intsixupai

Wauja

Etymology

From intsixu (“gut, belly, intestines”) +‎ -pai (imperfective aspect).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ĩˈt͡si.tju.paɪ/

Verb

intsixupai

1. (intransitive) (is/are in the belly, guts, or stomach)

   Punupo! Intsixupai onuleken.

   See there! In [the] stomach is its food [what it eats].

   [Wauja elder gutting a fish, and explaining why earthworms are not suitable as bait.]

2. (intransitive) (is/are in the womb)

   Punupo, ninyeulu! Intsixupai yamukutai ... tsukuyalupei jano.

   Look, my sister-in-law! In [her] belly is [a] child ... she's [a] pregnant woman, that one.

Usage notes

• Although Wauja has a suffix –naku ("in," "inside" or "within"), the verb intsixupai ("is/are in the belly") conspicuously does not use this suffix, even though intsixupai definitely refers to what is in the belly. Possibly this is because the contents of the belly are considered integral to the belly, produced within the belly, and not some random object that is put into and taken out of the belly at will, as would be the case with the contents of a basket or canoe. For English speakers, it may be useful to consider how the word "stomach" can be used as a verb, in the sense of "hold within the stomach":

I can't stomach greasy foods when I'm pregnant.

Derived terms

• intsixutsapai (“remembers; carries or bears a child”)

Related terms

• intsixu (“gut, belly, intestines”)
• wasixatapai intsixuwaitsa (“forgets”)
• wintsixupai (“suffers soul loss”)

References

• Examples from E. Ireland field notes. Need to be checked by native speaker.