PEOPLE
Here are some words for people:
Siny women, girl
‘iikwich man
‘elymaan child, little one
‘elymaan ‘iikwich boy
‘elymaan siny girl
Kuseyaay doctor, medicine man
Kwachemuuyuuw teacher
Kuuchutt boss, leader, policeman
Kurak old man
Kunykuuy old woman
Kwaaypaay, kway’paay chief
Here now is a useful ending that you can use to make sentences. The ending is -ches. Thus siny means “woman” or “girl” and ‘elymaam siny means “(little) girl.” But if you want to say “It’s a woman, “you just add -ches to siny:
Sinyches. It’s a woman.
And you can make a sentence with ‘elymaam siny this way:
‘Elymaam sinyches It’s a girl.
There is one important fact to remember about -ches It does not get any emphasis when you say it. The accent that goes on the last syllable of almost every word does not go on this ending, since it does not really count as part of the word. An, as we mentioned earlier, the vowel e never gets the accent.
Exercise 1
Read aloud this conversation:
Maria Haawka. Memeyuu temenyeway? Hi. How are you all?
Rosita Haawka. ‘Aahan ta’-nyeway. Maapchu Hi. We’re fine. Who’s that?
Jose Hosee wii nyechuuhii. ‘Ich wiich mechuuhii? Jose is my name. What’s your
name?
Rosita Rosita wii nyechuuhii. Rosita is my name.
Maria Kwachemuuyuuwches. She’s a teacher.
Jose Umaaw. Kuseyaayches. No. She is a doctor.
Some more new words
Eshash pretty, beautiful
Nemeshap white
Ehuu kumpattk car (Literally “stubby nose”)
‘aashaa bird
Hechlyp happy
Wellich bad, ugly
‘estik small
Iikuu big
‘ehan good
More About Making Sentences
The ending -ches does not just go on nouns like siny oman, “or ‘aashaaa “bird”; it can also go on words like stick “small, “ or hechalyp “happy,”or even on tenay “late.” It does not change the meaning of the sentence, but it gives greater strength what’s being said, like adding “really” or “sure.” It does not be translated at all. Here are some sentences.
‘Aashaa ‘eshashches. The bird is pretty, really.
Wellichches It’s sure ugly.
Rosita hechalypches. Rosita is happy, she is .
Tenayches. He’s late.
Exercise 2
What do these sentences mean?
1. ‘Elymaam siny ‘eshashches
2. Ehuu kumpattk ‘estikches.
3. Kunykuuy kwaaypaayches
4. Kurakches
5. Iikwich kuuchuuttches
6. Iikwich ‘iikuuches
7. Siny kuseyaayches
Exercise 3
Turn these sentences into Diegueno.
1. The bird is white.
2. It’s a car.
3. The car is ugly.
4. Juan is a policeman.
5. The old woman is happy.
6. The old man is the chief.