The Sven Liljeblad Collection

When I was working on my masters thesis I wanted to compare how the Bannock dialect is spoken now to how it was spoken from 1930s-1970s. So, I drove hundreds of miles to Reno, Nevada from Fort Hall, Idaho. My purpose was to collect linguistic data to do a historical comparison. Unfortunately, I only had enough time to spend one full day down at the University of Nevada Reno's Knowledge Center's Special Collections Department. I was not allowed to photograph Sven's field notes from Collection No. 86-14 Bannock A-Y and had to hand write the lexical items. So, for eight hours I wrote and took only a short break from writing to let my hand rest and use the restroom - drink some caffine.

I copied his original hand written notes as exactly as possible. He also wrote in fancy cursive, old school style. While down there I also hand lunch with Dr. Catherine Fowler and got some clarification on his symbology. You should be aware the Dr. Liljeblad had a unique writing system and had created some of his own symbols. Many people who are not trained in linguistics are very confused about his writting system. However, if you are a trained linguist it provides rich data on a time now forgotten. Dr. Liljeblad must have been one cool dude to create his own writting system and work with some the most knowledgable members of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes for approximately 40 years! My grandmother Mrs. Caroline Teton-Racehorse, who is now 82 years old, once told me that she actually met Dr. Liljeblad when he visited her grandmother in the hospital. She was young at the time and said that she was shocked when she heard him ask her grandmother if her stomach hurt in fluent Panakwate.

Any how, this information below was obtained from his notes and transcribed into the Panakwate Orthography. Unfortunately, only a little amount of this information has been checked with speakers today. As such, it should be viewed as raw data, but nonetheless high useful and interesting. Someday I hope to go back down there and collect more information!

Linguistic Items

mahenivip = "warrior" [01/22/12 CR: ma'hoi' = sneaking/creeping, ma'hoide = a person who creeps,

mahe- =herding, mahegina = herding, mahoide = scout]

kai amaseapaana OR kamaseapaana = don't scare him

anakakwene = he is listening

pama abatsaga = wash it with water

abiznwene = sucking?

ya'a isi tebope ikabuini OR ya'aisitebopabuni = here is the newspaper look at it!

semenoo adapiegwi = flatten it out (w/feet)

peno'o ekwiipe adekwi = tell him when you were born

nese'mena' = door

azapema = close it in and cove it

hima daamikauzapuniketi nohisa' manidua OR himma tammi ikaa oo aza puunikete nohisa'a manidua' = why did we show him this? he might turn out to be a gambler

agweu maku napiasi = pick that dollar up!

agweu = pick it up!

anawihi = padlock

aneemena = his liver

anodekwwawamuasu koche uka manigikwaiku = his wife went back early this morning five o'clock