Potto

.
(52-1)   
{starIj     n'el'emnoj}-gE     irk-i-n     pulun-de:     modo-l'El.    
old   Nelemnoe-LOC   one-0-ATTR   old.man-DIM   sit-EV  

An old man lived in Old Nelemnoe.

Comment:
On Old Nelemnoe see (31-115).


.
(52-2)   
ta-N     pulun-de:     n'u:-gi     pottO:     o:-l'El.    
that-ATTR   old.man-DIM   name-3   Potto   be-EV  

His name was Potto.

Comment:
Potto is a nickname of Prokopij D'jachkov, a Yukaghir who lived in Old Nelemnoe and died in about 1948. The etymology of this name is unknown.


.
(52-3)   
lige-jE     pulun-de:     o:-l'El.    
old-IMPF.PART   old.man-DIM   be-EV  

He was a very old man.


.
(52-4)   
irk-i-d'E     [kOj-pE-pul     qol'-l'El-Ni]     marqi-pE     qol'-l'El-Ni     ...    
one-0-FREQ   young.man-PL-PL   go-EV-3PL   girl-PL   go-EV-3PL   ...  

Once the girls passed by him.


.
(52-5)   
d'E     marqi-pE     ta:     c'aN-d-l'El-Na:     pottO:     pulun-de:-Nin,    
DP   girl-PL   there   touch-INTR-EV-TR.3PL   Potto   old.man-DIM-DAT  
qol'-l'El-Ni.    
go-EV-3PL  

The girls moored to the old man Potto.

Comment:
The verb c'aNdE- here takes the transitive agreement suffix, cf. (52-8).


.
(52-6)   
...     d'E     jO:-dE     ta:-t     jO:-t     qol'-l'El-Ni    
...   DP   see-SS.ITER   there-ADV.ABL   see-SS.IMPF   go-EV-3PL  
qa:rbEs-E.    
boat-INSTR  

He saw them coming on a boat.

Comment:
On qa:rbEs see (19-6).


.
(52-7)   
d'E     tuda:     ta:s'ilE     kel'-l'El-Ni     kOj-pE-pul.    
DP   earlier   then   come-EV-3PL   young.man-PL-PL  

Then the boys came.


.
(52-8)   
kOj-pE-pul     kel-dEllE     pottO:-Nin     c'aN-d-l'El-Ni.    
young.man-PL-PL   come-SS.PERF   Potto-DAT   touch-INTR-EV-3PL  

The boys came and moored to Potto.


.
(52-9)   
c'aN-d-aj-dEllE     [pottO:     mol'-l'El]     pottO:-Nin     mol'-l'El-Ni,     pottO:,    
touch-INTR-PERF-SS.PERF   Potto   say-EV   Potto-DAT   say-EV-3PL   Potto  
ti:     marqi-pE     El=mudd-ej-Ni?    
here   girl-PL   NEG-pass-PERF-3PL  

They moored to him and said: "Potto, haven't the girls passed here?"


.
(52-10)   
[pottO:]     pottO:     mol'-l'El     pulun-de:,     El=l'e:,     marqi-pE    
Potto   Potto   say-EV   old.man-DIM   NEG-be   girl-PL  
El=mudd-ej-Ni,     kureqEti:-pE     mudd-ej-Ni.    
NEG-pass-PERF-3PL   white.crane-PL   pass-PERF-3PL  

The old man Potto said: "No, the girls haven't passed here, the white cranes have."

Comment:
The usual Yukaghir word for 'white crane' is kurc'EN. The form used in this story is otherwise unknown.


.
(52-11)   
qodi-me:     kureqEti:-pE,     mol'-l'El-Ni     kOj-pE-pul.    
which-QUAL   white.crane-PL   say-EV-3PL   young.man-PL-PL  

"What white cranes?" said the boys.


.
(52-12)   
tamun-gE     pottO:     mad-a:-l'El,     mad-a:-dEllE     d'E     jaqta:-l'El.    
that-LOC   Potto   sit-INCH-EV   sit-INCH-SS.PERF   DP   song-EV  

Then Potto sat down and started singing.


.
(52-13)   
kureqEti:     kureqEti:     pijella:     pijella:     kureqEti:-pE     mudd-ej-Ni,    
white.crane   white.crane   INTJ   INTJ   white.crane-PL   pass-PERF-3PL  
pijella:     pijella:     kureqEti:-pE     mudd-ej-Ni.    
INTJ   INTJ   white.crane-PL   pass-PERF-3PL  

"The white cranes have passed. The white cranes have pased."


.
(52-14)   
pottO:,     d'E     mit-u-l     ed'-e:-tE-mEk.    
Potto   DP   we-0-ACC   live-TR-TR-TR.2SG  

"Potto, you have rejoiced us.


.
(52-15)   
d'E     mit     keb-e-s'i:li     jaq.    
DP   we   leave-PERF-1PL   DP  

We go now.


.
(52-16)   
d'E     i:s'     mad-a:-k     kimd'ES,     i:s'     mad-a:-k.    
DP   long   sit-INCH-IMP   please   long   sit-INCH-IMP  

Please live long.


.
(52-17)   
met     marqil'     qon-i     {n'el'emnoje}-Nin,     mE=jaqaj     mE=keb-e-s'E,    
I   girl   go-3SG   Nelemnoe-DAT   AFF-also   AFF-leave-PERF-1SG  
d'E     c'ugo:-n     c'ugo:-n     ta:     ONZ-e-s',     keb-e-s'E.    
DP   fast-ADV   fast-ADV   there   go.down-PERF-3SG   leave-PERF-1SG  

Our girl went to Nelemnoe. I'll go as well." The boy quickly went down to the river and said: "I am leaving."