TASADAY CAVE TAPES

TAPE 2

Part 1. Sentences 001-101

 

Acknowledgments. The individuals whose names appear below in bold font assisted in the transcription and interpretation of all or part of this tape. Their invaluable help is hereby gratefully acknowledged. I am also indebted to John Nance, author of several books about the Tasaday, for providing identifications for individuals mentioned on the tape who were connected with the NBC documentary which was made about this time, and to Pascal Lays for reading through and commenting on the transcriptions of each of the tapes. I wish to express my gratitude also to the late Manuel Elizalde Jr. for providing me with a copy of the original tape.

 

KEY to Abbreviations

Ad
Adug
Ll
Lolo'
Be
Belayem
Lo
Lobo
Da
Dafal
Ma
Mahayag
Di
Dina
Od
Odo'
Dl
Dula
Ok
Okon
Du
Dul
Sa
Sasa'
Gi
Gintuy
Si
Sindi'
Ig
Igna
Sk
Sikey
Ke
Kelis
Ss
Sius
Ku
Kuletow
Ud
Udelen
Le
Lefonok
    

Du
1. Nitulengan si Momo' Dakel siya.
1. Big Uncle knows it.
Be
2. Niko ya kedo'o, ok ubus setulonoy sak kedo'o yu, Momo' Dakel. ...
2. All of you, when all of you have finished talking, Big Uncle. ...
Du
3. Oho'.
3. Yes.
Be
4. Miku' aken.
4. I'm leaving.(fn. 1)
Du
5. Si:t, Bilengan.
5. Si:t, (fn. 2) Bilengan.
Ke
6. Nanam suminegaw.
6. He's starting to cry.
Dl
7. A, Dul, uwitan ko tumigdeg.
7. Ha, Dul, pick him up. (fn. 3)
Be
8. Yaka uwiten ko dutu dalem wayeg.
8. Don't take [him] to the river.
Du
9. Ilingan di igdes ubal.
9. It's like monkey excrement.
Ss
10. Uwiten ko nak, Inay.
10. Carry me, Mother.
Be
11. Sadu nak uwit ko dutu ilib ta hi...
11. Take mine to our cave. (fn. 4)
Be
12. Ya sadu me'ami', Kakay.
12. That's all of it, Friend.
Du
13. Beken siya du, siya polo.
13. Not this one, that one instead!
Si
14. Ngadan ha Belayem sini minadeg.
14. What's that smell, Belayem?
Du
15. Yaka pa'ampay egkuwa du'u kowa Mahayag.
15. Don't just help yourself, Mahayag.
Si
16. Kuwa yu da' sido' da' si Ponok.
16. Get it from Lefonok.
Be
17. Uman ka hinali' da' iya siya du. 18. Sini enda' du'en sawa Kakay Gintuy, yé! 19. Itulon da’ si Kakay Dul.
17. Move it over there again...18 Friend Gintuy has no wife, yay! 19. Tell it to Friend Dul.
Si
20. Kowa, aken megemgem diya' kowa, si Kakay Gintuy. 21. Kowa aken ne lumagbeten.
20. I feel cold for Friend Gintuy. 21. I'll be the one to look for a wife for him.
Ke
22. Kakay Mahayag, mekeling. 23. Umunut ta.
22. Friend Mahayag, [the wood] is dry. 23. Let's follow them.
Ad
24. Lumagbet ka aken sawa.
24. Look for a wife for me.
Ke
25. Yag pa'ampay!
25. Stop joking!
Be
26. Du'en pa sa ubus melega'.
26. There is still some left over cooked food.
Ss
27. Ngadan iya ema'? 28.Kinuwa!
27. What is that, Father? 28. Get it!
Du
29. Udelen, unut hi!
29. Udelen, [we will] follow [them]!
Dl
30. Adudu, Kakay Dad!
30. Wow, Friend Dad!
Ll
31. Kakay Dad, angatan ka aken duwa ta.
31. Friend Dad, wait for me, the two of us [will go].
Be
32. Angatan ko si Lolo'.
32. Wait for Lolo.
Ll
33. Si:t Akay, lagbeten di medo'o kenogon.
33. Si:t, Friend, look for many young women.
Si
34. Si:t, pengagbet si Kakay Igna, lumagbet ta lukesan.
34. Si:t, Friend Igna, let's look for old ones.
Dl
35. Pe'aluk'aluk ta, Igna. 36. Éhé, Dina. 37. Si:t, té iya uwé.
35. Let's do it quickly, Igna. 36. Excuse me, Dina. 37. Si:t, that's too much!
Ss
38. Sakit Kakay Igna.
38. It hurts, Friend Igna.
Di
39. Bangi' ko pa, kedanan pa sadu dalem.
39. As for your clothes(fn. 5), remove the ones inside.
Dl
40. Kenak sadu bangi', Leponok.
40. Give me those leaves, Lefonok.
Di
41. Ka'iya sadu si'egung inay. 42. Angay a si'egung, inay. &Mac255; 43. Adudu! 44. Ngadan ba'elan i Maman.
41. There are [the people going] to meet the pig. 42. I'll go to meet it, Mother. ...43. Wow! 44. What is Maman doing?
Dl
45. Ngadan ngadan ba'elan ko Dina. 46. Ngadan ba'elan dalem tana'.
45. What are you doing, Dina? 46. What are you digging? (fn. 6)
Du
47. Itana' ta siya du.
47. Let's put it down.
Be
48. Ba'elan ta pa kani.
48. We'll do it later.
Du
49. Yaka labayen da'atas batu.
49. Don't move around on the rock! (fn. 7)
Ke
50. Si:t, inay hé, du’en keli di. 51. Umunut ki hi. 52. Mangay ki dalem wayeg. 53. Mangay ké sumelapan, é.
50. Si:t, Mother, he(fn. 8) has sago-palm pulp on him! 51. Let's follow them! 52. Let's go to the river. 53. We're going to play, hey!
Da
54. Ked a umunut niko aken.
54. I will not go with you.
Ss
55. Sinegulé’ ta nita ok ani’ ubus. 56. Ngadan? ... 57. Ya ubus.
55. Let's all go together, so it will be finished. 56. What? ... 57. It's finished.
Du
58. Unuten ta nita idu, du sag ba'elan ku. 59. Owé bata' uwiten ko da' lagpayen. 60. Kenak, kenak, kenak. 61. Dina, enda' du'en kenak dananan. 62. Medo'o tegenek. 63. Si:t!
58. We will follow our feelings, I have something to do. 59. Carry this child along the trail. 60. It's mine, mine, mine! 61. Dina, I don't have a pillow. 62. There are many mosquitos. 63. Si:t!
Be
64. Si Momo' Dakel siya. 65. Iling si Momo' Dakel.
64. It belongs to Big Uncle. (fn. 9) 65. It looks like Big Uncle.
Ss
66. Sini nita hé’, wé.
66. This is ours, hey, there!
Dl
67. Pé, uwiten di tumalunan bata’ ku oy.
67. Fe, she will bring my child to roam around.
Ll
68. Yaka, Maman!
68. Don't, Maman!
Du
69. Oy'oy sadu bata'. <singing>
69. Oy, oy, this child.
Be
70. Tepi ka. 71. Yaka ... Dul.
70. Cut along it's length. 71. Don't ... Dul.
Si
72. Enda' meke'abat di sini.
72. He [the child] is not capable of doing it.
Dl
73. Ngayan ku siya du pa.
73. I'll go [and do it].
Ss
74. Biking sa, uwit ka ké’é né siya usa. 75. Enda’. 76. Aken usa. 77. Si:t kedakel usa! 78. Ke'abat ta siya hi ema'. <squealing of pig>
74. Biking, can you carry that pig? 75. No! 76. The pig is mine. 77. Si:t, the pig is so big! 78. Are we able [to kill it], Father?
Ss
79. Pinehagtay de aken siya.
79. I'll be the one to kill it!
Be
80. Mepi'on ko, Mahayag. 81. Enda’ ha'uwen ku du'u.
80. You are doing it well, Mahayag. 81. I don't know how to.
Dl
82. Yaka, du'en Momo' Dakel lumengan da'ini.
82. Don't, Big Uncle is coming to visit [us] here.
Da
83. Lumengan Kakay Momo' Dakel.
83. Friend Big Uncle will visit.
Ss
84. Kedakel siya usa. 85. Épé’?é iya? 86. Du'en taba' di mabula' é. 87. Yaka pediya siya di pa'is.
84. The pig is so big. 85. Who owns it? 86. It has white fat. 87. Don't do like that with the bolo.
Be
88. Me'edup, me'edup!
88. [The fire] is hot, it's hot!
Ss
89. Kunul é’ ema' aken. 90. Ya polo ka'enen. 91. Ada, kedo'o ya anak!
89. [Give some] skin to me, Father. 90. I'll just eat it. 91. Wow, there are many piglets. (fn. 10)
Be
92. Udelen! 93. Du'en aken iya du. 94. Begayi ko aken seba'en.
92. Udelen! 93. That is for me. 94. Give me one.
Ud
95. Na, kuwa ko.
95. Here, take it.
Ke
96. Enda', kuna polo.
96. No, you [have it].instead.
Ss
97. Uwit ko. 98. Uwit a siya usa.
97. You bring it. 98. I'll bring the pig.
Be
99. Si:t!
99. Si:t!
Ss
100. Uwiten ni'aken da'ini po inay.
100. I'll bring this here, Mother.
Be
101. Yaka labayan sini du'u.
101. Don't move around here.

NOTES

1 That is, to the upper cave in which he usually slept.

2 An expression of pleasure, wonder, or surprise, sometimes used as a greeting. Usually pronounced with a long vowel.

3 Lit., You carry [him] standing.

4 Apparently Elizalde has just visited the cave to set the tape recorder running, and has left some items that are being distributed to the group.

5 That is, leaves of the bangi' ground orchid.

6 Lit., what are you doing in the earth?

7 A warning to a child lest he fall off.

8 One of the children.

9 A pig that has been brought up to the cave for slaughtering.

10 The pig is said to have had nine unborn piglets when it was slaughtered.

GO TO: Part 2. Sentences 102-202

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