Cayuse language
# Cayuse language

The Cayuse language (Cailloux, Willetpoos) is an extinct unclassified language formerly spoken by the Cayuse Native American tribe in the U.S. state of Oregon. The Cayuse name for themselves was Liksiyu (see Aoki 1998).

## Classification

Similarities to Molala, the language of people to the south of them in central Oregon, are thought to have been due to contact (Rigsby 1969: $71).^{:71}$

Edward Sapir had originally grouped Cayuse with Molala as part of a Waiilatpuan branch with the Plateau Penutian languages; the Waiilatpuan group had been originally proposed by Horatio Hale (1846), based on his 1841 field work with the Cayuse people at Waiilatpu Mission. However, Cayuse has little documentation, and that which is documented is inadequately recorded.

## Pronouns

Cayuse pronouns listed by Horatio Hale (1846):

    Iiniŋ you (sg.)nikí you (du.)nkímiš henip wenámək you (pl.)mkímiš theynípik

Cayuse pronouns listed by McBean:

    Iin ning you (sg., pl.)in kai heneepe wenung naw naw theycap pick

## Verbs

Cayuse verb paradigms documented by Henry W. Henshaw:

### 'hungry'

    I am hungry.wi-tu-tŭnt I was hungry.kler-ka-wĭ-tu-tŭnt I will be hungry.wí-tu-näk-sŭnt You and I are hungry.swi-tu-ter-yìk You and I were hungry.swi-tu-te-lì-kai-ĭk You and I will be hungry.nĭng-i-li-pʔl-swi-tu-nak-stunk-a-wak You are hungry.tu-swi-tu-tuñg-a You were hungry.swi-tu-til-kutla You will be hungry.swi-tu-nak-stung-at-la

### 'thirsty'

    I am thirsty.nĭs-ka-mu-tiñg I was thirsty.nĭs-ka-mu-til I will be thirsty.nĭs-ka-mu-näk-skĭn You are thirsty.tu-mĭs-ka-mu-tĭñg You were thirsty.mĭs-ka-mu-til-hă You will be thirsty.mĭs-ka-mu-na-stĭnk-la

## Vocabulary

In 1910 or 1911, Stephens Savage, a Molala speaker, had told Leo Frachtenberg that the following five words were identical in both Cayuse and Molala (considered by Rigsby (1969) to be loanwords).

    sorrel horseqasqasi tasiwitkwi spotted horseyuꞏk tasiwitkwi black horsemúkimuki tasiwitkwi combtaꞏsps spoonƚúꞏpinc

Limited lexical items in Cayuse had also been collected by Bruce Rigsby, Melville Jacobs, Verne Ray, and Theodore Stern. Their Cayuse informants had highly limited knowledge of Cayuse and were more fluent in Sahaptin or Nez Perce.

### Hale (1846)

A word list of Cayuse with nearby 200 lexical items was documented by Horatio Hale (1846: 570-629). The word list has been reproduced below.

**Nouns**


    glossCayuse manyúant womanpintχlkaíu; watχlóa boyláutlaŋ girlstaítχləŋ; staítlaŋ infant; childskútχla fatherpintét; títʃa motherpenín; nínʃa husbandináiu wifeinχlkaío sonwái daughterwái brotherpnákən; pənátaŋ sisterpənátiaŋ; pənwaíəq Indian; people- headtalʃ; táəlʃ hairtχlókomot faceléequkʃ foreheadpenátχliʃ eartakʃ eyehăkaməʃ nosepitχlóken mouthsəmqakʃ tonguepuʃ teethtenif beardʃimkéməʃ neckyet armtiélaq handépip fingersépip nailsʃíŋiʃ bodyʃilăməʃ legmaúwət foottiʃ toestiyəyáu bonepápət heart- bloodtiwéə̈ʃ town; village- chiefiatóiaŋ warriorlotéwa friendenlápoit houseniʃt kettletχlípaniʃ bowhífoit arrowlalχ axe; hatchetyeŋgókinʃ knifeʃekt canoe; boattχláap shoestäítχlo pipeiptnχlónʃ tobaccohanʃ sky; heavenndjălawaía, tíŋpap sunhuéwiʃ moonhátχltóp startχlítχliʃ dayewéiə̈ nightftalp lightnotawásim darknessʃilímtiŋk morningtétχlpəna eveningwəχaía springʃuatoluŋátntiŋ; kiátim summerʃqáätim autumntəŋ winterwit windhúntilχp thundertiŋtululutéʃin lightningʃniktawíŋtiŋ raintiʃtkitχlmítiŋ snowpói hailpuŋiós firetetʃ wateriʃkáiniʃ icetók earth; landliŋʃ seayamué-iʃkaíniʃ riverluʃmi lakefuŋʃ valleypaniákp hill; mountaintéit islandliŋtkaíli stoneápit saltkamtiʃímpen ironqauqauítχliínik treelaúik woodhútiʃ leafqaisós barkpétimi grasstχleft; qə́ïʃt pinelaúikʃ flesh; meatpítχli dognáapaŋ buffalo- bearliméakʃ; nokoláo wolftχlaíu; tsóilaχs deeraitχléwa elkyútiŋʃ beaverpīeká tortoiseatsík flytqaínʃiʃ; katχlísaŋ mosquitopíŋkii snakewaíimaʃ birdtianíyiwa egglópitχl featherstiaqaímutχl wingshaŋ duckəʃimtχl pigeonsúuku fishwiaíiʃ salmonmilóqli sturgeon- namepeʃp affectionatíŋp; tiʃktaʃewetáuŋko

**Adjectives**


    glossCayuse whitetχlaktχláko blackʃkupʃkúpu redlakaítlakaítu blueyotsyóts yellowqəʃqə́ʃu greenyotsyóts greatyaúmua; yiyímu (pl.) smalletsáŋua strongntáloa; naantáloa oldkuiátsu youngitsáŋu goodsuaíu; sasuáiu (pl.) badluastu; laluástu (pl.) handsomehapútsu; suaíu uglyhuástu alivewióko deadúwaa coldʃúŋa warmlokóia

**Pronouns**


    glossCayuse Iíniŋ thounikí henip wenámək yemkímiʃ; nkímiʃ (dual) theynípik thisqe, qă, ke thatqá, ká allnaŋináo many (much)yíphea whoiʃ

**Adverbs and others**


    glossCayuse nearpiáfi todaypáməŋ yesterdayiétin tomorrowtetχlp yesi notéehu

**Numerals**


    glossCayuse onena twolépli threemátnin fourpípiŋ fivetáwit sixnōiná sevennóilip eightnōimát ninetanáuiaiʃímʃim tenniŋítelp elevennántetχle twelveleplin-ntétχle twentylépuik thirtymátuík one hundredniŋítalpuík one thousand-

**Verbs**


    glossCayuse to eatpitáŋa to drinkpasqunstáŋa to runpqíntuql to danceiókseak to singtuŋséaql to sleepʃpíʃiŋql to speakúlipkin to seemiskaléntənt to lovektáʃo to killpiaíitχltiŋ to sitifníql; ifníkta to standlaútsiŋ to gowintúkstaŋa; wintúql (imp.) to comewintúkum
