Talking about lahal songs (including Chinook Jargon ones) in Tla-o-qui-aht
I feel lucky.
Image credit: First Voices Tla-o-qui-aht
Lucky to see this gem in a Nuučaan̓uɬ language at First Voices Tla-o-qui-aht from ʕumtʔa (Caroline Little).
It makes me understand more about lahal / slahaal singing:
ʔaayištaqapi nuuknuuk haanaʔqy̓ak ʔuuš hiist̓iƛ humwic̓ay̓ak ʕumtʕumta ʔuuʔuuw̓aqƛa ʔuuš qʷisnaakckʷiʔitq. čiičiinukʷam̓inḥƛa, haayuxuupaya yayaqʷink̓atʔitq haanaʔa ḥumy̓akʔis ʔaḥ qʷaaqʷaaʔakitiiʔaał ʕumty̓akm̓inḥ.
ʔaah-ʔaah-ʔaaxʔaniḥta ʔaah
ʔaah-łaaxłaʔiḥta. ʔuuh-ʔuuh
c̓iixc̓iypuuk ʔee-ʔee p̓aaxp̓aʕima. hiist̓iƛ ʔah humwic̓ay̓ak
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kuuw̓iłaƛ̓imuu la-hii-ya, haanuqʷac̓uqšiiƛ la-hii-ya taacsisaʔimau la-hii-ya. n̓aacsaƛ̓eeheeč qʷaan̓akiiḥiis, ƛuukʷanaa hee-he haanaʔaa hee-he.
‘There are many different types of lahal songs. Some choruses come from fables, some come from what someone had done, some are in Chinook. This is done to try and confuse the other team you are playing against. This is to show how some of the choruses went.
ah-ah the only thing on the end of a stick ah
ah-ah wound around on the end ah
The intestines of ee ee a big red chiton. This is from a fable.
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Just do it anyway la-hii-ya, just use this medicine la-hii-ya let it drift ashore la-hii-ya.
You all watch the way I am performing doing a ritual hee-he playing lahal hee-he.
(This was when a school of dead fish appeared on top of the lake, this was something unsual, so it became medicine.)’
The slahal / lahal songs that I’ve heard that are in Chinook Jargon are, I’m guessing, not from fables (traditional stories). Maybe from personal experiences. Some of those subjects might be reserved for the Nuučaan̓uɬ language?
𛰅𛱁𛰃𛱂 𛰙𛱁𛱆𛰅𛱁 𛰃𛱄𛰙𛰃𛱄𛰙? qʰáta mayka tə́mtəm?
kata maika tumtum? Qu’en penses-tu?
What do you think?
And can you say it in Chinuk Wawa?
Hey! Teach Yourself northern-dialect Chinook Jargon!
And join free Zoom sessions…
Contact me for the Zoom link.
