A Dictionary of the Osage Language

400 BITKBAtT OF AMERICAN SKHSKOIiOOY (»vu.w>

E^ka u-ihi-^to'^*tha a-bthi* mi kdhe ko* e^bthe o; to-ba a^gi** bthe t^e

9ka. I wish I had a wagon, I would go aip^d biing 8K>me 9alt.
Ersho ba'-the do* o'*^-k'i no" bi o(«) They feed them iii winter.
E sho^-mi-l^a-gi u-thi»-^e no» bi o(.) They catch wolvea.
E<*sho ^*^ka shki o^-W^ hi do*^ ha*id" ha i^la-be ga*xe (a^bi e-gkn.

And if we had sheep th^y could make Ufiutikets and doth/^
Gu-dsi ni-ka-shi-ga a-ba ta gthe-btho* l^u no'^-ba no" t^'e^the no" bi p.

Formerly men killed two hundred deer apiece,
Ha'-ba k*i" we-hi-dse a-gthe ko"*btha t^i*-ge o(.) I do not wish to

have to carry my own com far. j

Ha-to"' do" tha-gthe ta tse a(?) When will you start?^
Ha-to"' dsi tha tsi a(?) When did you start?
Hi"-ge ta gka ha-ri" i-ga-xe no" bi o(.) Blankets are made of sheep

wool.
Ho"-ba the da-do" ha-xi" ha i-da-be o"-tho"-Uu-wi" ta ba thi"-ge o(.)

Nowadays we have nothing with which to buy blankets land cloth.
Ho'-wa ge a-the ta i te ts'a-bi-do^ i-ba*ho" a*zhi a-ba o(.) They do

not know where they will go when they die.
Ho-wa-gi tha-thi"-«he shki i-thi-the a*ka no" no** e e-sho ta-do" ha-zho"

ke shki ga'ni i-the e-ba no" e. Wherever you are and whatever*

you do God sees you.
Ho'-wa gi to" tha-tsi a(?) Where did you come from?
Ho-we ni-ykiu o-tsi-e tho. Yes, there is plenty of salt.
T-xo-ba zhi thi" ha o(.) Do not tell lies.
!^a^-wa u-gi-dse a-thi" he o. I am hunting my hot^.
l^a'-wa a-ba wa-shko" gtho"-tha bi o(.) Horses are strong.
J^af-wtL tha-gthi" o"-k'i bi o(.) He gave me a fine horse.
!^fa'-wa thi-ta k'o*-ga;-gi o(.) Your horse is swift,
Ko" Wa-ko"-da thi-ga-xe a-ka wa-zhi"-ga ho, wa-gthu-shka zhi"-ga

i-da-be shki wa^a-xe a-ka. The God who made you made the

birds, fishes, and insects.
Ko", Wa-ko"-da, mi-o"-ba mo"-zho" i-da-be wa-ga-xe a-ka e-no" wa-

k'tsi-o"-ge a-ka o. The God who made the sun, moon, and the

earth instructs the birds.
Mi be' thi-k'i a(?) Who gave you a blanket?
Mi wi'-e bthi-wi" o(.) I bought a blanket.
Mo"-9e-we to" ga a-ka mo"-i"-ka gtho"-the ha thi-to"-be a-ka t)(.)

With a plow a large piece of ground may be broken up.
Mo"'-hi" thi-ta ho-wa(?) Where is your knife?
Mo"' -hi" to"-ga a-ba to" bi no" hi" a(?) Have the Americans come?
Mo"'-hi" to"-ga 3ho"-ge i-ta bi we-tha-the gka a(?) Did you ever see

American dogs?
Mo»^-ta-no"-dsi zho" i-tha'gi o; a'-no"-ko-ge a-ba e tha-gthi" bi o(.)

I hate to sleep on the ground; a floor is good.
Mo" thi'-ta tha-gthi" o(.) Your arrows are good.

LAfUHRBB) O8A0B BtCnONABT 401

Mo*-xe'-the u-moVka bi o(.) They aare easfly d^ceiyed.

Mo^^zho" ho-wa-ge ta-tha-bthe ta ni-kshe a(?) Where will you hunt?

Ma^*2sho* o^-mo'^'kBhe ho^xtsiro^ te i^ba^o*^ a-zhi a-ba a(.) They

do not know what sort of a world the next is.
Ni-gkiu'-e to*-ga e i-kahe shi e-gka. Have your ever been to the

Grand Saline?
NiM^ a*tha bi o. She has gone for water.
Ni^ka-shi^ga no" ai-ba ho^'-ba ta ts*e tha bi e-gka. How did the old

men kill deer?
Ni-ka-8hi*ga we-fci-tV (o» a-ba da-do* shki hiu ga-xe tho^'tse a-ba.

People who have tools are able to make a great many things.
No"'-ha bthe-t:a tsi-zhe-be pa-xe ta mi kshe o; Sho"-ge tsi bi ko^-btha

thi"-ge o(.) I will make a door of boards; I do not want the dogs

to come in.
Q'-ga-xe thi*-ge hiu a-ta«bthe o(.) I have hunted often to no profit.
O'-moHa we-Jp-l^ V tha-gthi» we-thi-to'^-be. It is easy to work with

good tools.
O-tsi bi a^ba dsiu-^tha bi a, o^-zha ha-o'^-k'o** ta bi thi'^-ge o. Our

families are ragged, but it is not in our power to help.
0-thi' to"-tha a-ni-anio** zho" to'-gtho" tse wa-tsVga o(.) Having a

wagon, it is easy to haul wood.
0-xthaj-be gi wa-ga'-be o-xthe i-tha'-gi o(.) I hate to follow the black

bear through the thickets.
Pi'-zhiTO, Wa-|f:o"-<ia o-wa-ki-a bi hiu-the i-ba ho" a-zhi tse. It is bad

not to know the talk which Qod has sent to us.
Pi'-zhi tse tha-gthi** tse e-tho»-ba i-ba-ho" a-zhi a-ba o(.) They do not

know what is good and what is evil.
Sho"'- ge hiu o»-ga-thi** o"-ga thi" o(.) We have a great many dogs.
Sho"'-ge o"-gu-ta a-ba pi-ba zhi bi o, e-sho** wo^-thi-gi-hi shki o" bi

o(.) Our dogs are good for nothing and cross.
Sho»'-mi-ta^i a-ba ts'e the ta bi e-gka. The wolves would perhaps

kill them.
Sho"-mi-ka-gi ts*e on^the ta bi e-gka. I think we could kill the

wolves.
Sho-she e-zha-mi mo^-hi** to"-ga thu-wa-ts'e-ga i-k'u-tsa ba-zhi i-tse

o (. ) I wonder the Americans do not try to tame big game (buffalo) .
Ta'-bthe bthe o(.) I am going hunting.

Ta-gka' a-ba wa-dsu-ta tha-gthi** bi o(.) Sheep are good animals.
Ta-ha ha'-no" wa-ni ni kshe a(?) How many deerskins have you?
Ta he-be o"-lf:'i o(.) Give me a piece of meat.
Ta' wi" a-ku-dse o. I shot a deer.
Ta wi° ge mi"-dse i ts'e tha the gka a(?) Did you ever kill a deer with

an arrow?
Thi shki a-thi-thi" a-gtha-bi do** thi-ho" gi-tha gthi" tho"-tse a hi".

If you should be carried off, would your mother be happy?

402 BTJBBAXT OF AM3aJBICAN KTHNOLOQY r»t7u. io»

Tho'^-zha sho'^-ge a-ba shki ta-gka ts'e the no» bi o(.) But dogs also

kill sheep.
'I'se-do'-ga o-thi-toMha k'i** do»-ha ba tho» tse a(?) Would buffalo

draw well in a wagon?
Tse wi" i-tha-the o(.) I saw a buffalo.
Tse'-xe ho-^wa ge stsiu-ge a(?) Where did you get the kettle?
Tsi ga-gi ko»-btha pe-dse u-dse-the pa-xe ta mi kshe o(.) Sho-dse

i-*tha*9i o(.) I want a firm house. I will make a chimney. I hate

smoke,
fsi wi-ta tse a-shka dsi o-we pa-xe ta mi-kshe o; we-hi-dse wa-thito"

the tse pi zhi o(.) I will build my house near to my field; it is bad

to have to go so far to work.
Tsi zhe'-be wi'ta tse ko-ko-gi tho<ge ko"-btha o. I want to have hogs

in sight of my door.
U'-shko*" thi pi-zhi do° be a-ba shki i-thi-gi ta bi o(.) If your ways

are bad everybody will dislike you,
Wa-diu-ta ho-wa-the shki o"-thi-hi-da bi, wa-xpa-thi» o»-tha bi pi-zhi o ;

Wa-ga'-xe a-ka we-tha-bi do" gi-ba-ko** ta a-ka o(.) It is wicked to

torment any kind of animal; when the Creator sees it He wOl be

angry.
Wa-dsu-ta thi"-ge o. There is no game.
Wa-gthe'-pe a-ka a da-do" the a-ka o, o-zho"-ge tha-gthi" kshe wa-toM"

ga-xe a-ka o. The Scriptures are a light which discovers the good

path. / /

Wa-k'o a-ba wa-thi-to" i-ga gki ge no" bi o(.) It p fatigjiing to woihen

to work in the field.
Wa-kV-gi thi"-ge do" sho"-ge da-do" u-thi-ko" ta be tse a(?) When '

there is no game, of what use are the dogs? (Applied to himting.)
Wa-ko"-da thi-ga^xe do" da-do" a-ni-ge thi-k*i thd"-k8be i-thi-gtho" thi"

ha. Think of God who made you and gave you all you know.
Wa-ko"'-da wa-ga-xe thi"-kshe i-ba-ho" ba-zhi a-ba o. They do not

know God the Creator.
Wa-ko"-da wi-zhi"-ge sho"-be o"-the no" ta bi o; e-sho o"-shka-da bl ge

da-do^ shki o-k'o" thi"-ge ts'e o"-tha ba-zhi no" tse. Therefore, my

son, we should let the animals alone and should kijl nothing for

sport.
Wa-wa'-tha-da do" wa-thi'-gtho" u-tsi thi-ga-xe ba e-sho u^hkp^ tha-

gthi" thi-ga-xe shki o" ta a-ka. His (God's) laws make you wise

and good.
Wa-zhi"-ga ba shki e-go" a-ba o; zhi"-ga wa-thi" a-gtha bi do" gi-sho"

ba zhi no" bi o(.) It is the same with the little birds; wh!en the

young are carried off the mother bird is distressed.
We'-ki-k'o" tha-gthi" a-tlii" do" ha-gka ga-xe u'-mo"-ka a bi o. With

good implements they say it is easy to make cotton cloth.

ULrucacHB] O&AQE DICTIONARY 403

Wi-zhi"-ge the go'-dsi wa-^the-ge tha-dse i-.Jj:'u-ta thi** ha o(.) My

son, try now to leam to read.
Wi-zhi"-ge, thi-tha-^lsi thi-4iQ^ e-tho^ ba tba-lj:'e-wa-gi tha o; da a hi

ki zhi e-go? no" o. My son, love your father and mother; do what

they bid you.
Zhi*'-ga zhi"-ga a-wa'-gi-to"-be o"-sho»-mo"-.zhi o; da-do» tha-tse

a-wa-gi-the thi"-ge do". I have been sorry to look at my children,

having nothing to give them to eat.
Zhi"-ga zhi"-ga o-shko" pi-zhi zho-wa-gtha zhi thi" hau. Go not with

bad children.
Zhi"-ga-zhi"-^a wi'-gi-e wa-no^-^'o" gi-tha-gthi" bi o(.) He (God) is

pleased to hear children pray.
Zho" a-Jp-lji-o" he tsi wi" a ki-pa-xe ta mi-kshe o(.) I intend making a

log house for myself.
Zho" t*i" a-gthi" bi o(.) She has come carrying wood.
Zho" k*i" shki o-o" wa-tse-xi o(.) Carrying wood is also hard work.
Zho"-no" o"-tho"-go"-5a mo"-zhi a-gthi o(.) I have returned wearv

without anything.

La Flesche, Francis. 1932 [1976]. A Dictionary of
the Osage Language. Washington DC: US Govt.
Printing Office.