Menya

Noun

apaka

1. Alternative form of apäkä

References

• Karl J. Franklin, Comparative Wordlist 1 of the Gulf District and adjacent areas (1975), page 15

Wauja

Verb

apaka

1. (transitive) he/she/it sings

   Ehen. Alene pu pu pu pu pu pu pu pu waaa pakineu.

   Eh.

   Ah, kaka iye kunutapaitsi!

   Eh.

   Kunutapaitsa okojawi!

   [Storyteller:] Yes. So [the parrot] flew back [to the chief's house] pu pu pu pu pu pu pu [sound of its wings beating] and alighted again.

   [Audience Member:] Ah.

   [Storyteller: So [the parrot] went to [perch] just outside the front door!

   [Audience Member:] Ah...

   [Storyteller:] ... right beside the front door!

   [Audience Member:] Ah.

   [Storyteller:] [And] from there [it] sang! [began to sing]

Usage notes

• The example above shows the typical pattern of response from audience members, especially during the most dramatic parts of the story, which may be drawn out for effect. Such stories often are told at home in the evening, as people are lying comfortably in their hammocks, and the hearth fires have died down to glowing embers. The room is pleasantly dark, and people gradually drift off to sleep. As a result, it is considered good form for those who remain awake to let the storyteller know they are listening attentively, as it is too dark to see who is awake and who isn't. Audience participation also allows listeners to ask for clarification, so that the listeners can learn the story properly and tell it themselves on another occasion.
• In this part of the tale, the storyteller emphasizes that the parrot alighted just outside the front door, to make it obvious that the chief would have been sure to hear its song through the thatch walls of the house. The song is important, because it contains a message for the chief.

Related terms

• apakata ‎(“to cause (someone or something) to sing”)

References

• "Ehen. Alene" (transcript, p. 76) uttered by Aruta, elder and storyteller, while recounting story of Yakaojokuma (Caiman Spirit and the Origin of Piqui), November 1989. Recorded in BBC film, "The Storyteller."