sayings

-ametanéné   vai. alive, live. This word refers to biological life while -vo'ėstanéheve refers more to social life. É-ametanéne. He is alive. (another recording) É-ametanéneo'o. They are alive. Óvahe ho'honáeo'o éohkėháa'éše-ametanéneo'o. Only the rocks live forever. That is a well known saying. Ééva-ametanéne. He came back to life. fai: -etanéné; vta: -ametanó't. See: -vo'ėstanéheve. Category: live, sayings.

-anȯhevo'oh(n)   vta. knock down s.o. É-anȯhevo'ȯhnóho. He knocked him (obv) down. Névááhe tséhé'heetovánovėstse hesta'se móma'xe-anȯhevo'ȯhnȯhevóhe? Who was mischievous, someone must have knocked down snow. That is a humorous saying when there has been a blizzard. It is basically asking "Who made it snow?" vti: -anȯhevo'ohá; Variant: -anovo'oh(n). See: -anȯhvo'h(n). Category: move, sayings.

énȧhéno   ni. gravy, sauce, pudding, berry pudding. For some speakers this only refers to gravy, not to berry pudding. (another recording) Énȧhéno ná-mese. I ate gravy. Alice Russell taught the following saying to her children and grandchildren: Tséstsėhetóma'o'e náhéseéšee'e vóhkooheho naa énȧhéno návé'šeéšeenoto. This land where I grew up, from rabbits and gravy I grew up. See: -énȧhené ‘fill’. Category: food, berries, sayings.

-ésta'ovo'hamé   vai. corral livestock. É-ésta'ovo'hāme. He is corraling his horses. See: -éstseov; -hóesta'ham; -hone'ov; -táxe'há'tov. Category: interpersonal, motion, sayings, figurative.

-he'konahe   vai. 1 • hard, healthy. for example, resistant to sickness. É-he'konahe. He is hard. É-he'konȧheo'o. They are hard. tsé-he'konȧhese those who are strong. naa oha tónesto tséhetaa'he'konȧhétse hétsėhéóhe náho'manėstsénóne but however many of us who were healthy, we made it back here. [1987:37:31]

2 • be stubborn. Especially the quality of being hard to please, or having a mind that is made up, and hard for anyone else to change it. By semantic extension can refer to being tough (or, perhaps,healthy). At least some speakers say this does not mean 'strong', for which -he'koneotse is used. But note that in text 1987:302 this stem was translated by 'strong'. See the expression about a rock that has been used of people who are -he'konahe, hard (stubborn; unchanging in ideas or opinions). Taovóehénȯhtsėstova tá'tóhe ho'honáá'e naa mȧhvé'eomó'otsėstse nėhē'še tamónėhénȯhtsėstovoo'o. First go ask that rock (especially the Chief Two Moons memorial rock monument in Busby), and if you can make it move, then go ask him (that is, it would be easier to make the monument move than this person). Antonym -ta'pahe; Synonym -tóvahe. See: -he'konetanó ‘strong (emotionally)’. Category: personality, sayings.

hésévávónó'e   wow. funny expression for something really amazing. Contracted sévávó; Non-contracted hesevávónó'e á'e hestonovónó'e. Category: sayings.

hésévávónó'e á'e hestonovónó'e   Wow, it's like a drymeat rack! Ques: record?? Category: check. funny expression for something really amazing. Contracted sévávó, hésévávónó'e. Category: sayings.

-hesó'xahe   vai. 1 • be slippery, be smooth. É-hesó'xahe. He is slippery. Etym: *weša·Ɂšesiwa (P). Nóma'he é-hesó'xahe The fish is slippery. (adapted from PD981).

2 • flipflop. Ho'honáá'e mó-hesó'xȧhehéhe. The rock must be slippery. That is an idiom meaning 'he flipflopped'. This would be especially said of someone who didn't follow through on their decision or relationship, such as their marriage relationship. The word for 'rock' can be omitted, and the remaining verb still used in this idiomatic sense. vii: -hesó'xó. Category: figurative, sayings.

-hestóxévétanó   vai. be behind, last in mind. Névé'novȯhe'étanóme mȧsėhánééstóva, onésetó'ha'éeta netáhoestovevoo'o, onésė-hestóxévétáno mȧsėhánééstóva! Don't race in craziness, try to stop your mounts (that is, horses), try to come in last interms of craziness! (= Don't live a hurried, crazy life!) Category: sayings.

-hestsevéveše   vai. have horns, have antlers. Can also be of someone wearing a cap with horns on it. For some people this word sounds nasty due to similarity in sound to -he-veve 'have intercourse.'. É-he-stsevéveše. He has horns. Éma'xė-he-stsevéveše. He has big horns. Móéšėto'sė-hestsevévėšėhéhe. He is about to grow horns. He is "crazy". Étaomėhótsė-he-stsevéveše. He is so evil. (= like a devil). Lit: He almost sprouted horns. See: vevėstse ‘horn/antler’; -he-veve ‘have intercourse’. Category: animals, sayings, vulgar, figurative.

-he-véese   vai. have teeth. É-he-véese. He has teeth. Etym: *wi·pičiwa. É-he-véeseo'o. They have teeth. Ésáa-he-véeséhe. He is toothless. oonȧhā'e mȧxhe-véesévȯhtse until frogs have teeth. That is an idiom meaning 'Never!' that is, something won't be happen until frogs grow teeth. It functions the same as the English idiom, "when pigs fly". IndepNoun vée'ėse ‘tooth’. See: -he-véesané; -véesané. Category: body, sayings.

-hó'továvoovȯxeváen   vta. douse s.o. with water, extinguish s.o. É-hó'továvoovȯxeaváenóho. He doused him / extinguished him with water quickly. Nevá'ėsesto heá'ė=háma é-hó'továvoovȯxeváenáá'e. Maybe somebody doused him with water. He had been "on fire". Category: sayings, figurative.

-hómėstov   vta. flee from s.o., escape from s.o.; elude s.o. É-hómėstovóho. He escaped from him. Vó'keme hestse'emo móne'évȧhósė-hómėstoehevóhe; móévȧhósėhóo'oohé'tovȯhevóhe. Old Man Winter's wife must have taken off on him again; he is taking her back home (north)again. That is something said when there is a spring snowstorm or squalls. Násó'-hómėstoo'e. It is still eluding me. (idiom='I can't think of it'). See: -hóomėstov; -ameohová; -aseohováohe. Category: interpersonal, sayings.

hoó'he-   pv. overheard. Énėx-hoó'heamévánóhtse. His footsteps are heard coming. mȧx-hoó'hepónevone when you hear shooting (that is, a big noise) (1987:27). Táaxa'e nátȧhévé'hóómo nevá'esėstse néhe tsééema'xe-hoó'hepe'pe'éstȧhtse. Let's see, I'll go see whoever it is who is hollering. (1987:285). É-hoó'henéstoohe. He was overheard hollering/bellowing/etc. É-hoó'hemésehe. He was overheard eating. Éévė-hoó'he-óxȯhevoo'o (or, -óxȯhesėstse)? What is he overheard saying? (humorous response to someone's farting). Initial hoó'h-. See: -áahtomóné; tata'e-. Category: sounds, hear, sayings.

-hotameoxeve   vai. have dog belly ?? Nėstsė-hotameoxeve. "You will get a big belly if you hold a puppy on your belly." That is a traditional saying. Ques: rerecord?? Category: dogs, sayings, check.

kōsa   na. 1 • sheep, goat. Plural kȯsáne; Obviative kȯsáne. See: -kȯsáetáhoo'e; péhpe'ékósa. Category: animals.

2 • Sheep. Category: names.

3 • fig., Great Northern train car. Mónésó'-táhoenȯtse kōsa? Are you still riding the goat? (=separated from spouse). Nééšeéva-anȧha'hamaehe kōsa? Have you gotten bucked off by the goat? (=reconciled with separated spouse). for the idiom 'ride the goat,' see explanation under -kȯsáe-táhoo'e. Category: sayings, animals, names.

-kȯsáe-táhoo'e   vai. 1 • ride a goat. See: -táhoo'e; kōsa.

2 • fig., be separated from one's spouse. This idiom originated when men would leave their wives and hop a ride on a Burlington Northern train, which had the logo of a goat on the side of its freight cars. É-kȯsáetáhoo'e. He is riding the goat (= left his wife). Mónésó'-táhoenȯtse kōsa? Are you still separated from your spouse (lit. riding a goat)? Usage: humorous Phon: vs Category: marriage, sayings.

méstaévoo'xénéhe   na. bogeyman big nose. Meadowlarks say this to mock you. Feminine méstaévoo'xéné'héhe. Category: sayings.

méstaévoo'xéné'héhe   na. bogeyman big nose woman. Meadowlarks sometimes say this to mock women. See: méstaévoo'xénéhe. Category: sayings.

-móhtóehá   vti. stir s.t. É-móhtóéha. He stirred it. Ȯxho'oehee'ėstse ma'e no'ka éohketšėheše-móhtoehe. When blood is cooked just stir it (around) in one direction. [or else it will lump up. That is a saying which is similar to the English sayings "Too many cooks spoil the broth", "Let's not upset the apple cart", (from Will Rogers) "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!", or, perhaps, "There's too many chiefs, and not enough Indians". In other words, with the Cheyenne saying, if something is working, don't mess things up by trying something going in some other direction. People recognize how many good plans for projects on the reservation have gone awry through partisan politics, overly strong egos demanding too much personal control, etc.] Category: sayings.

-né'hoom   vta. look through legs at s.o. É-né'hoomóho. He is looking backwards through his (own) legs at him (obv). This is said when a toddler is bending forward, looking between his legs for someone. This is a way of saying that the toddler is looking for a new baby to join the family. See: éva'kėseóé; vé'hóom. Category: sayings.

-né'póo'ó   vai. peek over, look over, crane look. É-né'póó'o. He peeked/he looked over. É-né'póó'o éše'he. The sun is peeking through. tséohkėheše-né'poo'óhtove tall enough to peek over. That is a humorous saying. Phon: not vs fai: -óo'ó. See: -tsėhetóo'ó. Category: sight, sayings.

-némȧhtsená'o'h   vta. give s.o. a crooked mouth, give s.o. Bell's palsy. If someone has Bell's palsy, it is said that a ghost must have touched them. É-némȧhtsená'o'hóho. He gave him a crooked mouth. Taa'éva nėstsevé'novo'eohtséme! Méstaa'e nėstse-némȧhtsenáo'haēvo. Don't eat outside at night! A ghost will give you crooked mouths. Category: interpersonal, sayings.

nexa   p. two times, twice. (another recording) nexa hámȯhtsėhnéstóva tsénėhe'ėsévoénėstse two tepees long-faced. That was a funny phrase said by a lady related to a long-faced man whom she wished to shame for having beaten his wife; it means something like: "his face is so long he could pitch two tepees on it". See: neše ‘two’. Etym: *nyi·šenwi. Category: numbers, sayings.

-nóvȯhe'étanó   vai. race in mind. É-nóvȯhe'étáno. He is racing in mind. Névé'-nóvȯhe'étanóme mȧsėhánééstóva, onésetó'ha'éetanetáhoestovevoo'o, onésėhestóxévétáno mȧsėhánééstóva! Don't race in craziness, try to stop your mounts (that is, horses), tyro come in last in terms of craziness! (= Don't live a hurried, crazy life!) This was a saying that John Stands In Timber liked to repeat. Category: sayings, cognition, record.

oónȧha'e   na. 1 • frog. Phon: iah Plural oonȧhā'e. AltPl = oonȧhá'eo'o Obviative oonȧhā'e; Diminutive oonȧha'esón. mȧxhevéesēvȯhtse oonȧhā'e when frogs have teeth [fig., never; especially I will help you as soon as frogs grow teeth (which, of course, they never do)]. Category: animals, sayings.

2 • Frog. This is also the name of an important nésemoo'o 'familiar'. This familiar spirit could especially help its owner locate lost things, such as lost horses. See: oonȧha'é'héhe ‘frog’. Category: names.

Páeo'hé'e   ni. Gram: loc 1 • Powder River, Broadus, Montana. Broadus has the same name as the river near it. Category: places, rivers, record.

2 • Something happened. Móéšeéetsėhesóotséhanéhe Páeo'hé'e. Something must have happened at Powder River. Usage: That is a humorous expression. Énėhesóotse Páeo'hé'e. It happened on Powder River. Category: sayings.

-páetanó'tov   vta. 1 • think of s.o. as ashes. See: -mé'emo'eéh.

2 • disregard what s.o. does. Category: figurative. Ná-páetanó'tóvo. I don't care at all what he does. Páetanó'toveha! Just go on (with regards to him)! This is an expression that means in spite of how he treated you, don't let it bother you. See: mé'emo'eéh. Category: figurative, interpersonal, sayings.

-pȧhponóneehéhame   na. Gram: poss tapeworm (poss.), hungry - be. The following two sentences are humorous ways of saying that someone's stomach is growling. Na-pȧhponóneehéhame ééšėto'setaomėhoó'henȯhtóvenestse. My tapeworm is almost overheard knowing how to speak by itself. Étaomėhótsenȯhtóvenestse ne-pȧhponóneehéhame. Your tapeworm can almost talk by itself. That is a saying that can be said when your stomach is growling. IndepNoun pȧhponóneehéhe; Medial -ón. Category: ropelike, sayings, figurative.

sévávo   p. wow, amazing. funny expression for something really amazing. non-contract: hésévávónó'e, hésévávónó'e á'e hestonovónó'e. Category: sayings.

-táxe'há'tov   vta. 1 • flutter over s.o., fly over s.o. É-táxe'há'tovóho. He fluttered over him.

2 • be in a bad mood. Heávohe né-táxe'há'tova. You are in a bad mood. Lit: literally, the devil is fluttering over you) See: hestoé't. Category: sayings.

-tóhpȯhomo'he   vai. take out marrow from a bone. should not be done with a knife; a stick or handle of a spoon is all right. É-tóhpȯhomo'he. He is taking marrow out of a bone. Motšėške éohkėsáavé'še-tóhpȯhomó'hestovėhane. A knife is not used to take marrow out (of a bone). fai: -ohomó'he. Category: meat, sayings.

-to'é'tov   vta. arise from bed with (reference to) s.o. É-to'é'tovóho. He arose from bed with reference to him. Etym: *to·xki·Ɂtawe·wa (P). Ná-to'é'tova. He arose from bed with me. Vóóhe náno'-to'enȯtse. I got up with the morning star. That is, I got up early while the morning star was still in the sky. See: -e'ėha'ó'tov; -to'é. Category: sayings.

-tó'ha'éet   vta. rein in s.o., stop s.o. by pulling on reins. See: -tó'han. É-tó'ha'éetóho. He reined him in. Onésetó'ha'éeta nétáhoestovevoo'o! Try to stop your mounts! See -mȧsėhánee'e for the complete saying. See: -tó'han; -mȧsėhánee. Category: horses, sayings.

-totóxem   vta. talk about s.o., discuss s.o. É-totóxemóho. He discussed him. Ná-totóxémo. I talked about him. Móná-totóxemȯhéhe. I must have talked about him. Móná-totóxemaehéhe. He must have talked about me. Nevá'esėstse móné-totóxemaehéhe. Someone must be talking about you. That is commonly said to someone when they sneeze. fta: -em; vti: -totóxestá. See: -hósem; -mé'em; -totáxetanó't; -oóoxȯhet ‘say things about s.o.’. Category: speak, sayings.

-tsėhetóma'o'e   vii. this ground, this land. Alice Russell taught this saying to her children and grandchildren: Tsés-tsėhetóma'o'e náhéseéšee'e vóhkooheo'o naa énȧhéno návé'šeéšeenoto. This land where I grew up, from rabbits and gravy I grew up. See: tsėhetóma'ȯxovahtȯtse ‘walking plow’. Category: sayings.

-tsėhetósané   vai. make teeth marks, teeth marks - make. for example, biting on his fingers while teething. É-tsėhetósáne. He is biting on his fingers while teething. Éšėhe'kotoo'e, é-tsėhetósanéstove. Be quiet, he is gnawing. That is a Cheyenne saying said to more than one person: Category: sayings.

vóhpoma'ȯhtse   ni. salt. Lit: white-dirt Vóhpoma'ȯhtse mó'éohkeno'ane, hénová'éto Quizlet, tséohkėhestohe, mó'éohkemésėstove? Is salt put on it, what is Quizlet, as it is said, is it eaten? That is a humorous way of responding to something new and not understood, such as the word "Quizlet". Ques: Is this also a Cheyenne name?? Etym: cf *wa·pa·mexkye·wi (P) ‘it is white ground’. See: ma'oma'ȯhtse ‘red earth’. Category: food, names, sayings.

-vonotóotsé'tá   vti. lose s.t. by mouth. Ná-vonotóotsé'ta. I had it on the tip of my tongue; I almost thought of it but I lost it. See: -óhtá; -óm. Category: cognition, figurative, sayings.