mainxapai

Wauja

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmaĩ.tja.paɪ/

Verb

mainxapai

1. (transitive) he/she/it hits, strikes, slaps, smacks, beats (something or someone with a hand, fist, tool, or weapon)

   [Arutatumpa:] Inyaunaun — ukutakonawi, kitsimai. Ukutakona wi — tsik! Paa, ahamaitsawi ipisulu, onupajoTA —

   [Itsautaku:] Punupa, umejo iya kaliwhun, ipisulu ou, maixataitsawi.

   [Arutatumpa:] Mainxawi, mainxataitsawi panu wi. Irixulakuma mainxataitsa panu wi. Ahamaitsawi onu wi. Inain malanyain— umejo mainxataitsawi TUK! TUK! TUK! aka! aka! aka!

   [Itsautaku:] Punupa onukakonapai!

   [Arutatumpa:] Punupa onukakonapai ipisun wi whun! Yakaojokuma onukakonapai!

   [Principal storyteller:] First, everyone shot [the caiman spirit being] full of arrows. They shot him — tsik! [went their arrows]. The women [who were his lovers] fled [in terror]. But [their husband] had seen [them] —

   [Second storyteller:] He ran after [them], and beat [them]. [He had lost control of himself.]

   [Principal storyteller:] He beat [his wives], he beat his wives without restraint. [The chief allowed his anger to show before all the people]. The women ran, [and] he ran after[ them], striking them repeatedly: TUK! TUK! TUK! [resounded the blows] "Ow! ow! ow!" [the women shrieked]. [He abandoned all dignity in his fit of jealous rage].

   [Second storyteller:] Meanwhile they had killed [the women's lover]!

   [Principal storyteller:] They had killed [the] lover! They had killed [the] Caiman Spirit!

2. (transitive) he/she is executed (for witchcraft)

   Mainxakonaha.

   [He] was executed [for witchcraft] (lit., everyone struck him [down]).

Usage notes

• In the story of the "Caiman Spirit" (Yakaojokuma), human beings in ancient times create jealousy, possessiveness, and stinginess for the first time. A chief who already has two wives takes two additional wives, and then neglects the first two in favor of the new ones. The two neglected wives feel intense jealousy, and decide to take a lover – who happens to be a fearsome caiman spirit being. The chief learns of the women's love affair, and experiences intense jealousy in turn. In the excerpt above, the chief exhibits appalling behavior, completely losing self-control and publicly striking his wives (a spectacle that would disgrace any chief, and that one does not see in actual Wauja daily life). This aspect of the story serves as a cautionary tale of what happens when people give themselves over to feelings of jealousy and possessiveness.
• The suffix –taitsa describes actions that are repeated, excessive, immoderate, unrestrained, outrageous, disproportionate, extreme, or uncalled for. In the narrative excerpt above, mainxawi (he hit them) becomes mainxataitsawi (he beat them repeatedly and without restraint).
• The term mainxakona (mainxa + collective suffix -kona) is used only in reference to witchcraft executions. In practice, only men are executed for witchcraft.

See also

• atulaitsapai (“torments, harasses”)

References

• "Inyaunaun — ukutakonawi" (transcript, pp. 66-67) uttered by Aruta, storyteller and elder, as he recounted a traditional tale, the "Caiman Spirit" (Yakaojokuma). Recorded in Piyulaga village in the presence of assembled elders and others, November 1989.