Yearly meetings

.
(44-1)   
tuda:     [unmun]     unmun     O:-No:-l     SoromE-pul     {prorva}    
earlier   Kolyma   Kolyma   child-V-AN   man-PL   Prorva  
mon-u-t     me:stE-gE     Saqal'a:-nu-l'El-Ni.    
say-0-SS.IMPF   place-LOC   gather-IMPF-EV-3PL  

Long ago the young people of the Kolyma used to gather at a place called Prorva.


.
(44-2)   
e-dO:n-pE-lE     opol'l'E     n'u:-te:-NilE-bEd-Ek     ta:-t.    
PRON-that-PL-ACC   later   name-TR-PERF.PART.3PL-N-PRED   there-ADV.ABL  

It was called that later.


.
(44-3)   
odu-pE     n'e:-nu-l'El-Na:     ul'egE     c'orqE.    
Yukaghir-PL   call-IMPF-EV-TR.3PL   Ulege   Chorxo  

The Yukaghirs called it Ulege Chorxo.

Comment:
Ul'egE c'orqE literally means 'grass clearing'.


.
(44-4)   
{petrov}     pod'orqE-gE     qoj-n     pod'orqE-gE     odu-pE     c'umut    
Peter's   day-LOC   God-GEN   day-LOC   Yukaghir-PL   all  
ta:-t     Saqal'a:-nu-l'El-Ni.    
there-ADV.ABL   gather-IMPF-EV-3PL  

On God's day, St Peter's day, all the Yukaghirs gathered there.

Comment:
St. Peter's day is a Christian orthodox feast at the beginning of July.


.
(44-5)   
l'E-gEt     {kr'epost'}-gEt     lu:s'i:-n     numO-gEt     jaqa-pE-lEk     kel-u-nu-l'El-Ni-l    
be-ABL   fortress-ABL   Russian-GEN   house-ABL   Yakut-PL-PRED   come-0-IMPF-EV-PL-SF  
ta-N     {vr'em'a}-gE     ta-N     para:-gE.    
that-ATTR   time-LOC   that-ATTR   time-LOC  

At that time the Yakuts used to come from Verxnekolymsk.

Comment:
Kr'epost' 'fortress' (from Russian) or lu:si:n numO 'Russian house' are the Yukaghir names for the town of Verxnekolymsk.


.
(44-6)   
ta-N     O:-No:-l     SoromE-pul     ja:-n     pod'orqE     molGE-dE-gE    
that-ATTR   child-V-AN   man-PL   three-ATTR   day   middle-3-LOC  
ja:-n     pod'orqE     tabud-Ek     ta:     loNdE-t     jaqtE-t    
three-ATTR   day   that-PRED   there   dance-SS.IMPF   song-SS.IMPF  
l'e:-nu-l'El-Ni     jo:da:-nu-l'El-Ni.    
be-IMPF-EV-3PL   play-IMPF-EV-3PL  

The young people used to sing, dance and play for three days.

Comment:
The syntactic function of tabudEk is unclear.


.
(44-7)   
odu-n     marqil'     kejlE-j     {l'entE}-lE     jo:-dE-gEn     uld-o:-dE-jnE    
Yukaghir-GEN   girl   red-IMPF.PART   ribbon-ACC   head-3-PROL   tie-RES-3-DS.COND  
jo:-dE-gE     tamun-gElE     tabud-E     [lej-tej-nu-l'El]     lej-di:-nu-l'El-Na:,     tO:n    
head-3-LOC   that-ACC   that-INSTR   know-PERF-IMPF-EV   know-TR-IMPF-EV-TR.3PL   that  
marqil'     mon-u-t.    
girl   say-0-SS.IMPF  

The Yukaghir girls tied a red ribbon on their head. From that the people learnt they were girls.

Comment:
The word monut here functions as a complementizer.


.
(44-8)   
paj-pE-pul     kejlE-j     {l'entE}-lE     [El]     El=mer-e:-nu-l'El-Ni.    
woman-PL-PL   red-IMPF.PART   ribbon-ACC   NEG   NEG-put.on-TR-IMPF-EV-3PL  

The women didn't wear red ribbons.


.
(44-9)   
omo-l-gEt     omo-s'     omo-l     marqil'-gElE     {c'ajka}     mon-u-t    
good-AN-ABL   good-IMPF.PART   good-AN   girl-ACC   gull   say-0-SS.IMPF  
n'u:-te:-nu-l'El-Na:.    
name-TR-IMPF-EV-TR.3PL  

The best girl was called "a gull."

Comment:
The word monut here functions as a postposition.


.
(44-10)   
omo-s'E     amun-dE-lE     n'a:s'E-dE-lE     omo-s'E     kOj-gElE     Onme:de:    
good-IMPF.PART   bone-3-INSTR   face-3-INSTR   good-IMPF.PART   young.man-ACC   young.larch  
mon-u-t     n'u:-te:-l'El-Na:.    
say-0-SS.IMPF   name-TR-EV-TR.3PL  

A boy with a nice shape and face was called "a larch tree."

Comment:
The word monut here functions as a postposition.


.
(44-11)   
pojnE-j     n'a:s'E-n'-d'E     l'E-gElE     kOj-gElE     jO:-NidE     mon-nu-l'El-Ni,    
white-IMPF.PART   face-PROPR-IMPF.PART   be-ACC   young.man-ACC   see-SS.COND   say-IMPF-EV-3PL  
n'a:tlEbe:     mon-u-t     n'u:-te:-l'El-Na:.    
willow.ptarmigan   say-0-SS.IMPF   name-TR-EV-TR.3PL  

When they saw a boy with a white face they called him "a willow-ptarmigan."

Comment:
The word monut here functions as a postposition.


.
(44-12)   
[amun-dE-lE]     amun-dE-lE     s'is'-kE-j     pude-n-me:-d'E     amun-n'E-j-bEn-gElE     mon-nu-l'El-Ni,    
bone-3-ACC   bone-3-ACC   long-ADJ-IMPF.PART   outside-ADV.LOC-QUAL-IMPF.PART   bone-PROPR-IMPF.PART-N-ACC   say-IMPF-EV-3PL  
s'is'kEde:-lE     n'u:-te:-nu-l'El-Na:.    
round.white.fish-INSTR   name-TR-IMPF-EV-TR.3PL  

A tall and slim boy was called a round white-fish.

Comment:
'Round white fish' is a local fish (Prosopium cylindraceum).