ohapaitsa

Wauja

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɨ.haˈpaɪ.t͡sa/

Preposition

ohapaitsa

1. from among, from beside, out of

   Kata aitsa pawatupawa, kata inyaunauntope, kata inyauntope, aitsa wa, aitsa akitsawakatapai... AmunauNAUN, amunaunaun, dez kata amunaunaun, amunaunaun hatiu. Paunwaun ohapaitsa, akitsatapai kehoto yiu. Nejo kehoto wekehopei. Onaatsa, akamawi, punuba opalutsato, itsityapeneme, iyeneme ... opwoku miu.

   All the ordinary people, the whole population, they don't concern themselves with these things... Only the CHIEFS, the chiefs, only ten or so of them who are of chiefly rank. One [from] among them watches over [the] land. That one is [the] principal chief [lit., keeper of the land]. Then, [when he has] died, you see, his co-chief takes over for him [relieves him] in turn, and takes his place.

   [Arutatumpa:] Awojotopa yajo! OnupajotaKONApai yiu. OnupajotaKONApai yiu.

   [Inyaun:] Atakaho ohapapai?

   [Arutatumpa:] Atakaho ohapa. Ehejuawi.

   [Inyaun:] Ehejuapai!

   [Arutatumpa:] Ehejuawi. Ehejuawi, ehejuawi. InuPA yiu. Pa ka, onu piruka itsa katiwhun, piiiiiii tu han na! Panakuutsa. Pato ohapaitsiu.

   [Storyteller:] Such [a] handsome [youth]! Everyone was staring [at him]. Everyone was just staring, [transfixed].

   [Listener:] [They] were in [the] bushes?

   [Storyteller:] In [the] bushes. They had hidden themselves [in the bushes].

   [Listener:] They were hiding [in ambush]!

   [Storyteller:] They were hiding. So they crouched there, hidden, just watching [in silence]. Just then, [the chief's] wife slid off one of these [gestures to a woman's loin belt] — piiiiiii! [sound of the belt slowly being drawn against her body] From her inside place. From [where it had been resting] against her vulva.

   [Audience:] [Laughter.]

Usage notes

• The second example is drawn from the story of the Caiman Spirit (Yakaojokuma). In this story, the chief's two wives secretly have amorous encounters with a caiman spirit being. The chief and his men hear a rumor that this is going on, and wait in ambush to kill the chief's rival. From their hiding place in the underbrush, they are astonished to witness the caiman spirit appear in the form of a beautiful young man, as one of the women languorously slips off her loin belt in response.

Related terms

• ohapa (“among, in, beside”)

References

• "Kata aitsa" (transcript p. 25) uttered by 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.
• "Awojotopa yajo" (transcript, p. 63) uttered by Arutatumpa, storyteller and elder, and members of his audience, as he recounted the traditional tale, the "Caiman Spirit" (Yakaojokuma). Recorded in Piyulaga village in the presence of assembled elders and others, November 1989, for BBC film, "The Storyteller."