Dead Animal Names
Hadza has received some attention for a dozen 'celebratory' (Woodburn) or 'triumphal' (Blench) names for dead animals. These are used to announce a kill. They are (in the imperative singular):
| Animal | Generic name | Triumphal name |
|---|---|---|
| zebra | dóngoko | hantáhii |
| giraffe | zzókwanako | háwahii |
| buffalo | naggomako | tíslii |
| leopard | nqé, tcánjahi | henqéhee |
| lion | séseme | hubúhee |
| eland | khómatiko | hubúhii |
| impala | p(h)óphoko | dlunkúhii |
| wildebeest hartebeest |
bisóko qqeléko |
zzonóhii |
| other large antelope | hephéhee | |
| small antelope | hichíhee | |
| rhinoceros | tlhákate | hukhúhee |
| elephant hippopotamus |
beggáhuko wezzáhiko |
kapuláhii |
| warthog boar |
dláha kwai |
hatcháhee |
| baboon | neeko | nqokhóhii |
| ostrich | khenángu | hushúhee |
The words are somewhat generic: henqehee may be used for any spotted cat, hushuhee (hushuwee) for any running ground bird. 'Lion' and 'eland' are distinguished only by gender. Blench (2008) thinks this may have something to do with the eland being considered magical in the region.
An IO suffix may be used to reference the person who made the kill. Compare hanta 'zebra' with the more mundane verbs, qhasha 'to carry' and kw- 'to give', in the imperative singular and plural (Miller 2009):
| hanta-hi-i (hanta-ta-te) |
hanta-hi-ko-o (hanta-hi-kwa-te) |
| zebra-DO.3fs-IMP | zebra-DO.3fs-IO.1sg-IMP |
| a zebra! | I got a zebra! |
| qhasha-hi-i (qhasha-ta-te) |
kw-i-ko-o (kw-i-kwa-te) |
| carry-DO.3fs-IMP | give-DO.3fs-IO.1sg-IMP |
| carry it! | give it to me! |
Read more about this topic: Hadza Language
Famous quotes containing the words dead, animal and/or names:
“Look. And the dancers move
On the departed, snow bushed green, wanton in moon light
As a dust of pigeons. Exulting, the grave hooved
Horses, centaur dead, turn and tread the drenched white
Paddocks in the farms of birds. The dead oak walks for love.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“The screech and mechanical uproar of the big city turns the citified head, fills citified ears—as the song of birds, wind in the trees, animal cries, or as the voices and songs of his loved ones once filled his heart. He is sidewalk- happy.”
—Frank Lloyd Wright (1869–1959)
“The world is never the same as it was.... And that’s as it should be. Every generation has the obligation to make the preceding generation irrelevant. It happens in little ways: no longer knowing the names of bands or even recognizing their sounds of music; no longer implicitly understanding life’s rules: wearing plaid Bermuda shorts to the grocery and not giving it another thought.”
—Jim Shahin (20th century)