And a variant way to say “genuflect”
We have some more “real-world religious words” today.
A type of genuflection (image credit: Wikipedia)
Stuff I didn’t know about ways to genuflect, courtesy of Wikipedia:
In Western culture, one genuflects on the left knee to a human dignitary, whether ecclesiastical or civil, while, in Christian churches and chapels, one genuflects on the right knee when the Sacrament is not exposed but in a tabernacle or veiled (conversely, one kneels with both knees if the Sacrament is exposed).
Today, we discover a second way to express ‘genuflecting’ in Chinook Jargon.
Here we learn that mash ni kopa ilihi, which is literally ‘throw/put a knee to the ground’, is a synonym for the phrase I told about the other day, mamuk ni kopa ilihi (which is literally ‘make a knee to the ground’).
Both refer to the Roman Catholic custom of genuflecting at certain times in church — bending one knee without completely kneeling onto two knees.
(top of image:) Klaska mash ni kopa ilihi kanamokst
they put knee on ground together.with
‘They genuflect with’liplit, pi klaska ashnu tanas-kimta kopa liplit. Klaska kilapai-
priest, and they kneel little-behind from priest. they return-
‘the priest, and they kneel a little behind the priest. They re-’wawa kopa liplit mokst kanamokst.
talk to priest two together.
‘spond to the priest both together.’…
<4.> Pus liplit wawa “Orimyus” mokst kanamokst
when priest say Oremus two together
‘4. When the priest says “Oremus”, both’shako kopa sitkom, mash ni kopa ilihi, pi klaska klatwa iskom
come to middle, put knee on ground, and they go fetch
‘come to the center, genuflect, and go fetch’wain pi shok.
wine and water.
‘wine and water.’…
Pus kopit klaska mamuk-kilapai kanawi-ikta kopa latab pi klaska
when done they make-return every-thing to table and they
‘When done, they return everything to the table and’shako kanamokst kopa sitkom, mash ni kopa ilihi pi kilapai kopa
come together to middle, put knee on ground and return to
‘both come to the center, genuflect and return to’kah ilip klaska mitlait.
where first they be.located.
‘where they first were.’
— from “Kamloops Wawa” #76 (April 30, 1893), page 70
