Many people have asked for help providing their dog with a Native Alaskan name. Here we've listed some suggestions from four different Alaska native languages.

Inupiaq

Some of these names were provided by Leona Okakok and are typical dog names used by Inupiat people of the North Slope. Some other names were taken from the Inupiat Dictionary, compiled by Webster & Zibell.

kinguyakkii  'northern lights'
maguyuk  'howler'
miki  'little'
nanuq  'polar bear'
pakak  'one that gets into everything'
pamiiruq  'wags his tail'
pukiq  'smart'
qannik  'snowflake'
qimmiq  'dog'
qimukti  'puller'
siku  'ice'
suka  'fast'
tupit  'tattoo lines on face'
amaguq  'wolf'

Central Yup'ik

Central Yup'ik is the Alaska language spoken by the greatest number of people--about 15,000. The Central Yup'ik people live on the western central coast of Alaska around Norton Sound and Bristol Bay, and inland some distance along the rivers of the area.

arrluk  'killer whale'
cikuq  'ice'
cupun  'coal'
ataneq  'king'
kuk'uq  'animal (child's word)'
mequssuk  'shaggy dog'
negiliq  'parka ruff'
panik  'daughter'
pukulria  'bone chewer'
qimugkauyar  'puppy'
qimugta  'dog' (literally 'puller')
taqukaq  'grizzly bear'
tulukaruk  'crow'
tungulria  'black one'
yuralria  'dancing one'

Ahtna Athabascan

The Athna live along the Copper River basin in south-central Alaska. The words below are taken from the Ahtna Noun Dictionary, compiled by Mildred Buck and James Kari.

deniigi  'moose'
genen  'shaman'
kaskae  'chief'
saghani  'raven'
sesi  'snow'
sos  'bear'
tikaani  'wolf'
yakone'  'red aurora'

Dena'ina Athabascan

The ancestral territory of the Dena'ina (Tanaina) surrounds Cook Inlet, including the location of Anchorage. The words below are taken from the Nondalton Tanaina Noun Dictionary, compiled by Joan M. Tenenbaum.

chu  'beaver'
chulyin  'raven'
desna  'boss'
hey  'winter'
k'eyush  '(bear) cub'
nini  'porcupine'
shesh  'brown bear'
shila  'flame'
shtiya  'my strength'

Aleut

hello                          aang
good-bye                   ukudigada
thank you                  qaĝaasakung
Happy Holiday           Kamgan Ukudigaa

Central Yup'ik

hello (good to see you)    cama-i
Hi! What's up?                   waqaa
good-bye                          piura
thank you                         quyana
welcome                          quyana tailuci
Merry Christmas              Alussistuaqegcikici
How are you?                   cangacit?

Siberian Yupik

How are you?                   natesiin?
good-bye (I'll see you)      esghaghlleqamken
thank you                          igamsiqanaghhalek
welcome (thank you all for coming)   quyanaghhalek tagilusi
Merry Christmas               Quyanaghhalek Kuusmemi

Inupiaq

good-bye                      tautugniaqmiÄ¡ikpiñ
thank you                      quyanaq
welcome                       qaimarutin
Merry Christmas           NayaaÅ‹mik Piqagiñ
Hello, how are you?     qanuq itpich?

(In Inupiaq, the vowels [a, i, u] are pronounced in the same way as the same vowels in Spanish or Italian; r is similar to English r; ; ġ is similar to French or German r; ŋ is the ng sound; ñ is pronounced ny as in Spanish, ļ is an ly sound and ł is a voiceless l. Double letters are pronounced long [held longer] and single letters are short.)

Alutiiq

hello                               cama'i
thank you                       quyanaa
Happy Holidays             SpÅ™aasnikam

Haida

hello (how are you?)     sán uu dáng giidang?
thank you                      háw'aa

Tsimshian

thank you                      way dankoo

Tlingit

hello (how are you?)      wa.é ák.wé?
thank you                       gunalchéesh
Merry Christmas            Xristos Khuwdziti

Eyak

thank you                      'awa'ahdah

Ahtna Athabascan

thank you                       tsin'aen
Merry Christmas            C'ehwggelnen Dzaen
my friend                        slatsiin

Deg Hit'an Athabascan

thank you                       dogedinh
my friend                        sits'ida'on

Gwich'in Athabascan

hello (how are you?)      neenjit dôonch'yàa?
thank you                       mahsi'
welcome                        nakhwal'in shoo ihłii
my friend                        shijyaa

Hän Athabascan

thank you                      mahsi'
our friends                     nijaa

Koyukon Athabascan

hello                               dzaanh nezoonh
thank you                       baasee'
welcome                        enaa neenyo
good luck, friend            gganaa'

Tanana Athabascan

hello (how are you?)    do'eent'aa?
thank you                     maasee'
his friend                      betlanh

Dena'ina Athabascan

thank you                     chin'an
my friend                      shida

Tanacross Athabascan

thank you                     tsin'ęę
(see also the Tanacross Page)