Kaiowa of the Piraha people

Sept. 29 A MFX3 (younger guy)

  1. 0001C6.MP4
    00:00:17 Ti baabihia saagoai ‘Am I getting ill?’ (joking comment made by Kaiowa to himself as he waits)

00:00:25
Dan to Kaiowa: Baihiigi ‘(taping) goes slowly’
Kaiowa to Dan: Xai baihiigi. Xaio. ‘Yeah. Slowly. That’s right.’

00:00:30
Kaiowa to himself: Xitaibigaisi kapiigakagakaa ‘Sarah writes a lot’

00:00:43
Dan to kaiowa
Xai xigiaoaxai gixai xahoaati topagahai. Xai xaoi xaibai xoikapioxiai kobaisogabagai hiaitiihi xigiaoaxai?
Yeah, is it OK for you to speak to the recorder? There are many foreigners in other jungles who want to see the Pirahas. Is that OK?

Kaiowa to Dan: Xigiai ‘OK’

00:01:01
Kaiowa to Dan: Xai xigiai kapiiga hiahoai. ‘OK I will talk to the paper/image’

00:01:04
Xoogiai higogaisai. Xaooi xaaibai xaitii. Xaibaisi? ‘Dan, what did you say? There are foreigners (who want to see ) the Pirahas? Many?’

00:01:07
Dan to Kaiowa
Xaoi xaoxaaga xoi kapioxio. Higaisai kobaisoogabagai hiaitiihi. Xai saaibasi kobaisai.
‘There are foreigners in another jungle. They say we want to see the Pirahas. Thus into the camera they look.’ Xai gixai xaahoaiso. Xigihai xoi kapioxiai. Xigioawaxai? Thus when you finish speaking, I will take it to another jungle (for them to see). OK?’

00:01:20
Kaiowa to Dan: Xigiai ‘OK’

00:01:23
Kaiowa to Dan Xai xigiai xaaga. Tigaisai. Xigiaixaaga. Xaoii xoai? ‘Well, OK then. I speak. OK then. Foreigners in the (other) jungle?’ Kaiowa then says ‘OK. I want to see a lot of foreigners.’

00:01:43
Kaiowa to Dan
Tii hiaibasigi kobaisoogabagai. Hi hoihi. Hi hoihiai gaihi. (he holds up two fingers)
‘I a whole lot want to see. There is a small (amount here). There is a small amount here. (notice that even though he holds up two fingers, he clearly doesn’t mean two, since he is referring to the entire population of the Piraha. He is here talking about his desire to see a lot of people together, which is something the Pirahas never see in the village.)

00:01:53
Paoxai hiobaisogabagai. Hiaibasigi. Xai hiaibasigi hiobasoogabagai. Hiaibasigi. Hiobaisoogabai. Gai. Xooopai hiobasoogabai. Hiaibasigi.

‘Paoxai wants to see. A whole lot (of people). Thus a whole lot he wants to see. A really whole lot. He wants to see. Here. Xooopai he wants to see. A whole lot (of foreigners).’

00:02:09
Xai piiaikooi. Boitohoi xigopihiabikoi. Xai boitohoi kahapihiabaa. Xao hiobasoogabai hiaibasigii. hiaibasigii.
Yes. The water is shallow. The boat cannot go up there. Thus the boat will not go. The foreigners want to see a lot. A lot.

Hi hoihiai gai. Xai hi hoihiai gai. Pasabii (Passar Bem – the name in Portuguese of the beach we are interviewing him at.)
There are only a few here. (literally, there is one here, if hoi (falling tone) meant one.)

Xaooi hi xaokasabii pasabii, gai.
‘Foreigners he calls this place Passar Bem.’

Xai hoagahiai hiatii hi xaaibaai. Xai xaaibai.
‘Thus at Hoagahiai (Passar Bem) there are many Pirahas. Thus a lot.’

Hoagahia xiga xai. Xai hoagahia xiga xaaibaai. Hoagahia xai gixai soxoa.
‘At Hoagahiai. Thus at Hoagahiai there are many. You already know Hoagahia.’

Xai ti xabaxai hi ahoai topaaga. Xai gai. Tii.
‘Thus I alone speak to the recorder. Thus here. Me.’

Kabaha. xaibahiabaha gai. Tii xabaati. Xioitabii gai.
‘There is nothing. Not many here. I stay. Xioitabii (his wife) here.’

Bahaio piaii. Xai hoaowii. Tiiowi piaii. Xai Tiiowi saiu ai morar, goo. Xabaxai. Kaahai kabaha xaibasi. Hoii. (one – but here he holds up TWO fingers!) Hoihi.
‘Bahaio (his child) also. Thus Hoaowii (shotgun; name of another of his children). Thus Shit (the name of another of his children) went to live there (goo is also used as a question word.)

Xai Palhal hoii. Piaii. Agora, gaihi. Ti piaii. Hoihi. Hoihi. Kabaha. Xaibahiaba.
‘Thus (at the place called) Palhal there are few. Now, here. I also. Few. Few. None. Not many.’

Agora hoagahiai xaaibaai hiaitiihi. Xai hiaitiihi hiaaibaai hiaitiihi. Hoagahiai xiga. Xai gaihi.
‘Now at Hoagahiai (there are) many Piraha. Thus Piraha are many Piraha. Hoagahiai at. Thus here.’

Hoihiigiai hi. Hoihiigiai hi. Xaooi xaokasabii flechal. Xai hiaitiihi xaaibaai piaii.
‘Hoigiigiai (lit: at the place of arrows or arrow shaft material) here. Hoihiigiai here. Foreigners call this Flechal (at the place of arrows or arrow shaft material).(Names in Portuguese and Piraha match up in this case!)

Hoihiigiai. Hoigiigiai piaii. Hiaaibaai. Xai hiaitiihi, xoi hiaokasai hoihiigiai. Xai, flechal. Xai xaoi xao hiaokasabii. Xai hiaitiihi hiaokasabii hoihiigiai. Hoihiigiai (in answer to me).
‘Hoigiigiai. Hoigiigiai also. Many. Thus Piraha, jungle (‘place’) calls Hoihiigiai. Thus, Flechal. Thus foreigners foreigner (prefix) he calls it. Thus the Pirahas call it Hoihiigiai. Hoihiigiai.’

Gaihi. Hoagaihiaihi hiaitiihi. Mais para ca. Hoagaihiaihi. Xaaibaai hiaitiihi, hoagaihiai. Hoagaihiai.
‘Here. At Hoagaihiaii (there are Piraha). More towards here. Hoagaihiaihi. There are many Pirahas at Hoagaihiaihi. (At) Hoagaihiaihi.’

Xai gixai saabi (sabe) hoagaihiai.
‘Thus you (already) know Hoagaihiai.’

00:03:57
Kaiowa continues
Xai tigaisai.
‘Thus I say.’

Hiahoai topaagahai agora.
‘I speak to the recorder now.’

Gai Kabagai xabaxaigio. Xai xabaxaigio Kabagai.
‘Here Kabagai (Piraha woman) lives alone (not really – her husband lives with her). Thus alone Kabagai.’

Hiaitii kaba. Kapioxiai.
‘There are no Pirahas. No others.’ (This is not literally true, since her husband is always with her.)

Xai quase gai. Gai passa bem xibagai.
‘Thus almost here. Here at Passar Bem, at the side of.’

Xaibai hiai koihi. Quase xai muito hiai. Xai xaibai hioihiai xai hi. Baagi.
‘Many there are few’ Almost there are a lot. Thus many at this jungle thus here. Many.’

Baagiso xaaga gai. (holds up five fingers). Baagiso.
‘Many are here. Many.’

00:04:19
Xai ti piai hoihio (one – obviously not literally! He is talking about his entire family).
‘Thus I also am one.’ (My family has only a few people is what this actually means.)

Xai Tiapaobii piaii. Hoi (one/small amount). Xaaibahiaba.
‘Thus Bernardo also. One. Not many.’ (Bernardo’s family is also small. So there are not many where he lives either.)

Xai Tiapaobii xaaibahiaba. Gaihi. Kabai.
‘Thus Bernardo (where he lives) there aren’t many. Here. No one/nothing’

Hoagaihiai. Xaaibai Hiaitiihi. Xai hoagaihiai xaaibai.
‘At Hoagaihiai. There are many Piraha. Thus at Hoagaihiai there are many.’

Gai hoihigiai piaii. Xaaibaai. Hiaitii.
‘Here at Flechal also. There are many. Pirahas.’

Coata (Brazilian name) piaii. Xaaibaai hiatii. Xaaibaai tiobahai. Xai xiga. Xaaibaai Coata.
‘At Coata also. There are many Pirahas. Many children. Thus there.’

Xai. Paagagisai, nome xaooi. Gixai soxoa conhece xai. Xai Coata, mais para ca Coata. Xai Coata xaaibaai.
‘Thus. Paagagisai (what we call the foreign name, Coata) You already know it. Thus Coata, more towards here. Coata. Thus at Coata many.’

00:04:56
Dan to Kaiowa
Xai ti xahoai xaooi. ‘Ok. I am going to talk to the foreigner (Randall).’

Kaiowa to Dan
Xigiai. ‘OK’

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