Vocabulary
Vocabulary for Owens Valley Paiute, gathered by theme. Where the Grammar section is about how the language fits together, this section is about the words themselves: the creatures of the valley, our relatives, and the food, water, and land that everyday life turns on.
Most words here link to the Kubishi Dictionary: hover for a quick meaning, click for the full entry with example sentences and (where available) audio. These pages are a curated starting point, not the whole language.
Browse by theme
- Animals: mammals, birds, fish, and snakes of the Owens Valley, with the wonderful kinship names behind many of them.
- Family and Relatives: parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and the words for children.
Glossary
| Word | Part of speech | Meaning | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| -dü | v | present | 1 |
| -ku | v | completed | 3 |
| -ma | n | with (instrumental) | 1 |
| -na | n | object marker | 2 |
| -neika | 2 | ||
| -noka | n | object case distal | 1 |
| -pü | v | PAST | 4 |
| -ti | v | ing | 6 |
| -tsi' | n | dear | 1 |
| -wei | v | will (future tense) | 5 |
| 'üü | pronoun | you | 3 |
| a- | v | him | 2 |
| a- | n | his | 1 |
| ai- | n | them | 1 |
| azabana | Noun | flicker | 1 |
| hibi | Verb | drink | 4 |
| hpishiguuddu | Noun | humming bird | 1 |
| hutsi' | Noun | grandmother (paternal) | 1 |
| i- | pp | this | 1 |
| ihi | pronoun | this one | 2 |
| ihiŵa | pronoun | these ones | 2 |
| isha' | Noun | coyote | 6 |
| ishabugu | Noun | dog | 1 |
| ishagwanga' | Noun | fox sp. | 1 |
| kabaayu' | Noun | horse | 1 |
| kammü | Noun | jackrabbit | 1 |
| kasabayaa | Verb | extend wing | 1 |
| katü | Verb | sit | 4 |
| künu' | Noun | grandfather (paternal) | 1 |
| kütsadangi | Verb | shake (by biting) | 1 |
| kütsei | Verb | bill (credit) | 1 |
| kuŵa | Noun | husband | 1 |
| kuŵabi | Noun | husband | 1 |
| kuŵadu | Verb | marry | 1 |
| kwi'naa' | Noun | eagle | 2 |
| ma- | v | that one | 3 |
| ma- | n | that one's | 1 |
| mahu | pronoun | that one | 5 |
| mahuŵa | pronoun | those | 2 |
| mai- | v | them | 1 |
| mai- | n | their | 1 |
| mia | Verb | go | 4 |
| mu'a | Noun | grandmother (maternal) | 1 |
| mukusuu | Noun | sucker fish | 1 |
| naatsi' | Noun | boy | 1 |
| nananodügwa | Noun | married couple | 1 |
| nawabi | Noun | father | 1 |
| nawatsi' | Noun | uncle | 1 |
| nayaduhannu | Noun | word | 1 |
| nazaguŵa | Noun | uncle (paternal) | 1 |
| nobi | Noun | house | 1 |
| nodügwa | Noun | wife | 1 |
| nodügwadu | Verb | marry | 1 |
| nüü | pronoun | I | 8 |
| nüügwa | pronoun | we | 1 |
| nüümü | Noun | human | 3 |
| nuyuha | Verb | slither | 1 |
| ohaa' | Noun | baby | 1 |
| pabatahabi | swim | 1 | |
| pagwi | Noun | fish | 1 |
| pagwiga | Verb | fish | 1 |
| pahabichi | Noun | bear | 3 |
| pahwa | Noun | aunt (paternal) | 2 |
| pasugu | Noun | snake (water) | 1 |
| patogo | Noun | snake (type) | 1 |
| paya | Noun | water | 3 |
| payahuunaddü | place | Owens Valley | 1 |
| piabi | Noun | mother | 2 |
| pidu' | Noun | aunt (maternal) | 1 |
| pikuuzaya | Verb | kick back legs | 1 |
| puggu | Noun | horse | 2 |
| puni | Verb | see | 1 |
| puu' | Noun | uncle (maternal) | 2 |
| saaŵu | Noun | sister | 1 |
| sawa | Verb | cook | 1 |
| siadakanii' | Noun | chub fish | 1 |
| sigibagwi | Noun | fish (type) | 1 |
| süadümmü | Noun | woman (young) | 1 |
| suugu | Noun | robin | 1 |
| ta- | v | us | 2 |
| ta- | n | our | 1 |
| taa | pronoun | we (dual) | 1 |
| taagwa | pronoun | we (plural) | 1 |
| tabuu'tsi' | Noun | cottontail rabbit | 2 |
| tei- | n | our (plural) | 1 |
| togo' | Noun | grandfather (maternal) | 1 |
| togogwaddainubü | Noun | king snake | 1 |
| togowa | Noun | rattlesnake | 1 |
| toogü' | Noun | dog | 1 |
| tsiidoopi' | Noun | bird | 1 |
| tsoo' | Noun | great grandparent | 1 |
| tsüa' | Noun | girl | 1 |
| tüba | Noun | pine nut | 5 |
| tühidda | Noun | deer | 1 |
| tüka | Verb | eat | 9 |
| tüzibagwa | Noun | carp fish | 1 |
| u- | v | him/her/it | 3 |
| ü- | v | you | 1 |
| ü- | n | your | 1 |
| uhu | pronoun | he/she/it | 7 |
| uhuŵa | they | 1 | |
| ui- | them | 2 | |
| wanga' | Noun | brother, younger | 2 |
| wasüüya' | Noun | baby girl | 1 |
| wazatsagi | Verb | howl | 1 |
| woboka | baby boy | 1 | |
| wükada | Noun | snake (type) | 1 |
| yaga | Verb | cry | 1 |