Ch'ghaats'ee' Iris

Show wordlist? Show English?
Color picture?
Iris image

image from Armstrong, 1915, Field Book of Western Wild Flowers

Diijii aant'ee? What is it?

  • Kaal'ai aant'ee. It is a plant.
  • Ch'daayee kwt'iing. It has flowers.
  • Uudaayee' nchaagh. Its flowers are large.
  • Nlaa'-bii'k' kwaanchaagh. They are as big as the palm of your hand.
  • Uudaayee'-taah wang ch'isai'tcing kwaalhtsow. Among its flowers some are blue like a scrub jay.
  • Wang kwosh kwaalhtsow. Some are purple like a blackberry.
  • Wang ch'ts'oo' kwaalhgai. Some are white like milk.
  • Uut'aang' tl'oh kwaalhtsow. Its leaves are green like grass.
  • Ngaanee' kwaanees--ooleeng. They may be as long as your arm.

Diijii bilh aa't'iing? What do they do with it?

  • Uut'aam'-milh Naahneesh ninch'it' tc'ilhtcii. With its leaves the Cahto make string.
  • Uut'aang' uuch'oots'ee' lheetc'dis. They twist together its leaves' fiber (literally "sinew").
  • Ninch'it'--bilh lheenee'haa' tc'ilhtcii. With the string they make all kinds of things.
  • Bilh beelh lhaan lhtaahkii tc'ilhtcii. With it they make many kinds of rope.
  • Beelhchow, beelh, bilhteegot, bilhtcing yaa'lhtcii. They make large ropes, ropes, net ropes, and cord.
  • Bilh noo'aang naa'ch'itl'oo. With it they set snares.
  • Bilh ch'kaak', ch'kaak'-bii'-naat'ai tc'ilhtcii. With it they make nets and surffish dipnets.
  • Bilh ch'eelee' tc'ilhtcii. With it they make a musical bow.
  • Bilh lhaalaabii'-naaghilai tc'lii. With it they tie feather cloaks.
  • Sii'-bii'-s'aan ninch'it'--bilh tc'ilhtl'oo. They weave head-nets with the string.
  • Bilh daabii'-teelbil tc'ilhtcii. They make acorn buzzers with it.

Ch'ghaats'ee' Lhtaahkii Different kinds of Iris

  • Naahneesh--taah ch'ghaats'ee' lhtaahkii naakaa' aant'ee. There are two kinds of iris in Cahto country.
  • Ch'ghaats'ee' uukaasee' nees, uuch'oots'ee' lhaang. The iris with a tall stalk has many fibers.
  • Uut'aang' uuch'oots'ee' yiibaan-naakaanaakaa' kwaalhaang. Its leaf's fibers are as many as nine.
  • Ch'ghaats'ee' uukaasee' ntcwoltc uuch'oots'ee' lhaa'haa', naakaa' lhaakwaa. The iris with a short stalk's fibers are one or two only.