Minak-oknahose
06-09-2010, 02:19 PM
Here is how I have reconstructed the "Tutelo pledge of allegiance", only two words: Kenpaski miwaki, "I serve the sovereign."
The clues for this come from both Fontaine (1716) and Hewitt (1888). Fontaine recorded the phrase as Kenepaskiniwiky, "My service to you queen".
John Napoleon Bonaparte Hewitt was a Tuscarora linguist who studied Tutelo as well as Nottoway, and made typically cryptic notes as he attempted to render meanings and gestures often double translated from Tutelo speaking informants via Cayuga speaking intermediaries. He recorded the following:
tan-tka wa-ki'-se wa-ki'-le-se - "the man (many) (acting by command etc.) (probably two ideas)"
It is apparent he had some difficulty with that one, but the present state of research in Tutelo allows us to identify it as an actual grammatical phrase, Wahtaka wakise wakilese, "Man serving, running errand." -se is a suffix comparable to English progressive or imperfect, enabling us to deduce the verb Waki, wakise, "to serve, obey". The expected form of the first person would then be Miwaki, I serve. This is probably the verb Fontaine heard in 1716 and wrote as "-niwiky" at the end of "Kenepaskiniwiky".
So what about the part before that, "Kenepaski-"? The word Hunski, king or chief is also known from colonial era treaties, and Kenpaski could easily be a form of title related to that, possibly incorporating the syllable pa-, head.
Kenpaski miwaki is surely what the Yesan said to declare they were loyal Yesan, where "Kenpaski" can mean not just the Queen or confederate sovereign, but the embodiement of everything it means to be Yesan.
The clues for this come from both Fontaine (1716) and Hewitt (1888). Fontaine recorded the phrase as Kenepaskiniwiky, "My service to you queen".
John Napoleon Bonaparte Hewitt was a Tuscarora linguist who studied Tutelo as well as Nottoway, and made typically cryptic notes as he attempted to render meanings and gestures often double translated from Tutelo speaking informants via Cayuga speaking intermediaries. He recorded the following:
tan-tka wa-ki'-se wa-ki'-le-se - "the man (many) (acting by command etc.) (probably two ideas)"
It is apparent he had some difficulty with that one, but the present state of research in Tutelo allows us to identify it as an actual grammatical phrase, Wahtaka wakise wakilese, "Man serving, running errand." -se is a suffix comparable to English progressive or imperfect, enabling us to deduce the verb Waki, wakise, "to serve, obey". The expected form of the first person would then be Miwaki, I serve. This is probably the verb Fontaine heard in 1716 and wrote as "-niwiky" at the end of "Kenepaskiniwiky".
So what about the part before that, "Kenepaski-"? The word Hunski, king or chief is also known from colonial era treaties, and Kenpaski could easily be a form of title related to that, possibly incorporating the syllable pa-, head.
Kenpaski miwaki is surely what the Yesan said to declare they were loyal Yesan, where "Kenpaski" can mean not just the Queen or confederate sovereign, but the embodiement of everything it means to be Yesan.