The following ancient hunting song may serve as a specimen of the
female dialect of Hitchiti; the ending _-i_ of the verbs, standing
instead of _-is_ of the male dialect, proves it to be worded in that
archaic form of speech. Obtained from Judge G. W. Stidham:
Hántun talánkawati ā′klig; éyali.
Sutá! kayá! kayap'hú!
aluktchabakliwáti ā′klig; éyali.
Sutá! kayá! kayap'hú!
aluktigonknawáti ā′klig; áyali.
Sutá! kayá! kayap'hú!
aluk'hadshá-aliwati ā′klig; éyali.
Sutá! kayá! kayap'hú!
hántun ayawáti ā′klig; áyali.
Sutá! kayá! kayap'hú!
Somewhere (the deer) lies on the ground, I think; I walk about.
Awake, arise, stand up!
It is raising up its head, I believe; I walk about.
Awake, arise, stand up!
It attempts to rise, I believe; I walk about.
Awake, arise, stand up!
Slowly it raises its body, I think; I walk about.
Awake, arise, stand up!
It has now risen on its feet, I presume; I walk about.
Awake, arise, stand up!
At every second line of this song the singer kicks at a log, feigning
to start up the deer by the noise from its recesses in the woods. The
song-lines are repeated thrice, in a slow and plaintive tune, except
the refrain, which is sung or rather spoken in a quicker measure, and
_once_ only. For the words of the text and of the refrain, cf. the
Hitchiti Glossary.