Arapaho Words Appearing in Early Studies
The following words occur in either Alfred Kroeber’s The Arapaho (page number is given below); in Dorsey and Kroeber’s Traditions of the Arapaho (T + page number) or in Hilger’s Arapaho Child Life (H + page number). The words have been retranscribed into standard modern Arapaho. Following the transcription, the meaning as it appears in the source is given, followed by the page number(s) where the word appears. Finally, notes are added in the last column, where original meanings need clarification, where plants can be identified, and so forth. Transcriptions in italics represent best guesses of the correct Arapaho: the forms cannot be completely recovered as of now.
beenoku3i’ Pleiades
(sit together) T161
beesceneyoono armlets 171, T155
beesoh’oho’ elder
brothers 159
beesoowu’ belled
tepee T161 = ‘wood lodge’
beeteenoo’ menses 15 = ‘it is holy’
beeteet she menstruates 15 = ‘she is holy’
beeteet holy one H144
bee3eino’ screech
owls 317
beexotii big
wheel (design) 116
bee’eikoutohou’u? sunrise; passage over mtn 38 bee’ei-
= red?
bee’exoo’ kind
of tree T394,T396 = Betula fontinalis
beh’eihoho’ old
men 315, T19
beh’iinenno’ men
of all the lodges 314
beihoo awl
case T155
beii shell gorget 360,
T155, T14
beneeseiti Personal
Name 437
beniicou’u summer H86
beniinenno’ all
the men 154
benii’owuuni’ spring H86
benouhtiseino’ women of the lodge 210
benouhtoowu’ women’s lodge 210
beteetosoo’ouht a
kind of blanket T291,30 beteetosoo’
= 100 (quill lines)
betee3oo shadow/spirit 361
be3enec milk 438
be3eneco’ono plant
for breast milk 438, H55 = Lygodesma juncea
be3enei? Thick (pubic) Hair T124 bei3e’ee-
= hair?
bexookeehonoh’oe Panther
Young Man T96
beyoowu’ all the lodges 226,319,158,
156,T23
be’eek blood
pudding 31
be’eekuu red
stand (dancer) 211,220
be’eekuunenno’ bloud soup men 7
be’enoo fog/turtle 317,T97,T4,347
bih’ihiihe’ Female
Deer? 30 =
‘little deer’?
bih’ihiihoox mule,
horned toad 56
biihceyinoo’[oo]? yellow composite 32 = ‘it is turning pink’?; Erigeron
biihce’einoo’ = ‘it has a pink head’?
biihisei Buffalo Woman T395 =
‘buffalo cow woman’
biiit kind
of wood T394, T396 = Populus tremuloides
biikousiis moon H92
biinebit? a
design 120
biinohooo digging
stick 211
biiseenoxu’ insect
medecine 422
biiseenoxu’ a plant 423
biiseeno’ snake, worm 44,87,310 = ‘insects’
biiteiseenookuu vine T303
biitoheinenno’ dancers of biit.
lodge 159
biitoheisoono’ dancers 178, 159
biitohoowu’ a lodge 289,182,181,
163,161,159
biitoheisoo-no’u lances of the above dancers 159
biito’owu’ earth 313
bii3ee’oux-otooho? a kind of
leggings T291 -otooho
= ‘pants, leggings’
bii3ensinouxoo? kind of shirt T291
(hee)bii3soo beloved
son T315 = ‘illegitimate child’
biixuut shirt T154,28
bii’o’oosoo night
child/illeg H49
bii’oxuyoo Found
in the Grass 22, T341,313
boteihtibee? game
name H112
boteihtowoo? sticks
for the game H112
bo’ooceinenno’ red
willow men 7,8 = Cornus sericea
ceecesiinetiit the
untying T50,151
ceeciiniini’ winter H86
ceeneetene’einou’u blue flower 136 = Mertensia spp
ceceecei medicinal root 451,195,191, 190, 435 = Cicuta spp
cei-toksoo? crawling towards me 317-8
cenooni’ we are coming 160
ceyotowunenitee supernatural being 283 =
‘false person’
ce’eetiit welcome/scalp
dance T50,151 = ‘victory dance’
ce’eexuu tomahawk 188
ce’eku3oo a
sacred bundle 368,23
ceitoohetiit ear
piercing 18 see ‘earring’
ciiciiteene’ game name H113
ciiyoo3iinen Merciless
Man T158
ciinecei the sprinkling 315, T19
ciineniinit unmanly 319
ciitei enter! 160
ciiyoneihii shaggy/furry
dog 197,201
dog
dancer
coo3uwuno’ scented
tobacco leaves 422 = ‘Commanche
berries’; prob.
Rhus trilobata
co’ouu3ou3eihitt? entertainment at
night 318 = co’ouu3-ou3-eihiit (high-?-PART)
heecesiiteihihi’ dwarf T125, T121
heecesiiteihiho’ dwarves 50
heeneetixohetiit “ packing each other over” H112 =
‘carrying each other all around’
heeneisoo’ biito’owu’ ends of
the earth 219,109,114,117
heenei’oooku’oo horizon,
as far as can see 132
heeteih-’oonin from whence one has come 40 heeteih- ‘where one is from’
heetih’itetow may
you pass over 315
heetit-e’eini3i’ beheaded
ones T133 -e’eini-3i’ (they have X heads)
hee3e’eixootiini’ path
to destination 39
hee3iii eagle
wing feather T155 = ‘forward/direction of
travel-plume’
hee3neehinen leader
of singers 165 = ‘true man’
hee3neesei leader
of women singers 165 = ‘true
woman’
hehyeini3i’ four 315
heisonoonin our
father T49, H144
heneecee buffalo
bull 420
heneecee-hono’oti Personal Name 436
heneeceeno’ buffalo
bulls (Pleiades) 161
heseihteesiisoo Foot-Stuck Child T160, T154
hesiteeneecee fire
chief 401
heso’oonotii Fast
Wheel T19
he3ebiiseino’ ceremonial
women T18 = ‘dog women’
he3owoowu’ dog
lodge 196
he3owoonoxu’ medecinal root 205,207,219,420,
451,195,182,164,30,31,
33,173,200
196,216,220 = Echinacea spp?
he3owuunenno’ ceremonial men T18 = ‘dog men’
hice’ei3o’oo bundle of hair worn over
forehead 130
hice’iisi-hiho’ kind
of berry T155 -hiho’
=
Rhus trilobata
hihcebe’ above 313
hihcebe’ nih’oo3oo above-nih’oo3oo 313,T6-7
hiibiixoo’u3i’ lance
dancers 178,159
hiice’eexuu3i’ rank and file tomahawk dancer 184
hiice’eexoowu’ tomahawk lodge 182
hiico’oxuu-woxu’ a root 422
hiii a
cry T239 = ‘snow’
hiii wakefulness 318 = ‘snow’ (used during story-telling
to show still awake
hii-kokooxuus wand
dancer 184
hiincebiit water monster 313,317,423,438,
T382,
T143-4,T31, T140
hiinohceiyooni3i’ four
dancers 197 = ‘they rattle’?
hiinonohoowu’ a lodge T23,T30
hiinonokoyooo pole
at back of tepee 75,59
hiinouuse’eici3oni3i’ lance
dancers 175,159 = ‘lead outside by the head’
hiisiiniisiis sun H92
hiisiisoo Moon-child
(name) T339
hiisiistei’yoo Sun-Child
(name) T341
hiiteni’ life
symbol 219, 313,40,43,
hiitesiteebit Fire Owner T154 = House Finch
hiitokooxuunit owner
of tent poles (dancer) 211,T19
hii-towoohoehit highest degree dancers 169,166,159
hiiwo3-oox stallion T238 -hoox
= quadruped
hiiwo’ten-ooxeyoni-3i’ black-lance dancers 222,180 hii-wo’teen- = ‘black...’
159
hiiyou here
is 164
hii’iboootou’u fir needles 426
= Abies lasiocarpa
hii’ohouhuun? short ribs T155
hinenitee person 317,58
hinii’i3 aorta T155 =
‘his aorta’
hinono’eino’ Arapaho 8
hinoutee3ee his
intestines T155
hiseinotee tadpole/woman’s
belly 56
hite3ou geese T19
hite3ounec goose
water 300
hite3ou3ei’iwoonohuut small bird carried on back of goose T19 =
coot or grebe
hitiito tendons
of neck(his) T155, T124
hitoo’ee’ee3onoo ceremonial
tent owners 167
hitoxuusoo Last Child 313, T143, T139
hi3ooxuu his
intestine T155
hiwoxuuhoox hiwoxu’ horse root plant 424 = ‘horse his medicine’;
probably
Thalictrum spp
hixonookee Bone Bull T154
hi(i)yoot part
of buffalo stomach H46
hi’oot his
leg T258
hi’otonoo pieces
that hang from something T291
hoeii call at sundance 283,285,
318
183,165,198
hoeii exclamation T120, T204, T112, T30
hohookoowu’ crazy
lodge T30
hohoot kind of wood T396 =
Populus deltoides
hohou thank
you 318,366,367
hohoukos thank
you - f - formerly 318
honoh’oho’ young
man 315 (plural as given)
honookoobiihi-nenno’
stout dancers 163 = ???-men
honoo’uhu embroidered
pillow T291
honoun-oohuu highest wand 184 honouun- = superlative
hoohosoo painted
robe T155
hookeihtoo buffalo
hooves 43 (singular as given)
hookee3oo wall hanging T289
(ho)hookohoo med. root 438 =
‘makes people crazy’
hookohoono fat
on kidneys T155
hoowonookee old
buffalo T13
hoowoo’uu(biisi) kind
of tree/shrub T295, T303, T394
prob. Cornus sericea
hoowoo’uunonoh’oe Red Stick Man T95
hooxebine’ spring
boy 22 = ‘at the spring’
hooxei bo’ooneih Personal Name (Red Wolf) 17
hooxeihiineniiwohoet dogwood T295
hooxowoo’ lance 164
hoseihoowu’ sun
dance lodge 152
hoseiyoo sacrificed 283
hoteikuu3oo bull
roarer 396,
H93 = ‘it makes noise’
hotohine black plant fiber T290
hotoo rock T258
flat stone used for pounding T341
ho3i’oono’ servants 163
ho3o’ouhuuho’ star
men 181
ho3o’uusoo Little Star (name) T335
houu cenii Personal Name T48 = ‘old crow’
houu niiseih Personal Name (One Crow) 18
houuno3on-iico’oo pipe of settlement 21 =
???-pipe
housoo porcupine’s son (name) T341
hoxo’o3iinenno’ ridiculous
men 8 = ‘men who make people
laugh’
hoxuxon(o) berdache (rotten bone)
19
ho’oeetinohookee Lime
(clay) Crazy T30
ho’onookee rock T15
ho’yoox mescal 399 = Peyote cactus
kokoux wand 184,352
kokoox stick used in lodge T30
koko’e game
button H115
kokuyono reeds T155 also means ‘whistles’ ‘guns’
kooxoyeinoo’ lance T338
ko’eibeihii kind
of ornament 60 = ‘round attached item’
ko’ohoyoo a
stick T292
nebesiiwoo grandfather 160 vocative form
neeceehiicooono’ chief
pipes T155
neeceenohooot chief
gives away 168
neeniihii3einoo I mention 164 =
‘I say things’
neinoo my mother 313
neisie my grandson 164
neisiihoho’ my
grandsons 160
neisonoo my father 313
nenebinenno’ northern
men 7
neneesootoxei’i eight-line embroidered blanket T291 = ‘there are eight of them’
nenee3i’ it is they 164
neniicisoxu’ a
root 426 = ‘hollow root’ (Lewisia rediviva?)
neniisookuteet two-teeth (young buffalo) T289
nenii3eihinoo menses 15 = ‘I am menstruating’
nenii3eiht she
menstruates 15
netesei (younger)
sister 10 = ‘my...’
ne3ebi sister-in-law 10 = ‘my sister-in-law’
neyoo brother-in-law 10 = ‘my...’
neyoooxet whirlwind,
caterp T97
neyoooxetisei Whirl
Wind Woman 61, T97
ne’ibiis a bundle of sticks T295 =
‘currant bush’
ne’iteteihit fulfillment
of desire 52 = ‘then it is gotten’
nihoonouute’ yellow
hill on WRRes 110
nihoonoxu’ yellow
weed 97
nih’ii3oo3i’ said 315 = ‘they said to him/them’
niicoontete’inooni’ that
which we do not know 125 = ‘it
cannot be known’
niihooxoooyoo’ yellow
oblong design 63 = ‘it is yellow and oblong’
niiiii dance
cry 365
niinoono’o3iheenoo I am
punished T29
niino’otohwoot rejoicing/war dance T50,151
niisenoo part
of beaver 32 [probably
testes]
niisibinoonoo pointed
quiver T154
niisoo’ouht twenty lines of quills on
buffalo robe 29 niisoo’
= twenty (quill lines)
niitouuhuut shouting 357
nii3ee3i’oonee sacred turtle T4 =
‘lumpy/ridged one’
niiyoo’oe kind
of wood T394,T396 = Betula fontinalis
nii’eetee’ piece
of root 201,205,438,451,32,
74,203,
H92, 419 = Lomatium
dissectum
nii’eihii bird/eagle 361,379,433
nii’eihii-hoo bird-embroidered
shoes T291 nii’eihii- = ‘bird’
nii’eihiineyoo’uut bird
ornament T289
nii’eihiinookuu eagle tail 342
= ‘eagle tail feather’
nii’iboootou’u hemlock leaves 32 = Abies
lasiocarpa
nii’ibou’oo’ perfume T29
nohoo wild
horse T121
nooko3esiit cutting hair on one side of
head 18
noneisi bag (covering) T377
nonii fat
on the back of buff T155
nonookeekuu white
stand (dancer) 211,221
nonookouht white
(pillow) T291
nonooneeheii(n)i3i’ holders of hinonohoowu’ T30
nookco’ooboo white meat of hind leg T155 =
‘white thigh’
nookhooseinenno’ sagebrush
men 7
nookoox morning star 54,88,388
nookubee3ei white
owl T31
nookuhisei white
woman (dancer) 211,T19
nookohookee white
fool 193,189,T30
nooneeco’oo get
ready! 210
noosoo tinder T155
noowube’ei southern
berries 423 = Rhus
trilobata
noowuunenno’ southern men 7
nouuhnenno’ kit
fox men 181
nouuse’eici3oo lance of dance 175 = ‘used to
lead outside by the head’
(hi)notinisei clot woman T310
notou sister-in-law 10
nottonee[t] calling the buffalo 437
no3oni rank and file 211,223,186,180,
163,159,
155
no3oninec irrigation
water 155
noxiniiho Personal
Name T203ff
no’ootit-o’oeneihiitono
head dress for dancing 171 -o’oeneihiitono
= going around (the head)
seeniiwo’ lizard 56
seenookuu rope 197,201 (plural
as given)
red
scarf
seiineniinohwoot victory
dance T50,151
sesiicebi’oo kind
of small bird T154, T54 [dwarf] = Black-capped Chickadee
se’iico’o flat
pipe 21,308
siiceneewoxu’ prairie
plant (yucca) 24 = Yucca glauca
siisiiyeinoxu’ snake root plant 424
= Oxytropis spp?
sosoyi Personal
Name T204ff
tebii3oobiis cut
nose bush tree 437
tei’oxu-wunee scented
root 399 tei’oxu’
= strong medicine
ti’oxonetiit touching
of the feet T50,151
tooyouni’ fall
(season) Hilger 86
toukcihiitono waist
piece 171 (plural as given)
tou3iikohoeno pendants 127
tou’cihiit waist
piece 171
towohoe round
club 169,159 = ‘implement for breaking’
towono’oxowoot cutting
bangs 18
toyooceiyoo red
scarf 201
toyoon dressed
(skin) Y154
3iikcebiin ghost shot you 437
3iikono3ii ghost
arrow 437 (plural as given)
3i’eyoono’ pile of stones 426,89
3i’okuuto’ono seats 43
3onoo bird’s
sight 362
3oo3ookoocei meaningless?? T51
3ooxoho mittens T155
3ooxu’eiyoot ceremonial act 183
3o3ouutei’i ridges/hills 315
3owo3nenitee indian T17,T6
wohei well 160, T112
woh’sohk image
of supreme being T350, T48
woniseineehiis burr - goes after women 183 =
Glycrrhiza lepidota
wonou wart T237,T9
wookuu head
dress for dancing 171 = ‘plumes worn on head’
wootou-kuhuno wrist guards T155 -kuhuno = ‘tied things’
woow hootniinciiniseeno’
now (we) are ready to go around
210
wooxon Bracelet T124
wooxubou’oo’ stomach medecine 420
= ‘it smells bad’; Osmorrhiza spp
wooxu’ei3i’ ugly
people 7 = ‘they have ugly faces’
woo’teeneihi3i’ Utes 164 = ‘they are black’
woo’tees black
wolf T87
wouukohei greeting T113
wou’u calves
(dancers) 211,222
woxse’eihtoo bear
claw 96,109,110,115
woxo3ouu’ young
buffalo bull T296,T22,T16
woxo’uu-hunen Personal Name T17 - hunen = ‘man’
woxuuhisei Elk
Woman T395
woxuuk leglets 171
woxwohoono’ scented root 399 =
‘bear mint’; Agastache spp
wo’ous short-tailed horse T16
wo’teen-isceesi’ small birds flying in flocks 420 wo’teen- = black
wuuuu call
at sundance 282
xonouube’eekuu’ straight
standing red (design) 61
xooxooneihihi’