D0R9EY-SWANTON] THE BILOXT AND OFO lANGUAQES 63 



NOTES 



1. KucJcayohana^ given as KusJcahanadi in line 26; KUckanadi in 

 line 30; and Kuckana in line 35, archaic names for the opossum, now 

 called ^r^'aj^a 2/(9^a, "swamp hog." This last name confirms the sus- 

 picion that yoka^ in Kuchayokana, means "swamp;" if so, the first 

 name may be rendered "the Ancient of Swamp Opossums," and 

 Kusk-aka-na^ " the Ancient of Younger Opossums {a'ka^ in kinship 

 terms being "younger"). Why so many variants should occur in 

 the same myth is a mystery. JJdasi=dasi. 



3-5. The words of this song are given just as they were sung, but 

 their exact meaning has been lost. llama =^ama, "ground; '''' yuxku^ 

 said to mean dew; liiHoa-\-y'^'^^ unintelligible; no reason can be suggested 

 for the connection of antxanlxy^ with the preceding words of the song; 

 anlxanl'xye^ frequentative of antxye^ to play [at one place or time]. 



7. Yama'^ ria^ etc. This absolute denial, followed by a modif3dng 

 assertion, resembles a ^egiha idiom: "What did you say?" And, "I 

 said nothing," meaning, "I said nothing which concerns you, nothing 

 which you think that 1 said." This is said when the one questioned 

 was observed to be speaking. 



8. nkex rQcande na: ■rikex<Jrike (e), by a law of euphony, e before n 

 becomes ex^ just as i before 6?, 7i, etc., becomes ix. 



9. kUohe refers to the Wolf people. 



10. The Ancient of Opossums made this change in the first line 

 of his song because he knew that the Wolf people could hear him. 

 But as soon as he thought that he had passed out of hearing he sang 

 the original words. 



13. wo before the verb, "he thought," does not indicate a query, 

 hence it should not be rendered by a " ? " (See line 38.) 



14. ki^hz^-ao^-dqha, "to sing about him or her." See yao'^ni, "to 

 sing." 



14-15. ema alii akuwetu^ 3d pi. of ema hu akanaki^ "right there 

 coming hither, he came in sight." 



17. tcldike Uhi, "any sort;" (jDegiha 'a" ctecU; nta used instead of 

 Unkte, "I die" (see line 20). 



18. Id-usa^. Is umy^ used after any other word or syllable be- 

 sides hi? 



18. ex tomanki. Does ^x=8 Tia^^ or is the x introduced for euphony 

 between e and t f 



19. i^dutck^x kahi^ the a? is a contraction of ha'^^ before a k., 

 rather than a euphonic insertion; tcUkasa^^ after aya'^^ not to be con- 

 founded with tcetka sa^, "a white rabbit." (See lines 22, 25.) 



19. ya^xkite-soHa-tu^ "they hit me once;" ka ko^ — if ka be re- 

 tained, ko should be omitted, and vice versa. 



