Woodland Indians Forum

4. mhakinquehelleu,  "it rips an eye in it" (when the seam on the moccasin rips, in
   the shape of an eye)

Last edited by sschkaak (Aug-15-2009 06:25:pm)

Any shoe, where the seam comes open.  It may be applicable to any seam, where it rips open in the shape of an eye, but I've only seen it used for footwear.

sschkaak wrote:

5. wuhililleu,  the nail head goes through (e.g., when one nails, and the nail head goes through the nail hole)

Sorry to be a pain lol

Could you help me out on pronunciation on this one?

Thank you. I was sitting here trying to say it and I'm sure sounding like an idiot.

sschkaak wrote:

6. pennipok, he drives down over a fall of the river (in a canoe)

That's probably where the location name 'Penny pot' comes from.

sschkaak wrote:

7. kecunuwu,  it is what is; it is what is real; it is truth, and not mere appearance

Newinkatamen.

8. kschiechtschassuman, to purify somebody in the fire oven

9. allunsinutey  =  a quiver (made of deer hide)

10. pindalan  =  a quiver (made of white pine)

Last edited by sschkaak (Dec-29-2009 09:26:pm)

11. ju endalauchsit  =  man  (This idiomatic phrase literally says, 'here one-who-lives-here,' but connotes 'man'--as in 'human being'--in Northern Unami and old Southern Unami.)

Last edited by sschkaak (Dec-22-2009 10:45:pm)

This is really cool!
I love the squirrel verb....

I'm curious about the word pindalan- Heckewelder in his "Names of various trees, shrubs, and plants" says that white pine is called Pindalánac because of its easy-working, straight-splitting wood. I'd have to agree with the easy working, but in my experience it never splits straight! It's very easy to split, but it seems to always have a twist in it.......
I'm also curious about the quivers. White Pine bark comes off the tree easily, especially at the right time of year, and makes pretty good containers, so he must be talking about the bark for quivers. But I have never seen another reference to White Pine bark being used for quivers... In fact, it seems difficult to find references to white pine bark (as Pinus strobus) being used much at all for containers anywhere in eastern North America, at least in the written record I've seen. Perhaps because it's so sticky to work with (although you can wash all the stickiness away with oil, a trick I learned from someone.)

Justin