Esselen word list:
The following Esselen word list is selected from lemmas in Shaul's (2019) English-Esselen appendix. Grammatical morphemes and function words in Shaul's (2019) list are generally not included.[1]
| English gloss | Esselen |
|---|---|
| abalone | klači |
| acorn | palatsa |
| alive | tivi |
| and | pa |
| animal | ka |
| ant | tsoi- |
| arms | lulu-sax; xušu |
| arrow | loto-s; pawi |
| aunt | eči-x |
| backbone | čawi-sax |
| bad | pač |
| basket, water-tight | tsila |
| basket, winnowing | šaka |
| bear (animal) | kóltala |
| beard | koṭ, i-s- |
| belly/stomach | we- |
| bird (generic) | čaphis |
| blanket, rabbit skin | ehe-pas; hitita |
| blood | xa-na, ma- |
| body | mepxel ~ menxel |
| boiling | pulpul-ki |
| bone | ya, i- |
| bow | paxu-nax |
| breast | šexo-sax |
| brother | i’its |
| brother (older) | ei-š |
| brother-in-law | wi-s, i- |
| canyon | čun, ku- |
| chief/lord | tama, pa- |
| child | pana ~ -pna |
| child (?) | -xwek |
| clear | xemel- |
| cloud(s) | meč |
| coals/fire | a-nax |
| cold, be | sutu-ki |
| come | iyu |
| command/order | tel-pa, te- |
| cooking basket | apitmakus |
| copulate | čimaša |
| cough (n.) | poxwela |
| coyote | mačka- |
| crab | čawa |
| crow | iška |
| cry | šawa |
| current of water, moving water | čololo- |
| cut | xelu-. |
| cypress | tsumir |
| dance (n.) | lél-ima |
| dance, to | mepe |
| dark | tu-ma- ~ to-ma- |
| dark, black | ala-ki |
| daughter | le-ta |
| day | na-tu-s, i- |
| deer | ami-sax |
| devil(ish) | čox-pa, ha- |
| die | čunai-~ čupa-; moho |
| dizzy | ma |
| do | paya |
| do, make | iha, he-s- |
| dog | hučuma-s |
| door | isa-nax |
| dove | šilik |
| down, go; descend | tupxu |
| drink (n.) | luku |
| drink, to | eše ~ etse |
| drunk | ma; hi, ti- |
| dry (not running) | asp-ki |
| dying | po-š-ke, te- |
| ear(s) | tuksusu; tuxus |
| earth | mak-; matsa |
| eat | ama; iya, hu‘-; šošoya |
| evening | tsu, i- |
| expanse (sea, sky) | imi- |
| eye(s) | a‘ha ~ ka; ka; pa, hi-k- |
| face | awa |
| false | taxite |
| far | kuwe-no |
| farting, be | ekšusoyi |
| fasten, tie | kimanu, na- |
| father | a‘ats ~ aṭ; awi; aya-m |
| father-in-aw | laša‘ú |
| feline (?) | katas |
| find, to | ta’a |
| finger | čuli-s, tu- |
| fire | mama-mex, ma- |
| fish (cabezon ?) | kini-la |
| fish (n.) | koxlkoxl |
| fish(n.) | kalu-l |
| fish, needle | si‘iriši-pša |
| five | mamak-; pemakxala; walanai |
| flea | hawi; woxe-hawi |
| flour | muxe |
| flow | sum |
| fly (insect) | mumiru-x |
| fog | ša-nax |
| foot | kxele |
| forget | alenei-pa |
| four | amano; kxamakxu-s |
| fox | huni-ša |
| friend | efe; kxumus-ke |
| gamble | suiyuhu |
| get up | ákxi-písi |
| give | xe ~ xwe-sa, to- ~ tu- |
| go | nene ~ neni; iya- |
| go! / look! | apsula |
| good/well | sale- |
| gopher | tana-ni |
| grandfather | etxi, m- |
| grandmother | i’apa-t |
| grass | miča-nax, a- |
| grasshopper | poloko-ni |
| guard | xawi |
| hair (body) | xata-sax |
| hair (head) | haka |
| hand | tala-nax |
| happy | hila-pa |
| hat | pamuko |
| have (?) | -mint |
| hawk | šewke-s-upša |
| head | kxata-sax; xisi |
| healthy | foila |
| heart | tika-s |
| heart/soul | maša-nax |
| hill | ayo-la |
| hip | hiskisi; kxetek |
| hit | ma- |
| hole | ke; mu-sa, i- |
| honor, to | heya, ta- |
| house | awa; iwa |
| how many? | konumis |
| hummingbird | umuni-pša |
| hungry | šai-pa, ma- |
| hunt, to | k-ama |
| intelligent | elpa-pis |
| intestines | pxats-ku, a- |
| jackrabbit | samás |
| join | ače-pa |
| joke | teni-n- |
| judge | sos- |
| jug | ku‘ux |
| kill | ma-; pe, hi-k- |
| knife | kuma-l |
| lacking | ala- |
| laugh | ake- |
| legs | piyá-s |
| light (complexion) | helel-ki |
| light (not dark) | xetsa |
| linnet, sparrow | sipuča-n |
| lizard (cachora) | mexile-n |
| lizard (camaleón) | memnen |
| load | mi |
| love | kolo |
| made of | lauya |
| man | exe |
| mano (pestle) | kuše |
| meat | totsi |
| mortar | pama |
| mosquito | palaka |
| mother | atsia; če’e |
| mother-in-law | siki-s, i- |
| mountain | polomo |
| mountain lion | xeke-s |
| mouth | katus-nax |
| mouth/lips | iše ~ iši |
| much | yaya |
| mush (of acorns) | tserwin |
| mussels, barnacles | halakal |
| nails | uloxi |
| name (n.) | map |
| named, be | lep |
| neck | wowe-I |
| necklace | amheni |
| nice, be | we-pas, o- |
| niece | tuts-ú |
| nose/nostril | hoši- |
| nuisance | ani-x; tse‘e-s |
| oak (white) | has |
| obey | loi-pa, o- |
| observant, watchful | tei-pa |
| observe rules | sasipi ~ tsasipi, sipa- |
| old | hesi |
| old man | lali-hesi |
| old woman | uiya-n |
| one | pek ~ pehe |
| only | sinu |
| or | kes |
| otter | šušuči-pša |
| owl | čai; tukunu-pša |
| paint | čem-pa |
| pelican | yeyexim |
| penis | kawo |
| person | xe- |
| pine | xái, i- |
| pipe | šuknaš |
| plains, valley | yo-Iax, i- |
| point (of arrowhead, flint) (n.) | ye-s |
| porpoise | pašiši‘i |
| pot | ša’at |
| pregnant | sala- |
| purify, cure, revive | mo‘es(a), na- |
| put, to | ménaxu |
| quail | kumul |
| rabbit (cottontail) | čiši |
| raccoon | šašla-na |
| rat | make-l |
| rattlesnake | ipisikša; tsetselka-mati |
| raven | kakalu |
| reed(s) | kapa-na |
| return (come back) | make |
| return (previous state) | exwe-pa |
| revert | op- |
| right (not left) | ašu |
| roast, bake | iš-pa |
| Rock, the | xwelo |
| root (underground) | pimi |
| roots, grass (used for basketry) | šeče |
| run | šana- |
| salamander | mekele-pša |
| saliva | makola |
| salmon | kelenai; kiliwa; tali-n |
| salt | halana |
| sardine | tupúr |
| say | mi- |
| scratching | šowi-n |
| seagull | sawara-n |
| seal | opapus |
| seeds, edible | yampa |
| shark | temeč |
| shoot | kwi, u- |
| sick | maka; toči-s, ma- |
| sing (iv.) | mawi |
| sister | iči |
| sit | koso-n(a/o) |
| sixteen | pešiš |
| skin (n.) | tse-kxa-š |
| sky | ot |
| sleep | ati-; po-ko-nisi; tolo |
| small | kxu- |
| smoke (n.) | čaha |
| smoke (tobacco) | šuknaš |
| smoking (iv.) | xuma |
| snow (n.) | matsexo |
| son | šilma |
| speak/talk | al-pa |
| speaking | kawa |
| spotted | suhulul |
| spouse (?) | hawi |
| squirrel | he’e-x |
| squirrel (ground) | mexe |
| star | amu ~ amua |
| stay, remain | kanai |
| steal, rob | xuma |
| stone | ila-x; šefe |
| stupid | fuexe; alexa-pa |
| sun | aši |
| surface | sala |
| swordfish | anayawa |
| take | yu |
| tar | šikili |
| target | talo-x |
| tell | kolxala-; mul-pa, hu- |
| ten | tomoila |
| ten (for teens) | elenai |
| thigh | we-kxe’e |
| thing | hekei; lexi-s |
| think | loxma |
| three | kxulef; xamaxo |
| tired | mauwi-pa |
| toad | analai |
| tobacco | ka’a |
| today | ma-ša-pa |
| tongue | wele-l |
| tooth | a‘u-r ~ awu-r |
| tree | lawi-s |
| true | man-taxite |
| tule | walusi |
| tuna, red | koloiča |
| two | kxulak ~ ulax |
| uncle | tsa-’ú |
| unload | kuš-, u- |
| up, go; ascend | yaxan |
| vagina, womb | sixiha |
| virgin | sami-s, i- |
| wait! | taxosa |
| wake up | nehi |
| water | asa- ~ ase- |
| whale | čeme-pša |
| wildcat | toloma-x |
| wolf | humu-x |
| woman | uyu-n |
| woman, female | ta |
| wood | i’i |
| yes | ike |
Shaul (1995) reconstitutes Esselen vocabulary, synthesized from various historical sources, as follows.[2] Forms from Alfred L. Kroeber are marked by (Kr).
| gloss | Esselen |
|---|---|
| adult | -nVč |
| all | komVnam |
| arrow | lóto-s |
| bear | koltála |
| bow | paxu-nax |
| child/son | pana |
| cry | siawa |
| dance | mepV, mef- |
| dark | tumas (Kr) |
| day | asátsa |
| die | moho |
| dog | šošo |
| drink | etse, eše |
| ear | tus-usp (Kr) |
| earth | maṭa, matsa |
| eight | kxulef-walanai |
| eyes | -ikxpa |
| father | haya |
| female | ta- |
| five | pemakxa-la |
| foot | kxéle |
| four | kxamakxu-s |
| friend | -efe |
| girl | soléta |
| give | toxésa |
| good/well | sale- |
| grandfather | meči |
| ground squirrel | mexe |
| hair | haka |
| head | kxáta-sVx |
| large | putú-ki; yakí-s-ki |
| man | exe- |
| mother | atsia |
| mountain | polomo |
| mountain lion | xeke-s |
| mouth | iši |
| nails | uluxV |
| night | tomani-s |
| nose | xoši |
| one | pek |
| person | efexe |
| pinole | amúxe |
| plain | yala-x |
| quail | kumul (Kr) |
| rabbit (cottontail) | čiši, čis- |
| salmon | kilí- |
| seal | opopa-pas |
| seven | kxula-walanai |
| six | pek-walanai |
| sky | imi- |
| small | ukxu-s-ki |
| speak | al-pa |
| sun | aši |
| teeth | awur |
| ten | tomóila |
| three | kxulep |
| two | kxulax |
| water | asa-nax |
| where | kéya- |
| who | kíni |
| wildcat | toloma |
| wood | i'i |
| yes | íke |