Tümpisa (also known as Timbisha or Panamint Shoshone, among others) is a language spoken by a dwindling number of speakers in the aptly and unfortunately named Death Valley, this being in the American State of California, though their traditional area inched over border into Nevada.
Before contact with the Europeans, the Panamint Indians lived a largely hunter-gatherer lifestyle in the mountains and valleys of the Sierra Nevada as well as Death Valley.
Sometime before Europeans arrived into this area, a group broke off and adopted a Great Plains lifestyle, and became thereby the Comanche of much legend and infamy.
Tümpisa hails from the Central Numic sub-branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, which was reportedly the most widely spread before 1492.
Tümpisa belongs to the Northern Division of this family, whilst the Aztecan branch belongs to the Southern Division.
In this newsletter, which will be a long boi, we will read a story in Tümpisa, before proceeding on to an exploration of the grammar present in the whole story. Anyone who knew the original Wordpress blog will know this formula. (If you feel no sense of dread, then you do not know it well enough.)
We will start with the English translation. This will be followed by the original.
Thereafter we will meticulously dissect the grammar in this story.
How we lived long ago:
Now I will tell you about the way wherein we lived long ago. Then, we had houses in Death Valley.
It’s hot, it’s really hot there. We lived around there in the winter. When it was summer, we went up there in the mountains.
Long ago then, we used to have horses, and we used to have burros. We went on them then… to the mountains.
We stayed there in the summer. At that time we picked pinenuts thereabouts, preparing pinenuts and eating pinenuts. We used to pick something else… a kind of seed.
And also we ate something that is called “yuapi”, which is a sweet-tasting cactus.
It’s really cool up there in the mountains. We used to be there in the summertime.
Then after a while, when it would get cold up there in the winter, we would go down there to Death Valley to the heat, when it was really warm in the winter.
There was something to eat down in Death Valley which was called “ohpi”. We ate that, smashed it and ate it. That’s all of that kind of edible.
There was something else in the water that is called “ohyo”. We used to eat that.
We lived there when it was winter, we lived there (in Death Valley).
My father was there working on a ranch at that time long ago. We used to have a lot of horses, and we used to have a lot of burros. We lived there all the time.
Also, we all went down there someplace to go to school. We were sent there when we didn’t speak, when we didn’t speak any English, there to Sherman (School) in Stewart (California). We were sent there, two of my cousins and I were sent there to school, to a Navajo school.
We spoke there, spoke English. We stayed there for three years. We stayed there going to school when we didn’t speak (English).
That’s all of what I remember about that which we used to do.
Oh! We were rained on when going, while we were going on horses, while we were going on burros.
One man told the rain to come and get us wet there in the mountains, to make us cold: “Come on, come on!” he told it.
He hollered at the rain; he hollered that when we were going, when it was hot. We were rained on there, we relatives were rained on really hard. We went in under our wagons… we had wagons at that time.
There was my father, and all of us, my older sisters and I. There were also my two brothers. There were many of us who went. He yelled at that rain, so we got rained on at that time then.
That’s all of that which I remember. That is all.
Here is the original Tümpisa story. Naturally, I don’t expect anyone to read it.
In truth, its presence here in full is to act as the Rubicon across which only the truly curious will cross in order to find the true meat of this newsletter: the Grammar Analysis.
Püetüsü nümmü sunni nukwimmippühantü
Püetüsü pünnan ni nümmi nukwippüha nü sukkwa teewitu’ih miikka. Sape’esü, nümmü Death Valley ka kahnipaimmippühantü.
Ütüinna küttaa sapettü ütüintü. Nümmü tommo okkwah sukkwuh kahnipainuwi. Nümmü tatsa naakkiha nümmü supe toya mantu mi’a.
Püesü sape’esü, nümmü puŋkupaimmippühantü, nümmü putisih puŋkupaimmippühantü. Nümmü supe’e supa’a miatü nümmü… toya mantu.
Nümmü sakkuh kahnikantü tatsawani. Nümmü supe’e tüpanna hannitü sakkuhontü, tüpanna tükkatü, tüpanna nomo’enna. Nümmü noohinna namo’emmippühantü pasiitanna.
Tüŋa “yuapi” niyakantü sakkuh pihnaa kammantü aikupittsi nümmü sukkwa tükkatü.
Tsao hüttsawüntü sapa’antü toya mantu. Nümmü sukkuh naamminna tatsawani.
Nümmü üküsü ukkwah supe’e tommo üitsü’iyuntu’ih, nümmü supe’e mia ntünaa Death Valley katü ütüintü katu tsao yuwaintü tommo okkwah.
Sape un natükkanna tünaa Death Valley “ohpi” “ohpi” nihakantü sitü. Nümmü sukkwa tükkatü, u tusukkwantü tükkatü. Usun takasü suittü un natükkanna.
Hiisampe tüŋa paa kuppantü sutü “ohyo” niyakantü nümmü sukkwa tükkamminna.
Nümmü sukkwuh kahnikantü ukkwah tommo okkwah, nümmü sukkwuh kahnikantü.
Nian nappü naappühantü sukkwuh tütüaimmi sukkwuh üattüah ka, sape’esü ukkwah. Nümmü so’oppüh puŋkupaimmippühantü, nümmü so’oppüh putisih puŋkupaimmippühantü. Nümmü noohimpe sukkwuh kahnikantü nümmü.
Nümmü ti tüŋa miappühantü tünaa natütiiŋwakwasü ape himpüka. Nümmü sape namiaŋkütaippühantü kee naŋkawitü ukkwah mitükkaannaŋkawitü ukkwah himpüka püü Sherman in Stewart. Nümmü sapettü namiaŋkütaippühantü, wahattü niam püanümü ma’e nü namiaŋküppühantü sapettü school natiiŋwakkatu apettu Navajo natiiŋwakka.
Nümmü sapehontü naŋkawi mitükkaannaŋkawi. Nümmü pahi nümmü tommo yiŋkappühantü sape. Nümmü sape natiiŋwayiŋkappühantü ke naŋkawitü ukkwah.
Haka usun takasü nasuntamanna pünnan ni nümmi nukwippüha.
Oh! Nümmü na’ümammippühantü miatü ukkwah, nümmi puŋku pa’a miatukwa, putisih pa’a miatukwa.
Sümüttü taŋümmü sümmi yükkwi ümanna akkatü toya mantu nümmi potso’iŋküki nümmi üitsü’iŋküki nümmi: “Ma kimma! Ma kimma!” i niiŋkünna.
U petsiŋkünna ümatünna, u petsiŋkünna sukkwa nümmi miaku ukkwah, ütüiŋku ukkwah. Nümmü na’üma sukkwuh nanümü kenümüni na’ümanna nümmü. Nümmin kateetta tukkwa nümmü weekinnümmi, kateettakantü naappühantü nümmü sape’eni ikkwah.
Nü appü naapühantü utü, nümmü sümüsü niam patsinümü. Nia samoppü naappühantü wahattü. Nümmü soontü miatü. U petsiŋkünna sakka üŋwatünna, nümmü na’üŋwataisü supe’e wihnu.
Haka usun takasü nia nasuntamantü.
Originally, I had a bone to pick with Mr Dayley.
Normally when a linguist includes a story in their grammar, they typically include an interlinear gloss – usually in a far more streamlined format than the one which I have included here.
Mr Dayley, on the other hand, wrote this story with the Tümpisa, English and Glosses in three different sections, and I had to do this legwork myself.
After having done this, and then completing the essay, I am now grateful for his lack of spoonfeeding.
As always, I hope you learn something here.
Tümpisa makes a distinction between Inclusive and Exclusive Pronouns. These two sentences should illustrate the distinction quite succinctly:
Nümmü tommo okkwah sukkwuh kahnipainuwi. = They and I lived around there in the winter.
Tammü tommo okkwah sukkwuh kahnipainuwi. = All of you and I lived around there in the winter.
There are also Dual variants of the above, these being nuŋku and taŋku respectively.
kahnipainuwi is built from three components:
1. kahni = a Noun which means house.
2. -pai = a Postposition which means on/at.
3. nuwi = a Verb which means walk around or wander.
More broadly, nuwi means live in a traditional lifeway.
kahnikantü is built from these components:
1. kahni = a Noun which means house.
2. -kantü = the “Having” Suffix.
More broadly, the Suffix –kantü (whose full form is –kantün) indicates not only possession, it also indicates the act of being characterised by something.
Here is another example of –kantü indicating Possession:
Nü kee piammüppühkantü. = I do not have any babies.
piammüppühkantü is built from three components:
1. piammü = a Noun which means baby.
2. -ppüh = the Past Participle Suffix.
3. -kantü = the “Having” Suffix.
This word would be too difficult to try and give a literal translation.
Here is an example of –kantü indicating someone’s characteristic:
Küpütappütü okoŋkwantü yükkwi. = The long-tongued one will do it.
okoŋkwantü is built from two components:
1. okon = a Noun which means tongue.
2. -kantü = the Characteristic Suffix.
I did attempt to track down all of the rules surrounding the relevant phonological processes, but in the end this became dizzyingly complex, especially as regards my relative weakness in Phonology.
Without delving thereinto for the sake of brevity, küpütappütü means long and yükkwi means will do it.
sapa’antü is built from three components:
1. sa = the “There Visible” Demonstrative Base.
2. -pa’an = a Postposition which means on top or above.
3. -tü = the Singular Subjective Suffix.
Thus, by itself, sapa’antü means something like that visible thing which is up there or in the visible place up on top, or something along those lines.
Tümpisa has an extremely detailed system of Demonstrative Locative Pronouns. I shall analyse two others which appear in this narrative, though there are many more.
sukkuh, which appears in the next sentence, is built from two components:
1. su = the “There Not-Visible” Base.
2. -kkuh = the “Defined Area” Suffix.
Thus, sukkuh means something like the defined area which is not visible, although the more colloquial over there also works.
Last, but not least, is sape, which is built from two components:
1. sa = the “There Visible” Base.
2. -pe = the “Out of Sight” Suffix.
The Suffix –pe can also mean in a loosely defined area.
sape also combines with the Singular Subjective Suffix –tü to create sapettü, which also appears in this narrative.
In addition, there is a distinction between the Obviative and Proximate.
The former lacks the initial /s/. Thus, ape is different from sape, and apettü is different from sapettü.
In this sentence, we have u, which means it, and in the previous we have un, which means its.
Earlier we discussed the 1st Person Pronouns; here we discuss the 3rd Person Pronouns.
In Tümpisa, Personal Pronouns come in three cases: Subjective, Objective and Possessive.
For the Singular, Pronouns, they are:
The 3rd Person Singular Subjective is known by its absence.
In addition, there are zero Personal Pronouns assigned to the 3rd Person Dual and Plural.
Naturally, this leads to the question: “What if I want to say he or she in Tümpisa?”
This is possible, using the Demonstratives discussed earlier. For example:
Satü muhi tottükwappühantü. = S/he hit you two.
satü is built from two components:
1. sa = the “There Visible” Base.
2. -tü = the Singular Subjective Suffix.
(muhi is the 2nd Person Dual Object Pronoun.)
The other Subjective Suffixes (for Demonstratives) are the Dual –tuŋku and the Plural –tümmü. Examples include:
Satuŋku toto’ehi. = Those two are coming out.
Satümmü ko’ittaippüh. = They are dead.
If you would like a more rigorous and structured breakdown of the Tümpisa Demonstrative Pronouns, I would recommend downloading Daley’s original grammar, which I was able to do for free. (Whether it is still possible at the time of YOUR reading this is another question entirely.)
tütüaimmi is built from two components:
1. tütüai = a Verb which means work.
2. -mmi = the Habitual Suffix.
The Suffix –mmi indicates not only an action which one used to do on a regular or predictable basis. It can also indicate an Iterative action (one done many times in a row), but also a Durative action (i.e. one of continual duration).
Here is another example of this Suffix:
Tammü tattsikohimminna. = We are slipping around.
tammü is the 1st Person Plural Inclusive Pronoun, i.e. all of you and I.
tattsikohimminna is built from three components:
1. tattsikohi = a Verb which means slip on one’s feet.
2. -mmi = the Iterative/Durative Suffix.
3. -nna = the Objective Case Suffix.
The Objective Case Suffix indicates that you and I are not in control of the slipping, we are being buffeted around by forces beyond our control and ken.
namiaŋkütaippühantü is built from these components:
1. na- = the Passive Prefix.
2. miaŋkütai = a Verb which means send away.
3. -ppühantü = the Past Tense Perfective Suffix.
The Past Tense Perfective fulfils the same role as the Simple Past Tense in English. Another example goes:
Kunna tukwippühantü. = The fire went out.
kunna is broader than its English translation fire.
It can also refer to firewood, matches and something to burn in general.
tukwi means go out when referring to fires.
Applied to humans, however, it is a euphemism for die.
Many younger speakers often use the contracted form –ppantü/-ppantün.
Tümpisa does have a Simple Past Tense, but this is more typically used for an action that had a lasting effect.
natiiŋwayiŋkappühantü is built from three components:
1. natiiŋwa = a Verb which means go to school.
2. yiŋka = a Plural Auxiliary Verb which means stay.
3. -ppühantü = the Past Tense Perfective Suffix.
natiiŋwa also means learn, study and be taught.
It is a Medio-Passive Verb.
The Verb, yiŋka, meanwhile, is far more interesting.
By itself, it is an Intransitive Verb which means stop or stay.
However, it only applies to Plural Subjects.
Tümpisa has a number of verbs which undergo Suppletion in order to indicate Number.
The verb stay or stop is one that has three forms.
An example of the Singular:
Üü hakami suwakkatü? = About what are you sitting and thinking?
hakami means what or how, and refers specifically to something being said or thought.
suwakkatü is built from two components:
1. suwa = a Verb which means think.
2. katü = a Singular Auxiliary Verb which means sit.
katü is the Singular equivalent to yiŋka.
Other translations for katü include: camp, stay, be located, be situated and do awhile.
In addition, suwa can also mean feel, desire or want.
An example of the Dual:
Satuŋku naŋkawiyükkwi. = Those two are sitting and talking.
naŋkawiyükkwi is built from two components:
1. naŋkawi = a Verb which means talk or speak.
2. yükkwi = a Dual Verb which means sit.
yükkwi also means camp, stay, as well as be positioned, located or situated.
In addition, it is actually the Durative Form of the verb, its stem form being yükwi.
Confusingly, the Verb yükwi can also mean say.
Furthermore, naŋkawi is actually, itself a Singular/Plural form.
The Dual/Plural form is niŋwünü.
I imagine that, because the Auxiliary Verb is Dual, the main Verb can remain in its default form.
I am confident in calling naŋkawi the default form because it is most similar to the Noun naŋki, which means ear and is used in many other words.
Not all Verbs undergo Number-based Suppletion, and in those that do, it is not uncommon for the forms to overlap.
ukkwah/okkwah is a Time Adverb which means when (at the time of) or if.
Here is an example wherein ukkwah means if:
Ukkwah nü paŋwiyukwinnümpüpai paŋwiyukwihippüh. = If I had a fishing pole, I would go fishing.
paŋwiyukwinnümpüpai is built from two components:
1. paŋwi = a Noun which means fish.
2. yukwi = a Verb which means get.
3. -nnümpü = the Instrumental Suffix.
2. -pai = a Postposition which means on top.
Thus, the phrase nü paŋwiyukwinnümpüpai means something like I (was/am) on top of an instrument for getting fish.
paŋwiyukwihippüh is built from three components:
1. paŋwiyukwi = a Verb which means to fish.
2. -hi = the Dubitative Suffix.
3. -ppüh = the Perfective Suffix.
In Tümpisa, the Dubitative Suffix fulfils a similar role to the English modal verbs might or would.
Our next example features ukkwa when it means when:
Nüü tuupükkappühantü küntu ukkwah. = I was angry when it was yesterday.
küntu (or küntusü) is another Time Adverb which means yesterday.
In English, the inclusion of the word when is a bit weird, but it still works.
At this point, you may be wondering something. Namely, how is it that one enquires into the time at which an event takes place?
Can this feat be accomplished with only a single word?
Yes. It can.
Observe:
Himpe u kuttimmaa? = When did he shoot him?
u is the 3rd Person Singular Object Pronoun.
kuttimmaa is built from two components:
1. kutti = a Verb which means shoot.
2. -mmaa = the Simple Past Tense Suffix.
-mmaa, whose full form is –mmaah, is also called the Simulfactive Completive.
This just means that it happened all at once.
himpe is an Interrogative which means when?
Although they both translate as when, himpe and ukkwah are not interchangeable.
In a question, himpe is used. In a non-question, ukkwah is used.
naappühantü, which appears many times in this narrative, is built from two components:
1. naa = a Verb which means be.
2. -ppühantü = the Past Tense Perfective Suffix.
Since naa does not inflect for Number, naappühantü can mean either was or were, depending on context.
In this section, however, I will simply give you the numbers from one to ten:
1. sümüttü
2. wahattü
3. pahittü
4. wattsüwitü
5. manükitü
6. naapaitü
7. tattsüwitü
8. woosüwitü
9. wanikkitü
10. süümootü
A few of the above have alternate forms, but I wanted to keep this simple.
These are the Free Forms. They are built from a Stem plus the Suffix –tü/-ttü.
The Stem süümoo is built from two components:
1. süü = a Contraction of sümü (one).
2. moo = a Contraction of mo’o (hand).
Thus, the Tümpisa word for ten comes from a compound meaning one hand.
Naturally, there are many features of the language whereupon I have not expounded, be they in this Narrative or no.
Featurally, Tümpisa has some real crackers. Be you to look up the sources that I have used, I would recommend that you look at its Kinship Terms. They have a characteristic very peculiar to the languages of the Americas.
Should you elect to peruse the sources, then one thing to start with is the Tümpisa word for English. Dayley doesn’t break it down into any component parts, but it might be possible.
The sources:
Dayley, Jon P.,
- Tümpisa (Panamint) Shoshone Grammar
- Tümpisa (Panamint) Shoshone Dictionary (University of California Press: Berkeley 1989)
These two publications belong to the University of California’s series on Linguistics, being Volumes 115 and 116 respectively.