Soulatluk signs

Below are Soulatluk words and phrases that have been displayed on lighted signs in the Da Gou Rou Louwi' (cultural center) and Tsek Houdaqh (youth program) offices, along with playable audio where available. 

Except where otherwise noted, the person speaking is Della Prince; also except where noted, all audio is excerpted from Wiyot language recordings archived at UC Berkeley’s California Language Archive:

doupawurr_its-raining_doupawurratsan_fog-rain_2022.09.26Doupa'wurr. = It's raining. 
  • doupa'w = to rain
  • -urr = one does it (impersonal ending)
Spoken by Della Prince (1956): https://qrco.de/bcks1m

Doupawurratsa'n. = (There is) fog-rain. (lit. 'there is small-rain')
  • doupa'wurr = it's raining
  • -ats = small
  • -u'n = there is __ing
This phrase was spoken by Elsie Barto in 1922, and sadly there are no audio recordings of her speech. However, we will attempt to record new audio of this phrase soon!		douwa_vu_laliyum_where_are_you_going_20220907_085354Douwa vu lali'yum? = Where are you going?

  • douwa = where?
  • vu = go to do
  • lal = go/walk/travel + -i'yum = you/subj. >> lali'yum = you go (subjunctive)
Spoken by Nettie Rossig:
we'n wulinu'l = sky's eye(s) = star(s)

  • we'n = sky
  • wulirr = eye(s) + -u'l = its >> wulinu'l = its eye(s)

Spoken by Della Prince:


himi_gou_louw_hurry_back_20220727_101311Himi gou louw! = Hurry back!

  • himi = quickly
  • gou = again/back
  • louw = come!
Spoken by Della Prince:
hidurrayuqil_i_am_strong_2022.07.07Hidurrayu'qil. = I am strong. 
(From Della Prince; no audio yet)		wiyat_halilhit_let_eel_river_flow_2022.04.28Wiya't halilhit! = Let the Eel River flow!
Spoken by Marnie Atkins:
ilhagi_oh_my_2022.04.13_croppedilhagi' = oh my!

No audio (yet)! This pronunciation is from Elsie Barto and Jerry James. Slight variations are hilhagi (Elsie Barto), ilhage' (Elsie Barto & Jane Searson), and ilhagi (with no final glottal stop; Jerry James & Della Prince).

"Oh my" is probably not the best or most modern English translation, but this one is difficult to translate exactly. It's a kind of exclamation when you are remarking on how much, how big, how nice, how thin, etc. something/someone is. 

For example:

  • Hou basu'l ilhagi' haleni'! = "Oh my, isn't her basket plate nice (lit. 'valuable')!" or "How nice her basket plate is!" (Jane Searson & Elsie Barto)
  • Ilhagi', gourru moutwilh galu me'luvilh = "Oh my, that woman is so thin (lit. 'she has no meat/flesh')" or "How skinny that woman is!" (Elsie Barto)
wu_dutgi_da_gapay_easter_2022.04.11_croppedWu dutgi' da gapa'y = Easter ('when eggs are eaten')

shou_wigagigh_i_wish_i_was_rich_DP_2022.02.08
This week's sign is a phrase made up of 2 words:
shou = I wish/if only
wigagigh = I am rich

Together, they express "I wish I was rich" or "if only I was rich". Some related phrases:

  • Yil gudughunu wigagigh. = I am really rich.
  • Wigagighilh. = S/he is rich.
  • Swawi wigagighurr. = Someone is very rich.
gouts_wulh_halouluwiwut_keep_taking_good_care_of_yourself_2021.02.01~No audio (yet)~
We constructed this phrase (partly with COVID in mind) from:
gouts = good, well
wulh = continuative (keep on doing), mild obligatory
haloul = take care of
-wiw = reflexive (oneself)
-ut = you
The one-word construction halouluwiwut would mean simply "take care of yourself"--but we wanted to encourage the community to keep on doing the things they have been doing to care for themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually in these difficult times. 
wi_gou_mi_youw_jiwilh_gitga_ha_gou_rou_brb_2022-01-25~No audio (yet)~
Elsie Barto & Della Prince both gave Wi gou mi youw = "I will come back quickly."
Jerry James gave Jiwilh gitga ha gou rou = lit. "I'm always gonna come back around", but with a practical meaning of "I'll be right back." 		dougapalu_hazel_nut_sign_2021.10.27
gawu_lhvalughurr_thanksgivingyil_gutslhawil~No audio (yet)~
This is from Jeremiah Curtin’s (1889) field notes (Wiyot speaker unknown).
yil_lhu_pidash
wayits_siswuptSpoken by Tsek Houdaqh participants: