In preparation for our language test next week our language consultants asked us to prepare a little something. They asked us to speak a story into a recorder about an event we experienced together with a Kovol friend. We then need to ask the Kovol friend to tell the same story, write them both down and be ready to compare them.
I thought it could be a good thing to share so you can see what Kovol stories look like!
My version is of course shorter, much shorter in fact. It felt so unnatural to sit alone and speak into a voice recorder that I never really got going. Here then are the two stories. Just so you know SR stands for switch reference which is where the verb conjugation indicates a change of subject.
Steve version
| oo ig mohis honnot nim higeb | long ago we white people cut trees |
| tol ab lomootoomung | built houses |
| tol ab lomotoob | built houses |
| ig sandil ab mondog pigeb | we put a leaf shelter |
| sandil ab pigoomung | we put a shelter |
| sandil pigeb | put a shelter |
| ig minda minda sandil yogumo pigeb | we put our things in the shelter |
| ig sandil yogumo inemb | we slept in the shelter |
| sandil nom endeteeng his | the shelter was like that |
| hutee honn ogoo ig ab ogootooloob | one time we left the place |
| ig poison, heel (huweey) nom ig oboob | we took poison |
| sandil yogumo pigoomung | we put it in the shelter |
| ig sinnasim wondug eb | we wanted to kill rats |
| nooloomung | we did that |
| endet omboo ig poison pigoomung | so we put poison |
| poisin pigeb (piguwasi) | we put poision (SR) |
| sinnasim ubiyab teb | lots of rats came |
| poison nemb | ate the poision |
| umemind | they died |
| umasi | died (SR) |
| Ulumo hulil hutam nom sinnasim nomoot | A dog from Ulumo ate the rats |
| sinnasim nemb | ate rats |
| hulil nom umut | the dog died |
| hulil uma | dog died (SR) |
| Ulumo heb | Ulumo saw |
| hobol amoot | he spoke talk |
| “hulil nom minda hebigondoo mohis honnot toboogoond yam nom agabi enn abagam bili igu” | “dog is a small thing white people have come that’s big I am wanbel” |
| et | he said |
| hobol nom Ulumo et | Ulumo said that |
| enn hobol egee angoom | I have spoken a talk |
And here is the version spoken by Ulumo:
| enn agamoom | I was |
| igisisi | I was (SR) |
| honnot tebemind | white came |
| tabasi | they came (SR) |
| sandil wongoo pigoomung | we put a shelter for them |
| sandil wongoo pigoob | put a shelter for them |
| ilib | went up |
| tol hot higemind | they cut house posts |
| ilib | went up |
| enn misee misee ilam | I was happy |
| misee misee ilib | was happy |
| sandil wongoo pigoob | put a shelter for them |
| yoobug wongoo higoom | cut grass for them |
| minda minda teb | stuff came |
| telemind yam | they were throwing it |
| egendee oboob | carefully got |
| wongoo pigoob | for them put |
| teb | came |
| sandil pigoob | shelter put |
| inasi | they slept (SR) |
| ogooteleb | left |
| misee misee ilib | was happy |
| wogoonoong agamoom | I was with them |
| wogoonoong igisisi | I was with them (SR) |
| ogootooloob | left |
| wog minda egee pigemind om | their stuff they put here |
| sinnasim umbundut | rat chewed |
| sinnasim umbunda | rat chewed (SR) |
| heb ogoo | saw |
| teleb i | throwing |
| wog malasin nom pigemind | they put medicine for that |
| malasin piguwasi | put medicine (SR) |
| ogootooloob | left |
| wog yug eb i | they want to go |
| wog Goroka yug eb i | they wanted to go to goroka |
| malasin pigeb | put medicine |
| ogootooloob | left |
| “minda ig yongoo tuloomb igitee” | “our stuff look after” |
| emind | they said |
| ooguwasi | they said (SR) |
| enn ab tuloomb | i looked after |
| agamoom | I was |
| agamoom oo | I was (focus marker) |
| sinnasim malasin nemb | rat ate medicine |
| agamoot | he was |
| nemb | ate |
| ogootooloob | left |
| moo enn hulil om ina pagil utum | I gave a dog to mother’s 5th born daughter |
| sibil utum | I gave to Sibil |
| utisi | I gave (SR) |
| nog agamoot | with him he was |
| igita | he was (SR) |
| ogootooloob | left |
| onn nog agamoot | with him he was |
| ilib i | went up |
| sinnasim nom nomoot | rat he ate |
| sinnasim nemb | rat ate |
| ogootooloob | left |
| aloloot | he had a seizure |
| alololoob | he had a seizure (SR) |
| ogootooloob | left |
| hulil nom umut | that dog died |
| uma | he died (SR) |
| ogootooloob | left |
| wog Goroka yamind | they went to Goroka |
| om tebemind | here they came |
| teb | came |
| amemind | they said |
| “inda noonn hulil ungot oo” | “dad did your dog die or?” |
| emind oo | they said (focus marker) |
| “nom bili tugoolug i” | “we will make that right” |
| emind | they said |
| ooguwasi | they said (SR) |
| amoom | I talked |
| “hulil nom ungot humann igisinn “ | “dog that died will be nothing” |
| em | I said |
| enn abagam munum yog toboogama | “my heart is you guys came” |
| omboo em | so I said |
| “yog mohis noogul toboogama” | “you true men came” |
| omboo em | so I said |
| “oolooguwo oboob ab bili omboo egee piguwa hulil om humann igisinn” | “afterwards get place good here you will put (SR) dog here will be nothing” |
| em | I said |
| “oolooguwo” | “afterwards” |
| em | I said |
| “Oya” | “Oya” |
| em oo | I said (focus marker) |
| “oolooguwo hulil hutee egee esinn” | “afterwards she will give me a dog” |
| nomboo em | there I said |
| “yog oomoo musu mu abas” | “you guys don’t get bad” |
| em | I said |
| yog abagam yot mu halas | “don’t be upset” |
| em | I said |
| “enn” | “I” |
| em | I said |
| “yongoo mu egee aminim” | “I will not tell you off” |
| em | I said |
| enn hobol amb | I said the talk |
| omboo amisi | “so I said (SR) |
| “yog toboogama | you guys came |
| egendee bili omboo | so you will be good |
| yogoonoong egee igisininn” | with you I will be” |
| em | I said |
| “animal humann God humann igisininn” | “animal is nothing, God still be” |
| em | I said |
| heb i | saw |
| enn undum omboo ongoo abagam wi heleb | my child here the feeling is finished |
| see om wogoonoong igugum | now I am with them |
| see om egee igitug | now we will be |
| ooguwa | you be (SR) |
| woog egee umis | they will die |
| umasi | they die (SR) |
| omboo egee piginim | here I will put |
| enn tumunn hiyol wog tumunn hiyol egee igisinn | my grave one side they’re graves one side will be |
| enn undum | my children |
| onn undum om his onnol ab ogoo yann | his children will go to his own place |
| England egee yann | he will go to England |
| Australia egee yann | he will go to Australia |
| onn inda enn wog ombul egee ulomb | his dad and I they two will sit |
| hobol tandeng om egee angoom | short talk here I have spoken |
| oolooguwo mohis agabi agabi om teb | afterwards big men here come |
| enn hobol mondu nom iligoom | my piece of talk I have come up |
| migimas | you hear |
| enn hobol tandeng egee angoom | my short talk I have spoken |
1 Comment
Lois S. · 15/12/2023 at 12:00 am
Thanks for letting us know how Kovol stories go!! That is something we do not know unless someone tells us, those of us who have not been in similar situations. It is touching that he hopes he can be buried beside you.