Apisa Tuklo

"Lesson Two"
Charley Jones





Click     to haklo "listen" to Charley Jones achi "speak" any given Chahta anumpa "Choctaw word."

Remember To Forget!

Emphasized very kallot "strongly" in Lesson One, you must forget your English rules of grammar to best learn Chahta. English enjoys over eighteen-thousand grammar rules, Chahta, only a handful. I urge you to falamat ia "go back" and review all lessons you have learned.

It is nana fehna "important" to remind yourself, frequently, you are learning Chahta according to old anumpa isht auchinchi "tradition" recorded back during the late Eighteen-Hundreds and early Nineteen-Hundreds. You are ak "not" learning modern Chahta of today's world. Chahta, as spoken today, is almost identical to traditional Chahta. There are minor differences but not so much you cannot communicate.

Do not fall into this isht hokli "trap" of modern day Chahta speakers, especially those using isht ikhananchi "the means of teaching" modern Chahta, who will claim you are speaking wrongly; you are not! Neither old Chahta nor new Chahta are wrong. However, you are learning and developing a significantly more vast Chahta vocabulary. You are learning thousands of words and phrases so rarely use today. You are learning Chahta spoken before automobiles, aeroliners, rocket ships, computers, radio, and World Wars.

Recently, I was referred to as a "...born again white Indian...." by a modern day Chahta speaker, which resulted from a single letter difference in spelling of a Chahta anumpa "word" which is so silly! Please do avoid disagreement. Please work at learning basic old fashion Chahta, then move on to modern day Chahta. However, always show respect for tradition. If you do not respect tradition, you will never truly learn to speak Chahta, nor truly come to understand American Indian philosophy. It is not enough to speak Chahta. You must become Chahta to appreciate and understand our Chahta language.

Conversational Chahta! This page will provide a achukma "good" introduction to very basic phrases used frequently. Ahnit akostininchi "remember" to toss out your English rules of grammar! Chahta ahnit akostininchi phrases are arranged differently, for the most part. Noun first, followed by adjectives, then verbs and adverbs, with modifiers sprinkled in. Chahta is logical! English is not!

"Chahta ahnit akostininchi" = Choctaw to remember = Remember Choctaw. You see? Noun followed by a verb.

If you do not have your copy of "A Dictionary Of The Choctaw Language" by Cyrus Byington, right now is good time to buy one; you will need the dictionary for all following lessons. Buy a copy, NOW.

If a vowel is underlined, what are you to do? Review Lesson One, darn it!

Common Basic Greetings

  Halito - Hello.
  Chim achukma? - Are you well?
  A, chishnato - Yes, and you?
  A, um achukmah akinlih - Yes, I am well too.
  Achukma hoke - I am fine. (OR) It is good.
  Chi hohchifo nanta? - What is your name?
  Sa hohchifo ut (your name) - My name is (your name).
  Yakoke - Thank you.
  Ant chukoa - Come in.
  Minti - Come here.
  Kucha - Go out.
  Binili (OR) Bininili - Sit down.
  Hikia - Stand up.
  Sa yoshoba - I am lost.
  Ak Akostinincho - I do not understand.
  Akostininchi li - I understand.
  Salaha hosh anumpoli - Please speak slowly.
  Miha moma - Please say again.
  Chahta iskitini anumpuli li - I speak a little Choctaw.
  Chahta imanumpa ish anumpola hinla ho? - Do you speak Choctaw?

It is nana fehna you memorize well all words and phrases in this lesson before you move to my next lesson. A achukma way to practice and learn, in absence of a friend to help you, is to practice in front of a mirror; talk to yourself!

Those anumpa nana fehna and achukma have both been used previously many times. I expect you to know the interpretations!

Ahni "notice" I am using increasing numbers of Chahta anumpa in my lessons' explanations. I am using Chahta anumpa you should now know. For anumpa you should know, I am not providing interpretations as I did for "notice" just previous. I expect you to know many basic anumpa by now.

ISSA! "STOP!"

Do not proceed until you have reviewed Lesson One many times and have committed to memory all words and phrases presented on this page and previous pages. You will not be able to keep up if you do not! Eventually, you will be reading mostly Chahta anumpa in my lessons, and very little Ikilish imanumpa!

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