In this unit, we will study directionals, particles that denote from/to where actions take place. They appear after verbs to signal direction.
UCHUPLINEM JUN ALAJ CH’UMIL
Ronojel chaq’ab’ kinka’y aq’an chi la’ chikaj, kinwil apan jun laj ch’umil sib’alaj kachuplinik; utukelam, le uchuplinem kuya jun nimalaj utzil pa le wanima. K’o jun aq’ab’ xinel apan chwach le wo’ch, xinka’y apan chech le nutinamit, xe’nwil apan jun tzob’aj achijab’-ixoqib’ e petinaq, sib’alaj keb’isonik. Aretaq xeq’ax b’i wuk’, xkib’ij kan chwe cher xeb’e chi na chuch’ab’exik ri nimalaj q’atal tzil, are taq xinta wa’ sib’alaj xinb’isonik, ma we ne kech’ay chu’la jumul ja cha ri uk’isb’al mul.
Alaj ch’umil: we ne aweta’m at ri k’axk’olil kuriq we nutinamit, chaya la jub’eq’ ri uchuplinem ri utzil kariqitaj awuk’, na kawaj ta chik kinwil le e qatat-qanan kakiriq k’ax. Kinwachik’aj ri’ ri jun q’ij cher katkowinik katpe wuk’, arech apachin na k’u kaka’y kan pa le wo’ch: kuna’ b’i jub’eq’ utzil, ki’kotemal. Kawaj pa jun q’ij kinb’e awuk’, kate’nwila’; junam koje’xojowa pa ri k’olb’al ja wi xya wi ri achuplinem. Weta’am cher xa rumal sib’alaj naj ri at k’o wi, we ne na kintzalij ta chu’la pa le nutinamit, cherma we na kintzalij ta chu’loq: oj keb’ chi k’ut kaqaya la le uchuplinem ri utzil, ri ki’kotemal chikech ri achijab’, ri ixoqib’, ri e qatat-qanan, ri qati’t qamam chuqe ne ri ak’alab’ ri kakitzukuj ri utzil; ma ja cha ri at, ja cha ri in, ja cha ri konojel taq winaq, k’is k’o ri uchuplinem ri utzil ri ki’kotemal pa taq ri uk’u’x qanima.
Every night I look to the sky and I see a little star that shines alone. Its brightness give peace to my heart. One night I went outside my house, and I looked to my town. I saw a group of men and women on their way. They were very sad. When they passed by they told me that they were going to see the alcalde. When I heard that I got sad; maybe they had been hurt again like last time.
Little star: maybe you know the suffering of our people. Send some of your brightness, of your peace. I don’t want to see the suffering of our fathers. I dream about that day that you come to me so that anyone who sees my house can feel a bit of peace, of joy. One day I want to go to see you, to dance together in that place where your brightness was given. Maybe, because of how far it is, I won’t return to my town, but if I do not come back, we will both send the brightness of peace, the joy to the men, the women, our parents grandparents and also to the children that seek peace, like you, like me, like all people. They all have the brightness of peace, joy in the depth of their hearts.
K’iche’ has a set of post-verbal directional particles which add a sense of trajectory in/from the event. This trajectory takes place with reference to the speaker or the deictic origo of the action. Deixis is a linguistic concept that has to do with context. Deictic origo refers to the perspective from which the event is talked about:
Directionals in K’iche’:
| la/ (u)loq | from there to origo |
| b’i(k) | away from origo |
| kan(oq) | origo has moved away from scene; time reference: past |
| apan(oq) | refers to movement between speaker and a place nearby |
| aq’an(oq) | movement upward; time reference: future |
| qaj(oq) | movement down, vertical movement |
| koq/ka | towards inside; horizontal movement on eye-level |
Ex.
They remained (back there) the workers.
“The workers” are the subject in this phrase. However, the directional kan reveals that the action is talked about from a perspective removed from the place of the action.
The directionals can often be translated as (MAIN VERB ACTION) + “and then he goes away or out/come here/leave behind/goes up/goes down/goes in”
Some directionals change forms according to phonological environment; directionals have phrase-medial and phrase-final forms, and sometimes merge with other particles. Sometimes they give a specific meaning to a verb; for example:
k’am+ b’ik “take away (there)”
k’am + uloq “bring (here)”
la/ (u)loq
This form is used when action occurs towards the speaker’s spatial location. When (u)loq is not utterance final, it takes the form la. Uloq loses its first vowel when the preceding word ends in a vowel or vowel-like sound.
1.
The man looked in this direction (towards the speaker).
2.
I returned (here) yesterday.
3.
If you have money, bring it here.
Note that what distinguishes ‘take away’ from ‘bring’ in K’iche’, is the directional accompanying the verb –k’am:
–k’am:+ b’ik “take away (there)”
–k’am:+ uloq “bring (here)”
4.
If you have any money, bring it tomorrow.
5.
Yesterday we returned (here) from the market.
(u)loq combines with other adverbs or pronouns, changing sometimes its phonological shape:
| With na: later, afterwards (this adds a sense of “future”) |
| Na + (u)loq > nu’loq |
| Na + la > nu’la |
6.
I will bring it (here) tomorrow
| With la you (formal) |
| la + loq > lu’loq |
| la + la > lu’la |
7.
Will you (formal) return here quickly?
| With wi trace |
| wi + loq > wu’loq |
| wi + la > wu’la |
8.
From where did you bring the clothes here?
| With chi again |
| chi + loq > chu’loq |
| chi+la> chu’la |
9.
The man looked again in this direction.
| With na…taj negators |
| Na…taj + loq > Na… tu’loq |
| Na…taj + la > Na…tu’la |
10.
I have not brought that here.
B’i(k)
This form is used with actions involving movement away from the speaker’s spatial location or deictic origo. When not in clause-final position, b’ik takes the form b’i.
11.
The girl went out (away from here).
12.
The men got drunk (before going away from here).
Contrast Ex. 12 with Ex. 13 and 14:
13.
The men got drunk (coming here).
14.
The men went away and got drunk (incorporated movement: unit 37).
15.
Take it away from here!
16.
The girl went out away from the house (the speaker is in the house).
17.
We were beaten away (from the house).
B’i(k) combines with other adverbs or pronouns, changing sometimes its phonological shape:
| With na later, afterwards |
| Na + b’ik > Nu’b’ik |
| Na + b’i > Nu’b’i |
18.
I will take it (away) tomorrow.
| With la you (formal) |
| la + b’ik > lu’b’ik |
| la + b’i > lu’b’i |
19.
Will you (formal) take it away today?
| With wi trace |
| wi + b’ik > wu’b’ik |
| wi + b’i > wu’b’i |
20.
Was money stolen away from the house? (money was taken away)
| With chi again |
| chi + b’ik > chu’b’ik |
| chi + b’i > chu’b’i |
21.
The children were taken away again.
| With na…taj negators |
| na…taj + b’ik > na…tu’b’ik |
| na…taj + b’i > na…tu’b’i |
22.
We’re not taking it away today.
Kan(oq)
This form is used to indicate that the speaker/subject has moved away from the event location. Kanoq is found in phrase-final position and kan elsewhere.
23.
The workers remained behind.
24.
I left my bag in the market.
25.
Our friend didn’t come, he remained behind sleeping.
26.
We left it behind.
27.
Our lord said before he left that he would come again later.
Apan(oq)
This form is used with actions involving movement between the speaker and a point in space located nearby. Alternatively, it may indicate that the narrative’s deictic origo is not the sentence subject’s position, but the speaker’s.
Xinch’aw apan ruk’ le wanab’. / Xinch’aw apanoq.
I spoke with my sister (from here to there). / I spoke (from here to there).
28.
I was kicked around because I did not like the movie Apocalypto.
29.
Ixkik’ can write and speak to (people in) other countries.
30.
Hopefully, we will see each other in four days when I get back home.
Aq’an(oq)
This directional indicates movement upward. It can also refer to days into the future.
Kimb’e aq’an ruk’ le al Talin. / Kimb’e aq’anoq.
I am going up there with Talin. / I am going up there.
Pa oxib’ q’ij aq’anoq, kimb’e ruk’ le nutat.
In three days, I will go with my father.
Qaj(oq)
This directional implies movement downward.
Xinxuli’ qaj pa le ja. / Xinxuli’ qajoq.
I went down in/to the house (down stairs within the house, down from one house to another). / I went down.
Ka/Koq
This directional indicates that the event is happening towards an “inside.”
31.
I am just stepping inside my house (for a moment)
32.
I am peeking into the house (the understanding is that the head is stuck through the doorway/window ; movement of head is vertical on eye level).
| sipaj (vtr) | to give (as a gift) |
| ka’y(ik) (vit) | to look |
| tzalij (vit) | to return |
| q’abar(ik) (vit) | to become drunk |
| wachib’al | movie, picture, painting, photograph |
Translate the following phrases into English:
- Qak’ama b’i le tz’i’. Xa kaqasipaj che le qachalal.
- Janipa chi ix qajnaq la waral pa tinamit?
- Karaj le achi kutij uwa chanim; chak’ama loq.
- La kaj la kab’e la quk’ pa muqunik?
- Xkanaj kan le achi je la’ pa taq’aj. Na xuq’i’ ta chik xpe quk’.
- Na xekowin ta le winaq xkik’am la le kalk’w’al waral pa kunaxik.
- Kachokon le laq chwe; utz kiya kanoq.
- Kutij nu’b’i le uwa le wachajil, k’a te k’u ri’ kab’e pa chak.
- Janipa kakowin la katzalij chi lu’loq?
- Na kujwa’ ta chik. Xtijtaj la qech chuwa ja.
- Kinch’aw apanoq ruk’ le numial aretaq chintzalij chwa wo’ch.
Translate the following phrases to K’iche’:
- Do you (lal) want to take the dog away with you?
- I was not able to bring my friend here today.
- Leave (alaq) the dry ears of corn in the house.
- We will bring the marimba here tomorrow.
- Take care of yourself (lal) Diego (the speaker remains behind).
- It is necessary that the money be returned here to the owner.
- I am stepping into my house (for a moment)