kapojai

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word kapojai. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word kapojai, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say kapojai in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word kapojai you have here. The definition of the word kapojai will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofkapojai, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Wauja

Pronunciation

Noun

kapojai

  1. A type of traditional Wauja song, performed during certain sacred ceremonies, in which people are encouraged to voice their grievances and complaints, be they personal or political.
    Meeneke kisuawakiya yetsopikitsa, kapojai yakapai.
    Tomorrow at dawn, the kapojai ceremony will be going on.
    Kejo poukeneu, kapojai yakawe yeetsopoa.
    At the new moon, the kapojai ceremony will be going on.
    ...Walama okapojala. Kapaipiyapai ipitsi amunaunki. Meyeityapai tumapai ulepe, meyeityapai tumapai usityui pessoalnaun ou. Oukaka Walama akapojatene inyaun wi: "Natu amunaunpei, maka aitsa natu numeiyeitya. Maka Arawi keyeityapai tumapai ulepe, usityui." En, umapai okapojala katahan...
    This is the kapojai song that Walama sang . had grown weary of his chiefly responsibilities. He no longer bothered to make bread ; nor did he bother to make manioc porridge to give his people to drink. So Walama sang in his kapojai song: "Let me be chief; I won't be lazy. My wife Arawi is industrious; she'll make plenty of manioc bread and porridge." Eh, here’s how his song goes…

Usage notes

  • Note that Aruta tosses in a noun borrowed from Portuguese ("pessoal," people, followers), but he adds the Wauja plural suffix –naun, so that it becomes pessoalnaun (all the people). The Wauja have several words Aruta could have used instead (opukenejo, inyaunaun), but he chose to use a dash of Portuguese in this particular instance.
  • akapojatapai (sings a kapwojai song directed at a person or problem)

References

  • "Walama opkapojala" utterance from Aruta, storyteller and elder, recounting Wauja history in the presence of his son and nephew. Recorded in Piyulaga village by E. Ireland, 4/25/96, transcript, page 26.
  • Remaining utterances from E. Ireland field notes. Need to be checked by native speaker.