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A World of Variety: Creek (Muskogean)
Posted Fri, February 20, 2009 - 8:29 PM
language, nativeamerica
Extent of the Muskogean language family
Creek (not to be confused with Cree) is a Muskogean language that was spoken in what is now the states of Alabama and Georgia. This language and its relatives such as Miccosukee, Koasati, and even (you guessed it...) Alabama, once dominated the southeastern United States.
This is an excerpt from a story about the origin of corn, voiced by Margaret McKane Mauldin.
Ací hi·ckatí· ohhonáka
Hoktǎ·nlosi·t ô·mi·s. Hoktakí hokkô·lit wilâ·kit o·mín hoktalósi·t ma hoktakí ahô·ya·t ilihapó· o·câ·kin man acákka·yatí·s. Mo·mín cá·tat itoʔíssin acánki·t islêykin íshi·catí·s. Leykatí·t ’sayî·pit tó·tka tímpin stákleycatí·s. Hofóni· hâ·kin hi·câ·n ci·panósi·t hocâ·ckit ma cá·tan akhocâ·ckit o·mín hi·catí·s. Mo·mín ma hoktâ·la·t afa·stít ma ci·panósa·t acóleycatí·s. Mo·mín ma hoktâ·la·t iccakotáksin inháhyit łíw ínha·yatí·s.
Mónt "Fá·yas" keycín a·łí· ha·katí·s.
"Fa·yâ·t nâ·kit ilí hokkoléyci·t a·łín híhceys capákki·t a·łít o·mín incapinkalí·t łáhteys" keycín.
"Pínwat o·mí·s ma ô·ma·n ilí·ho·cín pa·pakánc hatâm hi·cícka·t ilí·cíckáłi·s" keycatí·s.
The Origin of Corn
There once was a very old woman. Two women were going about and an old woman followed the tracks where the women had gone. Then she found a leaf lying with blood in it. She took home that which lay there, and set it down near the fire. After a while, when she looked at it, she saw a little boy had been created, created from the blood. Then the old woman cared for him and raised the little boy. Then the old woman made a bow for him, and she made an arrow, too.
"Go hunting!" she told him, and he began to go around.
"When hunting, I saw something two-footed going about. It was vicious, and I was frightened of it and returned," he said.
"It was a turkey. [Things] like that are killed and eaten. When you see another one, you shall kill it," she told him.
(from The Haas/Hill Collection at the College of William and Mary.)