Apache Indians

Apache (or N'de in the Western Apache language) speak several Southern Athabaskan languages. There are at least two distinct Apache languages: Western Apache and Eastern Apache. The two are closely related, like French and Spanish, but speakers of one language cannot understand the other well--in fact, Western Apache is closer to Navajo than to Eastern Apache. Chiricahua-Mescalero is considered by some people to be a dialect of Western Apache, by others a separate language; the three forms of Eastern Apache (Jicarilla, Lipan, and Plains Apache) are considered by some to be distinct languages and by others to be dialects of a single Eastern Apache language. Because of this there may be differences in pronunciation and grammer between Apache languages, even if the same word or sentences are used. The name Apache probably comes from the Yuma word for "fighting-men" and/or from apachu, which means "enemy" in Zuni. This was what the Zuni called the Navajo, who in turn were called Apaches de Nabaju by the early Spanish explorers in New Mexico. Apache call themselves N'de, Inde or Tinde, which all mean "the people". Here, we will take a look at Western Apache, because it is the one with which I am most familiar.

*The vowels used in Western Apache have three levels of tones, that have both stagnat and nasal tones to each level; i.e. six sets of vowel sounds, with five sounds each; so, altogether there are thirty separate vowel sounds in Western Apache. All the vowels have a similar pronunciation, but do range in pitch and tonality. They are a as in father, but with less stress (almost as if you were sighing... "ahhh...." after a cold drink); e as in yes and led (this may or may not have a "y" sound attached [as in yesterday] depending on where it is placed within a word or sentence); i, which sounds like the "ee" sound as in green or seen, or like i as in it and sit (sometimes this sound almost resembles a slight hiccup); o (this is not long as in gold, but rather shortened and sounds closer to the aw in awe, similar to the o in the word, on; however sometimes combined sounds may resemble a long o, as in aowe [which sounds like ah-oh-weh, when spoken quickly]); and u as in under, or yuck. {Below I write the nasal toned sounds, with an apostraphe.)

*The consonents sounds are:

b as in boy; k as in kill; d as in dog; f as in fROM; g as in gold; gh (which is a gutteral g, almost as if you were gargling); h as in heaven; j as in just; kk (which is like k in kill, but with more stress); l as in lizard, ll (as in the double L's in lilly); m as in mother; n as in never, or no; p as in peter; q (which also sounds like the k in kill, but has a bit more aspiration-breath to it); r as in rat or less frequently as in never; s as in sunny(although these are in actuality somewhere beetween an s and an sh sound in many words); t as in today; v as in vacation; w as in water; x (which actually sounds closer to a z than to an x, similar to zebra, but dissimilar from X-ray, but less stress than an English z); y (which is sometimes represented with a j, sounds like the English y as in yodel); and z sounds similar to the z in zebra, but actually sounds more like the ts in zits than it does to the z in zoo.

*Not all linguists use the same phonetic code for these sounds, so you are bound to find different letters referring to the same sound in other sources.

There is no official Western Apache word for "Hello", but a common phrase that has been used in a similar manner is yaa' ta' sei, which means "you are welcome here." And there is also no official word for goodbye, but there is a common phrase that is traditionally used when allies are departing; kaa' tis dai, which means "we will meet again" another farewell term is e' gaw gai han', which roughly means "our paths will meet again." But to answer your question, "I love you" is sil n'zhoo (the s here sounds almost like the sh in shoe; and the n'zhoo almost sounds like a sneeze.)

Other Apache words:

as (pronounced almost like ash) means "friend" (may or may not be nasal.)

Ah-hee-ih'-yeh or Asee'geh means "Thank You"; the difference is in the level of importance and to whom it is being spoken... commonplace gestures between friends or family deserves the second; something strong or importantant deserves the first. There is no official word for "you're welcome", but it is customary to respond with a nod or affirmative acknowedging gesture... although if you want to it is not inappropiate to respond with "ah-hee-ih-yeh" if there is also a need for you to thank the other person as well... or just to show gratitude.

ha'andah means "come in"

and

qua' eh saa' or kwa'esah means "water"

--Chado2423