Saying and Speaking

♦ In Arikara the words for saying and speaking are very similar, ‐wako’ to speak and ‐waako’ to say. Practice and be sure you can say and hear the difference. ♦

To speak

New expressions:

Do I speak?

ka NAtwako’?

Do you speak?

ka NAxwako’?

Does he speak?

ka nawako’?

I speak.

tAtwako’.

You speak.

tAxwako’.

He speaks.

tiwako’.

I don’t speak.

kaakAtwako’.

You don’t speak.

kaakAxwako’.

He doesn’t speak.

kaakiwako’.

That man, does he speak Arikara?

nuunaaričI wiitA, ka nawako’ sahniš?

• No, he speaks Sioux.

kaaki’, tiwako’ sananat.

Do you speak Arikara?

ka NAxwako’ sahniš?

• Yes, I speak Arikara and Sioux.

hee’, tAtwako’ sahniš na sananat.

Do I speak Arikara well?

atištIt ka NAtwako’ sahniš?

• Yes, you speak Arikara well.

hee’, atištIt tAxwako’ sahniš.

To say

New expressions:

I said it.

tAtwaako’.

You said it.

tAxwaako’.

He said it.

tiwaako’.

What did I say?

tiče NAtwaako’?

What did you say?

tiče NAxwaako’?

What did he say?

tiče nawaako’?

What did you say?

tiče NAxwaako’?

• I said ‘yes’.

tAtwaako’, hee’.

• I didn’t say anything.

čiku’ kaakAtwaako’.

What did your mother say?

xax tiče nawaako’?

• She said ‘sit down’.

tiwaako’, šuxwiitIt.

My grandfather said it.

atipa’ tiwaako’.

Say it.

šuxwaako’.

Say it in Arikara.

šuxwaako’ saNIšini’.

Say it slowly.

šuxwaako’ pAhiinaNIt.

Say it quietly.

šuxwaako’ pAhiitu’.

What is he saying?

tiče nawaakaahu’?

• He isn’t saying anything.

čiku’ kaakiwaakaahu’.

© 2017 American Indian Studies Research Institute. All rights reserved.