German

Noun

Ehen

1. plural of Ehe

Wauja

Interjection

ehen

1. yes, uh huh (used to give an affirmative response)

   Petemepei? Ehen.

   Q: Do you understand? A: Yes [I do].

   Pityutiwiu? Ehen.

   Q: Have you awakened [are you awake]? A: Yes [I have].

   Punupawi? Ehen.

   Q: Did you see [that]? A: Yes [I did].

2. yes, indeed (used to express agreement in response to a positive statement)

   Wekepei uno oukaka. Ehen, itsa kala.

   [First speaker:] It was high-water season when it happened. [Second speaker:] Yes, [it] certainly was.

3. ah, hmm, indeed (used to express interest and attentiveness in response to a statement)

   Ja otukaka iya inyankenejo yi... Iya inyankenejo. Ehen.

   [Storyteller:] Now [her] brother was going to tell [someone]... [He] was going to tell. [Listener:] Ah. [So that's how it was.]

Usage notes

• Wauja has two words that can mean "yes" – ehen and hoona. They are used in different circumstances. Both are affirmative, but only hoona conveys consent to a proposition. Note that in all the examples above, only ehen can be used. Hoona would not make sense in these examples.

Antonyms

• aitsa ha ‎(“no, nothing, none”)

See also

• hain ‎(“huh? yes?”)
• hoona ‎(“yes, I consent”)

References

• "Ja otukaka" uttered by Itsautaku, storyteller and elder, recounting the traditional Wauja tale of the "Man Who Drowned in Honey," in the presence of his adolescent son Mayuri, adult daughter Mukura, and others. Recorded in Piyulaga village by E. Ireland, December 1989, transcript p. 12.
• Other examples from E. Ireland field notes. Need to be checked by native speaker.