Photo: Kumeyaay delegation in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2017, by Theresa Ottawa, Wikimedia Commons
Kewim Aavech Maavelly‘Iipatth
Keeping a Language Alive Within You (Kumeyaay)
by Vincent McCarthy jmvc16@aol.com
We have all heard different ways to learn a language, but in our English-dominated world, is it really worth it? Why do so many language students fail to reach fluency or lose their abilities in the target language shortly after completing their studies? Is there a way to integrate new languages into our daily life, so that we do not lose but continue to build on the progress we have made? In my experience, it is indeed challenging to not only learn, but maintain and retain competency in a language that is not commonly spoken where we live. How much more so if the language we wish to learn is spoken by only a select few, who themselves speak widely different dialects? However, accomplished language learners will say the key to success is to find enjoyment in use of the target language. To add to that, I would advise one to find utility. And indigenous languages have a fundamental advantage that makes learning them useful, relevant, and enjoyable to all of us.
Matwaam‘ehmiiy emak ‘ewaa chemuuyuuw nya’ehapm ‘iipaych nyakekwiis, “Mu’yuum FrranseesAa muuyaawhlly mara? Nyii nya’kwarch peyii aa nyip uchewayph umaaw; emat peyiiFrransees aa kuchewayp ‘ehmiiyh umaaw.” Nyawiim ‘enyaamech mu’yuum aavu ‘uuyaawta’waa ‘emelyays. Puu ‘aakewayk ‘ii, “’Enurh ‘emaaw. ‘Iichachvu aa peyaa‘emirr, pukenaach ‘uuyaaws.” Nyaapum ‘iipay ‘ehini ‘eyips, siny ‘ehin ‘aahinwiim ‘eyips: “Matwaam saarrap Frransees aa ‘ewaa chemuuyuuwvi ‘uuyaaws; nyaamatpehump.” (Nyim wiis, skweel nyachepakch, nyii aavu waayph umaaw nyii ‘uuchuchaam ewiih umaawch wal wiich nyaamatvu maaykiiwayks.) Nyip nya’eyipch nyii‘achepayh ‘emaawch nyimvey aavu ‘enur ta’aa.
Skweelkwehap ‘uuyaaw weyaaych aavu ‘ehan netuu-urpm Frransees aam pup ‘uuniiwch‘aayps, pes skweel nyaneyiwkch wechaam nyii uchewayph umaaw. ‘Enyaa ‘unyeway‘ehinch ‘ehan nurs aavu, nyekwaachemuyuuwvech wiis “l’accent parfait” weyuuws;aakeretiip nesoom waaypch Frransees ‘ehin perewii. Pes puu nyemach, skweelnyanesoom, aavu wecham nyii waayph umaaw. Heyally ‘ewuuwm ‘enyaa nyimveynyuuyaaws nya’aaypm, pes Frransees aam nyinyuy waayph llyepuuwar.
‘Iipaypeyapch mu’yuum aa ‘ucheyuuwpvu pechehwiima? Maaykiiwaykh umaaw, hellytaach‘ewirh umaaw; peyap hellytaa mewalyp, nya’arch layp netuu-urp. Skweelnyanesoom, marwayvech uchewayp sekaayhlly ewaarph umaaw; yuuchaap tarchach‘ewirm nyii uumiirrph umaaw. Marwayvech uchewayp sekaayhlly ewaarpch ma’wipvumechelyays. Nyaapum wal wiich mechelyaayp ‘uuchuch ‘ehinm tarchach tenyeway.‘Enyaavech skweel nya’echepakch stikm Frransees aa ‘epehwim; ‘aayp ‘ewirnyaapum ‘ewir. Pes ‘ewaa chemuuyuuw kwa’maay nya’ehapch, “French Club” puy‘ehapch ‘iipay marway ekwaach semaan nyaamat stikm Frransees aam ‘aayps.
Pilyvey,peyaa uumall mewuuw temewaa nya’uumallch, nyii ‘ematvi ta’yuuwh ‘emaaw, pesyaaypvi, ‘ewaa kwemanlly ta’waa. Frraansm ‘aa ta’aa, puy ‘unyeway ‘ehin‘ewuuwh, nyaapum ‘unyeway ‘ehini mat weyumpm ‘ewuph. Nyata’nyewayk, kupillynyaamat, ‘enyaa ‘enekehaph Frransees aam ‘uchewayph. Aa ‘emat kupaaym ‘uuchuchnyaamat ‘ewiph, nyii Millychish aam ‘aayphlly ‘arh ‘emaawh. Frransees aa‘uuyaawch, peyaa ‘ellya’am. Peyaa ‘ewiim, Frransees aa ‘enyewichvech ‘ehan;‘estuudyaarrlly ‘esekays.
Mu’yuumpeyaa nyaamat nyekenaapa? Maach ‘unyeway merewiihlly ‘arh ‘emaaw: matwaamsaarrap aavu uuyaaw tewaa, nyaapum nyaamat wecham maaykiiwayk nesoom. Aanyamenurk—’Iipay Aa, matt aa ‘ehini—aavu meyuuwhlly ‘ar, nyaapummechemenyaayhlly ‘ar, ‘uuchuch nyim mewiihlly ‘ar. Kaayp, kuumall, kecheyuw,kechuukwar—’uuchuch marvu kewi’, ‘uuch weyuu nyii ‘achepayh ‘emaaw, pes‘ewuuwhlly ‘ar, ‘eyiphlly ‘ar. ‘Uuchuch memirrvu kupilly nyaamat, matt hemuk,chepap semaan nyaamat mewiivek, aa peyaa muuyaawh nyii memaaykiiwaykh memaawh.‘Enyaach ‘epa’wiis, maamech mellya’ams. ‘Esally nyinylly marvek, ketiikayna‘eyay ‘ehanm ‘ewiih.
