Cheyenne

Included here are two text examples in the Cheyenne language: one without tone marking, and one which indicates tones. The former, entitled «Ve’ho’e and the Coyote» was told by Mrs. Charles Whitedirt, and was found in interlinear format on a Cheyenne language website. I have reformatted it into paragraph form. The website uses circumflexes on vowels to mark voicelessness (as the correct symbols are not available on their fonts) instead of the ring accent, I use the ring accent here.

The with-tone-marks text is story told by Laura Rockroads in 1975, and appears in the book Náévåhóo’o̊htséme. It is entitled “The Man Who Tried to Kill a Beaver”. I have updated the paragraphs structure as well as added capitals.

Without Tone Marks

Naa ve’ho’e natåhosemo. Mohna’tone̊hehe. Vaotsevahne mohna’hohevohe. Naa ne̊he’še mo’ee’oeno̊hevohe. Moståhpe’o’åsenåhne̊hehe ma’taa’e. Mohma’xe̊honohto̊hehe honoo’o. Naa ne̊he’še tsehne̊šenavåhonone̊se moxho’e̊haa’hahanehe. Tseohke̊hešenestoneva’xevo̊se o̊htotoeveoe’tovåhtsevose̊stse (hoohtseto) mohne̊hešenestoneva’xe̊hevohe. «Naxaepeosemaa’e tsehetose̊heše̊-hotoo-,» moxheto̊hevohe nehe hoohtseto. Naa mostae’evone̊hne̊hehe. Ne̊heohe mosto’hove̊he’ona’o̊hehe oohtseheta hene̊heohe tsehnestoneva’xetse̊se. Moståhe’kone̊hoto̊xaotse̊hevohe, moxho’noeve̊ho’haeoesta’hatse. Naa tse’tohe o’ko̊home mone̊hme’ho’eohtse̊hehe. Hene moxheho’e̊hohto̊hehe tsehonohetse. Naa ne̊he’še mostatse̊hehehe ve’ho’e, «Hene tše̊heše̊hesto’e onono̊tse, mese̊stse,» moxheto̊hevohe. Hene mostaonono̊hehe. Nono’hono’e mostama’seonono̊hetse̊hehe. «Hapo’e hene nato’semese,» mo’o̊htaohke̊heto̊hevohe. Ooxesta moxheše’hanåhehe. Tsestaešema’semåheestotse̊se mostanotseevavo’hoveotse̊hevohe tse’tohe me’e̊škemahne (hoohtseto). Mohne’ano̊hevone̊hne̊hehe. Ehma’xenehovosesto. Naa tosa’e hešeeše ho’hamose moššeešenåhehe šeeneva. Mohma’xetåhpe’åsevo’eno̊hehehe. Moxho’e̊hoto̊hevohe.

Including Tone Marks

Naa tsé’tóhe na’e̊stse náto’se̊hósémo hóhta’heo’o. Éx-hotoo hetane móhmae’a’avó’se̊haehevóhe vo’e̊stanóho. Mó’o̊hkevése̊ho’åhéhenotóhe homā’e. Mó’o̊hkemaeme̊vo̊hevovóhe naa màto mó’o̊hkema’xeéemomé’hememaehevóhe tséohke̊heše̊hoháepe̊héveéne̊hetse̊se naa máto̊-héva héhévá’xe tséstaéveno’mése̊stove. Héne éohkene̊hetåho’he naa ne̊he’še, «Éohkeoseehoháepe̊héveéno’e,» mó’o̊hkeéve̊hetaehevóhe. Ne̊he’še móstaosáanevése̊ho’åhéhenotóhe.

Mó’o̊hkemae’ée’—e’néoveo’hé’e mó’o̊hkena’hohevovóhe tósa’e tsé’éehestsevóxévo̊se homā’e. Mó’o̊hkemae’éetse̊he’o̊htse̊hevóhe ne̊héóhe mó’o̊hkeée’o̊htsénoto̊hevovóhe taa’ēva, mó’o̊hke̊háe’ame̊hoehevóhe taa’ēva.

Néhe’še mó’osáaneéxanene̊héhe tsé’tó-hetane. Naa vo’e̊stanóho móhno̊htse̊stovo̊hevóhe tséohkeéve̊hešéve̊stóvetse éme’hešena’he̊stse na’e̊stse hóma’e.

Naa móhmé’e̊stomóehevóhe, «Naa éohkeé’xóeneo’o né-méno’keo’o héne éohkeno’heahkaméstove,» móxhetaehevóhe. «Naa netao’o éohkemåhevé’še̊hahéanåhtsénove nonóhpa éohkeméno’keméeotsénove, éohke̊sáa’amåxe̊héheo’o tsé’tó-homā’e,» móxhetaehevóhe.

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Last Modified: 05-Sep-2011