ehen

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See also: Ehen, and éhen

Wauja

Pronunciation

Interjection

ehen

  1. yes, uh huh (used to give an affirmative response)
    Petemepei? Ehen.
    Q: Do you understand? A: Yes .
    Pityutiwiu? Ehen.
    Q: Have you awakened ? A: Yes .
    Punupawi? Ehen.
    Q: Did you see ? A: Yes .
  2. yes, indeed (used to express agreement in response to a positive statement)
    Wekepei uno oukaka. Ehen, itsa kala.
    It was high-water season when it happened. Yes, certainly was.
  3. ah, hmm, indeed (used to express interest and attentiveness in response to a statement)
    Ja otukaka iya inyankenejo yi... Iya inyankenejo. Ehen.
    Now brother was going to tell ... was going to tell. Ah.

Usage notes

  • Wauja has two words that can mean "yes" – ehen and hoona. They are used in different circumstances. Both are affirmative, but only hoona conveys consent to a proposition. Note that in all the examples above, only ehen can be used. Hoona would not make sense in these examples.

Antonyms

See also

  • hain (huh? yes?)
  • hoona (yes, I consent)

References

  • "Ja otukaka" uttered by Itsautaku, storyteller and elder, recounting the traditional Wauja tale of the "Man Who Drowned in Honey," in the presence of his adolescent son Mayuri, adult daughter Mukura, and others. Recorded in Piyulaga village by E. Ireland, December 1989, transcript p. 12.
  • Other examples from E. Ireland field notes. Need to be checked by native speaker.