Automobile Parts in 'O'odham Ñi'ok, the 'O'odham Language

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• Automobile Parts in 'O'odham Ñi'ok, the 'O'odham Language
• Harry J. Winters Jr. (bio)

This 'O'odham auto parts lexicon is a result of over 65 years of friendship with Tohono 'O'odham and 'Akimeli 'O'odham folks. I began learning the 'O'odham language when I was 17 years old and was befriended by the Miguel family of Koahadk village, Kohatk on maps, in the Sif Oidak District of today's Tohono 'O'odham Nation. Enos Miguel, the first Tohono 'O'odham cowboy I met, was the first person ever in Koahadk to own a car. He had progressed from a car that was started with a crank and had no top to a red Dodge pickup by the time I met him in the 1950s. An elder living in Hikwoñ today, who as an orphan was raised by Enos in Koahadk, remembers riding in that first car rain or shine all the way to Sonoyta, Sonora.

There have been some excellent mechanics in the Hickiwan District. One of them had been a mechanic at the Stout Ranch in Gila Bend. I spent a lot of time with a couple of them for decades. We spent many days visiting junkyards and auto parts stores to find parts needed to get some aging cars and trucks back into at least local use. The 'O'odham names for some auto parts are ingenious and humorous. Some words migrated from their original 'O'odham uses to applications to horses and wagons and later to cars and trucks. Other words were borrowed from Spanish or English. Some words may be used only locally, while others are widely used.

The entries in the lexicon are in alphabetical order in English. There are short explanations of the origins of some terms. There are also sentences showing how to use the words, for example when creosote punctures your tires or your friend who is driving is about to run off into a wash. [End Page 232]

In addition to the parts themselves, I have included some terminology on driving, insurance, etc. Words for bicycle and motorcycle are included as a bonus. There are two paragraphs on the pronunciation of 'O'odham words at the end of the lexicon.

Mañ a s-taahadkahimch 'am 'o'ohon 'iidam 'O'odham ñi'oki 'ab 'amjeḍ g mamagina. Mat hu'i mapt s-'ap o 'e taatkadch 'am ha ñi'okculid. In English: I had a lot of fun writing down these 'O'odham words about cars. I hope you will enjoy reading them.

Lexicon

air conditioner

Hevhogidakuḍ

Literally gizmo for cooling something. The verb hevhogid means to cool something off.

Bant 'i melich heg hevhogidakuḍ. I started up the air conditioner.

See also heater.

alignment

'Am g si sheeshelñim wuad heg kakioj! Align the wheels real straight!

This comes from the verb sheeshelin, to straighten objects (plural) out.

See also tire or tires.

ambulance

kookodam ha 'u'udam

One that takes sick people along.

automobile, car, truck

maagina, plural mamagina

This is from Spanish máquina.

'I melichud g maagina! Start the car up!

Keshwañ g maagina! Turn off the car!

An old term for a car, not used much anymore, is hejel memeḍadam, with plural hehe'ejel woopo'odam. Hejel means by itself and memeḍadam means someone or something that runs around a lot. [End Page 233]

Back in the first half of the twentieth century, a car was sometimes called 'uuli maagina, rubber car, because it had rubber tires instead of wooden wagon wheels. In Koahadk, they said, "Hebichudch hab 'e 'a'aga 'uuli maagina nopi ge 'uuli shuushk" ("Once in a while it's called a rubber car because it has rubber tires").

A used car is a hekyukam maagina, or just hekyukam, old one, if the subject of conversation is clear. For example, "Hegi hekyukam, he'ekia 'i miiya? ("That used one (truck), how many miles does it have on it?")" Answer (an actual case in 2011): "160,000 miiya. Pi 'o wuḍ sha'i wechij, 'eḍa wuḍ ash sha ha 'oidchkam," meaning "160,000 miles. It's not really new; it's just a somewhat used one...