Umatilla Language Online Dictionary

Definition:

to be, to have.

Function:

Copula verb. Becomes wač before past -a.

Examples:

1. mɨnánam wačá ‘where were you?’;
2. čáwna wá kúuš ana kúuš šuyápu ‘we are not like the whiteman’;
3. kupam wáta kʷná imáy čanupáa ‘and there you folks will be capable’;
4. xʷɨ́saat iwačá ‘he was an old man’;
5. tún iwá ‘what is it?’;
6. k̓pɨ́s iwá čúuš ‘the water is cold’;
7. iwáta níix̣ łk̓ʷí ‘it will be a good day’;
8. pawačá níitpa ‘they were in the house’;
9. pawá ‘they are’;
10. pawáta ‘they will be’;
11. ku kʷná pawá ana mɨná iwíwa ‘and they are there wherever each is’.
12. With sense of ‘have’:
    1. táymuš wá ‘I have news’;
    2. čí áwa tiičám sulcasmaamí ‘this is the soldiers land’;
    3. k̓ʷáy áwa níit ‘that was their house’;
    4. k̓ʷáy áwača míimi qqaanáyt nč̓inč̓imaamí ‘that was the business of the elders long ago’;
    5. áwa c̓áa náymu waničtmí ‘the name has a close relative’;
    6. šimíin áwača waníčt ‘who had the name?’;
    7. inmí kałanmí áwača mɨ́taw ƛ̓áksma ‘my grandmother had three sisters’;
    8. inmínam wáta ‘you are mine’;
    9. ínaš wá imíin ‘I’m yours’;
    10. wačámaš wá nápt k̓úsi ‘you had two horses’.
13. Indicates motion with the directionals:
    1. áw iwámš ‘now he is coming’;
    2. kʷɨ́nimataš wámš ‘yours are all coming from there’;
    3. ana k̓ʷapɨ́n iwámš tkʷátat ‘the aforementioned food which is coming’;
    4. ku patáwaatwanana ɨščɨ́t ana kʷaaní áwačiča watíkš ‘and they followed their trail even toward where there tracks went on’;
    5. yúuk iwáčiš ‘he is going on over yonder’.
14. With passive:
    1. ku áwača wátisas aníyi p̓ip̓inmí ‘and his rope was made of intestine’;
    2. ana pmáy pawá sápsik̓ʷani ‘they who are taught’;
    3. ana mún iwáta waníči łk̓ʷí ‘whenever the day will be named’;
    4. ku iwačá k̓ʷáalk aníyi icimayctpamá ‘and a long feeding trough was made’;
    5. áwata aníyi wilawiix̣tpamá ‘their race track will be made’;
    6. ataš kúuš wačá náma sápsik̓ʷani ‘like we were taught’.

See more:

Appears in compound words:

1. wác̓ilun ‘look at angrily’;
2. wákmuyk ‘buck’;
3. wáluun ‘go into water’;
4. wánaq̓i ‘finish’;
5. wánwi ‘go down, descend’;
6. wápa ‘go into brush’;
7. wáqʷnayk ‘bow the head’;
8. wáša ‘ride a horse, board a canoe’;
9. wát̓uyi ‘go ahead’;
10. wáƛ̓k ‘break down’ (of automobile);
11. wáwšx̣ ‘finish a project’;
12. wáypx̣n ‘go downstream’;
13. náwa(č) ‘say’;
14. nákwa(č) ‘be with, stay with’;
15. qáwa(č) ‘be there suddenly or by chance’;
16. táwa ‘pierce, skewer, roast on a spit from the side’;
17. wapáwa ‘dress, wear’;
18. wáawa ‘be paused, stay awhile’;
19. wásɨm- ‘while sitting’;
20. wápas ‘bag’.

[NP /we/; /wek/ (before a vowel).]