The hare

.
(15-1)   
pulun-de:     terike:-de:-n'E     modo-l'El-Ni.    
old.man-DIM   old.woman-DIM-COM   sit-EV-3PL  

There were an old man and an old woman.


.
(15-2)   
irk-i-n     c'olGEra:-de:-gElE     tittE     O:=No:n     en-re:-l'El-Na:.    
one-0-ATTR   hare-DIM-ACC   they.GEN   child-TRANS   live-TR-EV-TR.3PL  

They were bringing up the hare as their child.


.
(15-3)   
leN-dE-Ni-dE-gE     irk-i-d'E     terike:     mol-l'El.    
eat-INTR-PL-3-DS   one-0-FREQ   old.woman   say-EV  

They ate. One day when they ate the old man said the following.


.
(15-4)   
[Sa:r     jo:-s'.]    
something   hurt-3SG  

Something hurts.

Comment:
This is a side comment in which the speaker complains about her health.


.
(15-5)   
d'E     [Sa:r]     e-di-N     c'olGEra:-de:     [Sa:r     ju:s'i:-tE-j]    
DP   something   PRON-this-ATTR   hare-DIM   something   breath-FUT-3SG  
kude-dE-l-Nin     ta:-nE.    
kill-TR-AN-DAT   there-ADV.LOC  

"We must kill this hare."

Comment:
Sa:r ju:s'i:tEj is a side comment. The sentence is not complete.


.
(15-6)   
terike:-de:     mol-l'El,     loSkEra:-pE     SoboGEra:-pE     a:-mEk?    
old.woman-DIM   say-EV   spoon-PL   bowl-PL   make-TR.2SG  

The old woman said: "Make some spoons and plates."

Comment:
SoboGE or SouGE is a name for traditional wooden bowls and trays.


.
(15-7)   
l'E-N     pulun-de:     tude     SaSil-gElE     mid'-u-m,     n'umud'i:    
be-ATTR   old.man-DIM   he.GEN   trap-ACC   take-0-TR.3SG   axe  
min-dEllE     ta-N     [ugurc'Era:     e:     l'EgE]     ugurc'Era:    
take-SS.PERF   that-ATTR   poplar   INTJ   DP   poplar  
uj-Nin     keb-e-s'.    
do-DAT   leave-PERF-3SG  

The old man took his trap and an axe and went to cut down a poplar tree.

Comment:
On SaSil see (14-4). On poplar see (14-6).


.
(15-8)   
keb-e-s'.    
leave-PERF-3SG  

He left.


.
(15-9)   
terike:-de:     ta-N     c'olGEra:-de:-n'E     pOn'-o:-Ni.    
old.woman-DIM   that-ATTR   hare-DIM-COM   put-RES-3PL  

The old woman stayed with that hare.


.
(15-10)   
{zaval'inka}-gE     a-da:     pOm-u-du-t     ej-rE-j.    
roof-LOC   PRON-there   roll-0-INTR-SS.IMPF   walk-NONIT-3SG  

It went off to slide down the earth wall.

Comment:
Zaval'inka is a Russian word meaning the small mound of earth along the outer wall of a Russian peasant house. The most ancient Yukaghir houses were usually half dug-outs, so here zaval'inka apparently refers to the earth roof of the dwelling.


.
(15-11)   
enn'e:,     qa:qa:     SOtkuri:     kej-k,     mol-l'El.    
mum   grandfather   boots   give-IMP   say-EV  

It said: "Grandmother, give me grandfather's boots."

Comment:
The word SOtkuri: 'boots' is derived from the Russian dialectal shchetki 'strips of fur taken from under reindeer or horse hooves'. The boots were made from 24 such strips taken from 6 animals.


.
(15-12)   
e:     l'E-t-c'Ek,     c'olGErE     Sej-r-ej-tE-jEk?    
INTJ   be-FUT-2SG   hare   escape-NONIT-PERF-FUT-2SG  

"Hare, won't you run away?"


.
(15-13)   
El=l'e:,     El=Sej-r-ej-tE-jE.    
NEG-be   NEG-escape-NONIT-PERF-FUT-1SG  

"No, I won't run away.


.
(15-14)   
El=Sej-r-ej-tE-jE.    
NEG-escape-NONIT-PERF-FUT-1SG  

I won't run away."

Comment:
This sentence is followed by a short dialogue is Russian.


.
(15-15)   
[l'E     ta-N     joNZa:-nu-jE     ...]    
DP   that-ATTR   sleep-IMPF-1SG   ...  

I usually sleep.

Comment:
A side comment.


.
(15-16)   
[c'olGEra:-de:]     c'olGErE     l'E-jEk,     terike:-de:     ...     qod-o:-j,    
hare-DIM   hare   be-2SG   old.woman-DIM   ...   lie-RES-3SG  
....     modo-j.    
...   sit-3SG  

Hare, are you there?" The old woman was lying there.


.
(15-17)   
...     c'olGErE     l'E-jEk?    
...   hare   be-2SG  

"Hare, are you there?".


.
(15-18)   
e:     l'E-jE.    
INTJ   be-1SG  

"Yes, I am here.


.
(15-19)   
ta:-t     epe:     l'E-jEk?    
there-ADV.ABL   grandmother   be-2SG  

Grandmother, are you there?"


.
(15-20)   
terike:-de:     aZu:-gi     Ojl'E.    
old.woman-DIM   word-3   no  

The old woman didn't answer.


.
(15-21)   
c'olGEra:-de:-gi     los'il-Nin     jod-a-s'     leme-dE-mu-Nin     ta-NidE     Sej-r-ej-dEllE,    
hare-DIM-3   fire-DAT   turn-PERF-3SG   what-3-BP-DAT   that-ADV.DIR   escape-NONIT-PERF-SS.PERF  
ta-N     c'olGErE,     Ojl'E.    
that-ATTR   hare   no  

The hare turned to the fire and ran away somewhere. She said: "Hare!" No answer.


.
(15-22)   
c'olGErE,     Ojl'E.    
hare   no  

"Hare!" No answer.


.
(15-23)   
ta:-t     terike:-de:     puguZEj-dEllE     jO:-m,     n'anmE     molGE-dE-Nin    
there-ADV.ABL   old.woman-DIM   rush.out-SS.PERF   see-TR.3SG   willow   middle-3-DAT  
moldE     SOtkuri:-gi     pOn'-o:-nu-l.    
only   boots-3   put-RES-IMPF-SF  

Then the old woman ran out and saw: only its boots were left among the willow bushes.

Comment:
The frequent hunting euphemism for 'hare' is n'anmEn jaGilgEn pes'n'ulbEn 'the one who runs on top of willow bushes'.


.
(15-24)   
ta:-t     l'E-gE-n.    
there-ADV.ABL   be-HORT-3SG  

That's how it was.


.
(15-25)   
pulun-de:     ke:-s',     l'E     c'olGErE     Ojl'E.    
old.man-DIM   come-3SG   DP   hare   no  

The old man came, but there was no hare.


.
(15-26)   
ta:-t     tude     terike:-gElE     ta:-t     qaNi:-na:-m.    
there-ADV.ABL   he.GEN   old.woman-ACC   there-ADV.ABL   chase-INCH-TR.3SG  

So he started chasing his woman.


.
(15-27)   
c'olGErE     tet     id'e:     leu-dEllE     ta:     l'E-jEk    
hare   you   alone   eat-SS.PERF   there   be-2SG  
c'olGErE     tet     id'e:     leu-dEllE     ...    
hare   you   alone   eat-SS.PERF   ...  

"You have eaten the hare on your own and are now sitting here.


.
(15-28)   
[met     l'E]     tude     terike:-gElE     kude-dE-m.    
I   DP   he.GEN   old.woman-ACC   kill-TR-TR.3SG  

He killed his woman.


.
(15-29)   
iNd'i:-dEllE     tude     noGi:-gElE     aNa-gE     min-dEllE     amlE-daj-l'El-u-m,    
sew-SS.PERF   he.GEN   thimble-ACC   mouth-LOC   take-SS.PERF   swallow-PERF-EV-0-TR.3SG  
mOd-i:-k.    
hear-TR-IMP  

When she had been sewing she had put her thimble in her mouth, and then swallowed it.


.
(15-30)   
amlE-daj-l'El-u-m     irk-ej-n'it     pulun-de:     ta:-nE     kude-dE-dE-gE     ...    
swallow-PERF-EV-0-TR.3SG   shake-PERF-SS.CONN   old.man-DIM   there-ADV.LOC   kill-TR-3-DS   ...  

She swallowed it from fear, when that man killed her.


.
(15-31)   
ta:-t     ta:-t     pulun-de:     ke:-s',     tabun-gElE,     mOd-i:-k,    
there-ADV.ABL   there-ADV.ABL   old.man-DIM   come-3SG   that-ACC   hear-TR-IMP  
iri-dE-jlE     n'E-leme     i:-dE-m.    
stomach-3-ACC   NEG-what   catch-TR-TR.3SG  

That man came, but didn't find anything in her stomach.

Comment:
Here one episode is missed out: the old man opens the old woman's stomach, but finds nothing except for the thimble she has swallowed. The word iridEjlE looks like an attempt to tell this episode, but then the speaker changed her mind.


.
(15-32)   
pude     jarq-o:-rE-m     ta:-t     SoromE     tite     l'E    
outside   ice-RES-TR-TR.3SG   there-ADV.ABL   man   like   DP  
aNa-dE-jlE     ti:-t     a:-t     nO:-jo:n     tite-l'-o:     a:-dEllE.    
mouth-3-ACC   here-ADV.ABL   make-SS.IMPF   laugh-SUBN   like-0-RES   make-SS.PERF  

He froze her outside and made her mouth look as though she was alive and laughing.


.
(15-33)   
ta:-t     ta:-t     pulun-de:     tude     terikE-gElE     mi:d'i:-gE    
there-ADV.ABL   there-ADV.ABL   old.man-DIM   he.GEN   old.woman-ACC   sledge-LOC  
uldE-m,     ta:-t     kOud-ej-m.    
tie-TR.3SG   there-ADV.ABL   take.away-PERF-TR.3SG  

Then the old man loaded his wife on the sledge and carried her away on it.

Comment:
Yukaghir sledges mi:d'i: were pulled by dogs.


.
(15-34)   
a:-dE-t     qa-NidE     keb-ej?    
make-INTR-SS.IMPF   what-ADV.DIR   leave-PERF  

Where did he go carrying her?


.
(15-35)   
ta:-t     ataq-u-n     maSl'-O:-n'E-jE     pulun-de:-gE     jaqa-j.    
there-ADV.ABL   two-0-ATTR   girl-child-PROPR-IMPF.PART   old.man-DIM-LOC   reach-3SG  

He came to a man who had two daughters.


.
(15-36)   
pulun-de:-Nin     ta-N     SOu-l'El.    
old.man-DIM-DAT   that-ATTR   enter-EV  

He entered his house.


.
(15-37)   
SOu-l'El,     SOu-dE-gE     mol-l'El,     pulut     tet     id'e:    
enter-EV   enter-3-DS   say-EV   old.man   you   alone  
l'E-jEk     du?    
be-2SG   if  

When he entered it, that man said: "Old man, do you live alone?"


.
(15-38)   
e:     met     terikE     SoromE-pul     omol-u-ji:-t     El=kel,    
INTJ   I   old.woman   man-PL   be.ashamed-0-ITER-SS.IMPF   NEG-come  
mon-i,     pude.    
say-3SG   outside  

He said: "Eh, my wife isn't coming inside the house, because she is shy around other people."


.
(15-39)   
tamun-gElE     ti:     ta:-t     Sa:l-gE     eg-e:-dEllE     ege-t-ej-l'El-u-m    
that-ACC   here   there-ADV.ABL   tree-LOC   stand-INCH-SS.PERF   stand-TR-PERF-EV-0-TR.3SG  
tude     terikE-gElE     jarq-a:-j     terikE-gElE.    
he.GEN   old.woman-ACC   ice-INCH-IMPF.PART   old.woman-ACC  

He had left his frozen wife leaning against the tree.


.
(15-40)   
ta:-t     l'EgE.    
there-ADV.ABL   DP  

That's how it was.


.
(15-41)   
ta:-t     ataq-u-n     paj-pE-k     puguZEj-l'El-Ni     numO-Nin     SOu-rE-l-Nin.    
there-ADV.ABL   two-0-ATTR   woman-PL-PRED   rush.out-EV-3PL   house-DAT   enter-TR-AN-DAT  

Those two women went outside to bring her into the house.


.
(15-42)   
numO-Nin     SOu-rE-l-Nin     qoN-Ni-dE-gE     ta-N     jarq-a:-j-bEn     qodo    
house-DAT   enter-TR-AN-DAT   go-PL-3-DS   that-ATTR   ice-INCH-IMPF.PART-N   how  
l'E-t-i?    
be-FUT-3SG  

They went to bring her into the house, but what could that frozen woman do?


.
(15-43)   
Ord'E-dE-gEn     ta-N     Sel'g-e-s'.    
middle-3-PROL   that-ATTR   break-PERF-3SG  

She broke in half.


.
(15-44)   
Sel'g-e-s',     Sel'g-ej-dE-gE     ta:-t     pulun-de:     mon-i,     met    
break-PERF-3SG   break-PERF-3-DS   there-ADV.ABL   old.man-DIM   say-3SG   I  
kenmE     jouGE-gi     Sel'g-e-s',     mon-i.    
friend   back-3   break-PERF-3SG   say-3SG  

When she broke, that old man said. "My woman's back has broken."


.
(15-45)   
tabun-gElE     pulun-de:     ta:-t     ibil'e:-l'El     tude     terikE-gElE    
that-ACC   old.man-DIM   there-ADV.ABL   cry-EV   he.GEN   old.woman-ACC  
kude-dE-gE     mon-u-t.    
kill-TR-DS   say-0-SS.IMPF  

The old man started crying and said that they had killed his wife.


.
(15-46)   
tit     kude-dE-mEt,     mon-i.    
you.PL   kill-TR-TR.2PL   say-3SG  

"You killed her."


.
(15-47)   
ta-N     pulun-de:-Nin     mol-l'El,     tet     maSl'-O:     kej-k.    
that-ATTR   old.man-DIM-DAT   say-EV   you   girl-child   give-IMP  

He said to the other man: "Give me your daughter.


.
(15-48)   
{ras}     met     maSl'-O:     [kude-dE-mEk]     kude-dE-mEk.    
if   I   girl-child   kill-TR-TR.2SG   kill-TR-TR.2SG  

Since you killed my wife."

Comment:
The word 'daughter' is here used by mistake instead of 'wife'.


.
(15-49)   
pulun-de:     tamun-gElE     mE=l'E-j,     ta-N     paj-gElE     mid'-u-m.    
old.man-DIM   that-ACC   AFF-be-3SG   that-ATTR   woman-ACC   take-0-TR.3SG  

So the old man took that woman.


.
(15-50)   
min-dEllE,     mOd-i:-k,     l'E-l-Nin     keb-ej-l'El.    
take-SS.PERF   hear-TR-IMP   be-AN-DAT   leave-PERF-EV  

He took her and went away.


.
(15-51)   
taNde:t     ta:-t     keb-ej-l'El,     keb-ej-dE-gE     qadungE     jaqa-j,    
then   there-ADV.ABL   leave-PERF-EV   leave-PERF-3-DS   where   reach-3SG  
kin     lej-di:,     ta-N     paj     min-dEllE,     mOd-i:-k.    
who   know-TR   that-ATTR   woman   take-SS.PERF   hear-TR-IMP  

Who knows where he went when he took that woman.


.
(15-52)   
ta:-t-me:-j     n'an'-u:-l-bEn     pulut-Ek.    
there-ADV.ABL-QUAL-IMPF.PART   sin-INTR-AN-N   old.man-PRED  

Such a sinner was that old man.

Comment:
This sentence is followed by a few questions in Yukaghir. They are not transcribed here. N'an'u:lbEn is literally 'sinner'. This is the usual way to refer to the souls of people who committed sin during their life. After death their souls go to the lower world and cannot be reborn on the earth, unlike the souls of good people.


.
(15-53)   
keb-ej-dEllE     qadungE     mod-a:-Ni,     am-dE-Ni,     kin     lej-di:?    
leave-PERF-SS.PERF   where   sit-INCH-3PL   die-INTR-3PL   who   know-TR  

They went away, but where they live or whether they died, who knows?


.
(15-54)   
ta:-t     mon-nu-Ni     naGa:     ta:-t.    
there-ADV.ABL   say-IMPF-3PL   very   there-ADV.ABL  

So tell the people.


.
(15-55)   
met     jaqaj     El=lej-di:-jE.    
I   also   NEG-know-TR-1SG  

I don't know either.


.
(15-56)   
met     epe:     ta:-t     c'u:l'd'i:-lE     pundu-nun-nu-m.    
I   grandmother   there-ADV.ABL   tale-ACC   tell-HAB-IMPF-TR.3SG  

My grandmother told such a tale.