epete

Wauja

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛˈpɛ.tɛ/

Verb

epete

1. (transitive) he/she/it visits (someone or some place)

   Waa. Openuutsa, katiwhun. Isityapene eu titititi! Usityene, usityene yakaojokume eu, yakakume eu. Hoona! Onain ha tiu, onain ha tiu, onain ha tiu, aaa iye epetepei wi!

   So. [They piled the wood] on top of [the body of their lover]. They lit the fire, and the flames crackled and roared — titititi!

   [And so the] body of the Caiman Spirit was burned up, completely consumed [and turned into ashes]. So time passed. [One day, they] went to visit [that place again]. [Something told them the time had come.]

   Iya onupakona, epetepei papisuntumpa. Wekepe kata akain jouno.

   They went to visit [the ashes of] their deceased lover. In that place was [a gigantic] pequi tree.

   Nutua nepetepei pitsu, papa.

   I've come to visit you, father.

References

• "Waa. Openuutsa" (transcript, p. 69), and "Iya onupakona" (pp. 69-70) uttered by Aruta, storyteller and elder, as he recounted the traditional tale, "The Caiman Spirit" (Yakaojokuma). Recorded in Piyulaga village in the presence of assembled elders and others, November 1989. In this part of the story, two sisters burn the body of their lover, a Caiman Spirit being, who was killed by their jealous husband and the other men. Time passes, and they return to visit their lover's ashes. They discover a giant tree has grown in that place, bearing strange fruit the Wauja had never before seen – the pequi.
• Other example from E. Ireland field notes. Needs to be checked by native speaker.