And here my story is ended.]
b. Ni=ttahči nąthlohkąkan wəmehtąpekəsin.
[There my story will end as well.]
Notes
[Penobscot forms, marked Pen, are from Siebert 1996; Passamaquoddy (Pass) forms are from the online Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Portal (https://pmportal.org); Western Abenaki (WA) forms are from Day1994; Eastern Abenaki (Aubéry) forms are from Laurent 1995.]
l. 2 wači-ątapit AI ‘so he went and sat down’: Here and in (9), Speck has wači- as the changed form of wəči- ‘from, so that’; while in (21) he has the expected form weči- in weči-payąt ‘from which he came’. This variation reflects two options for the changed form of the root wət- ‘from, on account of’ in Bécancour Abenaki, as noted by Voorhis (1982: 192). Perhaps the treatment as wat- reflects influence from Western Abenaki, where *e and *a have merged: wat- is the regular changed form of wət- in that dialect: WA <waji paiôa> waci-payąa ‘why I came’ (Wzôkhilain 2011: 16).
l. 3. wətəli-tapsitotamən AI ‘he is stooping down’: For the initial taps- ‘down’, compare Pen tápasahte II ‘it (table, chair, etc.) is low’; for the final -itot- ‘bodily posture’, compare Pass sasokitútom AI ‘he holds his body straight’.
l. 9 apakskataiwi P ‘flat on his belly’: Compare Pen apakskátehsin ‘he lies flat on his belly’.
l. 10 wəketakitəhąsin ‘he thought greedily’ AI: This translation is speculative, but compare Pass ketokíku ‘he is stingy’.
l. 11 wəči P ‘so that’: Speck has <weči> here and again in (25), but this cannot be a changed form of the preverb, since the following verb is an independent form in (11) and bears initial change itself in (25). Note that Speck has <niwədji·> ni wəči ‘because’ in another Bécancour text (1928: 180). Compare the WA particle <weji> wəci ‘from’, which often has the force of ‘for’ or ‘because’.
l. 14 ląpikwihasiməke ‘as if one had blinked’: For the meaning, compare Pass elapiqessìmk ‘the flash or blink of an eye’; for Pass e corresponding to EA iha, compare Pass macésso ‘he moves’, Pen mάčihaso ‘he moves, he makes a quick movement’.
l. 18 tehka P ‘(to) somewhere’: Compare WA <daka> tahka ‘there, thither’, Pen tèhka ‘there, over there’.
l. 19 kepkehtahąt TA ‘he cut some thick slices of meat off them’: This interpretation of Speck’s <kipke´‘tαhα`nt> is speculative, but compare WA <kepaga> kəppaka ‘it is thick’, EA <kepaghé> kəppake ‘it is thick’.
l. 19 nahəni P ‘nearly’: Compare WA <naani> naani ‘almost’.
l. 20 nəwaneləməkw TA inverse ‘he has forgotten me’: For the meaning, compare WA <wanalema> wanaləma ‘forget someone (imperative)’.
l. 21 Speck has <we´dji·wi·`> here for ‘always’, but this must be a miswriting of mečimi; compare Pen mečìmi ‘always, usually, forever’.
l. 24 sawi yo wəmatekənoma ‘among these (obiative) his hides (obviative)’: for the particle, compare Pass súwi ‘in the middle (of it, them)’, where the vowel of the first syllable is etymologically short *a.
l. 24 ląpikwahasite ‘the blink of his eye’: compare P alαpikwáhəso ‘he gives a blink of the eye’.
l. 25 wəkisi-apəsəmən TI (subordinative) ‘he warmed them (in.): The transcription here is speculative, but compare Pass ’toposómon TI ‘he warms it’, WA <olabezo> wəlapəso ‘he is nice and warm’.
References
Day, Gordon M. 1994. Western Abenaki Dictionary. Hull, PQ: Canadian Museum of Civilization.
Laurent, Stephen. 1995. Father Aubery’s French Abenaki Dictionary. Portland, ME: Chisholm Brothers.
Siebert, Frank T., Jr. 1996. Penobscot Dictionary. Ms., Old Town, Me.
Speck, Frank G. 1928. Wawenock myth texts from Maine. Forth-Third Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1925– 1926, 165–197. Washington: Government Printing Office.
Voorhis, Paul. 1982. Grammatical Notes on the Wawenock language. Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics 7: 177–208.
Wzôkhilain, Pial Pol. 2011[1845]. The Gospel of Mark translated into Abenaki Indian, English, and French. Greenfield Center, New York: Bowman Books.