Tanacross Learners' Dictionary


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dagger
    wushųų audio dagger, long knife

damp
    elsox audio it is damp, moist

dance
    ch'edzes audio a dance
    ch'eldzes audio she or he is dancing

imperfective paradigm audio
ch'egdzesyits'eldzes
ch'ildzesch'aldzes
ch'eldzesch'exeldzes

dancing stick
    ganhok audio

dangle
  see hang

dark
There are two basic words used
    xnat-tl'éts audio it is dark
    tl'és dark
    tl'és shíi dhíhdah audio I am sitting in the dark
    natl'esaldox audio it is pitch black
    xéł darkness
    xéł t'aagh ts'į́' xáatheł audio it getting on toward dark
    naghį́hxeetl audio it became dark

daughter
Tanacross has different words for referring to a man's daughter or a women's daughter. The word to use is that appropriate for the parent, not the speaker.
    shyaats'é'e audio my daughter (woman's)
    shtthé'e audio my daughter (man's)

daughter-in-law
The same terms are used for grandchildren
    shchâay audio women's daughter-in-law
    shtthûuy audio man's daughter-in-law

dawn
    xútgaay audio dawn (it became daylight)

day
    dzeen audio

day after tomorrow
    k'ahdâan xú' k'ahdą̂ądé' audio

day before yesterday
    k'ahdâan xú' k'ahdą́ą' dąą' audio

dead
  see die

deadfall trap
    dechenh éeł audio

deaf person
    wudzii kôl audio

deceive
  syn fool, cheat, trick
    nashtnin'áayh audio he deceived me
    nantnih'áayh audio I deceived you

December
    wunenh nach'ehjedh

deep
    texninthaat audio water is deep
    jan teexdinthaat it (river) is deep here
    nadaxninthaat audio depression in ground (hole, gully) is deep
    tsaakée nadaxninthaat tsį́' xâaxuntthit audio dig a deep hole
    dinchaax audio it is deep
    shéth dínchaax audio the snow is deep

definitely
    łą́'ą ch'e le' audio definitely, actually
    łą́'ą ch'e le' sítnih audio he or she definitely said that

delirious
    wu'éł staxúníntthet audio she or he is delirious literally 'she or he has lost direction'

deliver
    maa yínindíik audio it was delivered to him/her

demonstrate
    mech'axdekdiix audio I am demonstrating something to him or her

den
    ch'e'enh audio
  syn cave

dent
    yunítnalch'ų́ųtl audio it is dented

dentalium
    ch'ink'ón' audio dentalium necklace

depend
  see rely

deprive
    wuch'aa yudhihdiik audio I took it away from him, her or it
    wuch'aa stáyídhihdlah audio I took it away from him, her or it

descend
    xdaghinshah audio she or he descended (came down)
    ya'andêdz xdaghinshah audio she or he descended from inland
    wuts'enh xáts'áltsį́į audio we are descended from them

describe
  see tell

desire
  see want

devil
    ttheedząą audio

devour
    thayaldeek audio she or he devoured it, ate it all quickly

diaper
    tth'áatl audio

die
Different Tanacross words are used for one or more than one. The words for "dead" or died" are not usually used as it is injih.
    ehtęę audio she or he died

perfective paradigm
dhektęętsinłaak
dhįntęęghahłaak
ehtęęxghinłaak

different
    ch'ítshuuy audio a different thing
    ch'ít-shûuy nâadalshah audio she or he changed clothes
    ch'ítduug audio a different direction or place
    ch'ít-tsedz audio a different manner
    niłch'ítsédz xélts'įį audio they look different
    ch'ítshuun audio a different person

difficult
    tsadaxudít'eh audio
    shaa tsadaxudínt'eh audio it's difficult, uncomfortable for me
    mexuntsaath audio difficult to handle, cope with

dig
    xaxuhłeeyh audio I am digging
    xáyełé' audio he or she dug it out of the ground
    ihgot audio I am digging

imperfective paradigm audio
ihgotts'egot
ingotahgot
egotxegot

    nén' egot audio she's digging in the ground

dip
  see ladle

dipnet
    éth audio
parts of the dipnet have their own name
    éth dámaadh audio round "hoop" of dipnet
    éth tį̌į' audio handle of dipnet
    tedenin'aay audio willow stick used as a fish detector (wiggles when fish swims by)

dipnetting place
    éth k'ée audio platform used for fishing or a place along the bank.

dipper (bird)
    tuu ch'iish audio (Cinclus mexicanus)

direction (way)
    ndíig audio
    xuhndíig ch'e ts'enindedl audio that's the way we came

dirt
    nén' audio soil, ground
    ch'edǔul' audio dirt in the house

dirty
    gés
    gés nłęę audio it is dirty
    shinłá' gés nłęę audio my hands are dirty
    xnetjak audio it (table, floor) is dirty, messy

disappear
    mextehkôtl audio it is disappearing
    łéets extehkôtl audio flour is disappearing
    wuk'exdalneyh audio it disappeared
    shjěyy' k'éxdálneyh audio my gloves disappeared
    tuu natét-tsetth audio water disappeared, dried up
    nídét-'įį audio he or she disappeared
    xuts'į́' téeshaay nídét-'įį audio he or she went to a place and has disappeared

discover
  see find

discuss
    xighaxunhéeyh audio it is being discussed

disease
    ts'iik audio
  syn ailment, sickness

dish
    tth'áak audio

dishpan
    ts'íitsiy tth'áak audio also pot

dislike
    shaa ts'į́' néet'ey audio someone or something is disliked
    k'á shaa ihsú́uy audio it is not good for me

dislocate
    niłghadalket audio it is dislocated
    shgáan' niłghadalket audio my arm is dislocated

dissolve
The same Tanacross word is used for 'melt'
    ta'udeełet audio it dissolved, melted
    łuut shthaa ta'udeełet audio the ice dissolved in my mouth

distant
  see far

distasteful
    ts'adaxdintleg audio distasteful, unpleasant manner
    ts'adaxdintleg ts'í née'éł náxúldek audio she or he is telling us a story in a distasteful manner

ditch
    xosk'ée audio ditch also hole, pit
  syn gully
    xosk'ée xu'éddh éł xu'althet audio she or he stepped in the ditch and fell down

dive
    teenishdetth audio I dove
    tetishdetth audio I am going to dive

divide
    niłk'édzálsh_ah audio we divided them (more than one)
    niłdze'alshaay audio something which is divided
    niłdze'elsheek audio it is divided
    niłdze'elsheeg audio that which is divided
    shí' niłdze'elsheeg síxúnt'eh audio food is customarily divided (shared)

dizzy
    wu'éł náxdéltheeyh audio she or he is dizzy

do
    tdę'ę audio she or he is doing
    nts'é tdę'ę audio what is he, she or it doing
    nts'é t'indę'ę? audio what are you doing?

imperfective paradigm audio
t'ihdę'ęxodę'ę
t'indę'ęt'ahdę'ę
tdę'ęxetdę'ę

    nts'é' t'índę' audio what were you doing
    nts'é' tedhindę́'? audio what are you going to do?
    nts'é' tindiił? audio what are your plans?
    nts'é' tedhįh'ę'? audio what are you going to do with that?

dog
    łii audio
    łii iin audio dogs
    wułǐig' audio his or her or her dog
Note the form for 'someone's dog' has a -g' at the end
    łii ts'é'e audio female dog
    łiigaay audio puppy
body parts of a dog that have a special name:
    ch'inch'etl xú' audio fangs, canine teeth
    minchědl' xá' audio whiskers
    łii iin xettheyh audio the dogs are barking

dog house
    łii shax audio

don't
    sų́'ų audio
    sų́'ų Tok ts'į́' tunsha'a audio don't go to Tok
    éna' sų́'ų xu'duu ni'ih audio no, don't say that!
    éna' sų́'ų xu'dighundę'ę audio no, don't do that! also no

don't know
    lé'e audio I don't know
    xets'į́'ishdíig audio I don't know it

door
    łdadíntaan audio

doorway
    kón'teg audio

Dot Lake
    Kelt'áaddh Měnn' audio literally 'Waterlily Lake'

dough
    łéets nanéltsel audio

down (downward vertically)
    yaashěg' audio down (from a distant)
    nahshěg' audio down (close by)
    naashěg' aahaał audio he is walking down (the hill)
    daatthén' audio down a slope
    xahshóg audio area down below
    tthee xahshóg eedlah audio rocks are laying down there (on the ground)
    shghahshóg audio from me down
    shghahshóg daashęę tęy xuh'aa audio

down feather
    chuyh audio

downriver
    yanadá'a audio toward downriver (distant)
    yaadáa téeshah audio he's going downriver (toward Fairbanks)
    yandâadz from downriver (distant)
    nahdáa naghindaał audio he's returning from downriver

doze
    xamełyeltéek audio she or he is dozing
    dzeen uudíh xáméłsheltéek audio I was dozing all day long

drag
    naghishłuuth audio I am dragging it back

dragonfly
    tthedlch'ǒg audio

dream
    ná'ihté' audio I am dreaming
    nághihté' audio I dreamt
    naa ná'ihté' audio I am dreaming about you
    teddh dąą díi gha lé'e ná'ihté'e audio last night I was dreaming of something

dress
    eek audio dress also coat, shirt
    ts'éhxeey iin eek naxdelshax, tl'âan dendeey iin dú' ch'ehtle1' shi1i xdel'i1itth audio women wear dresses, but men wear pants
    na'ishtl'uh audio I am getting dressed

imperfective paradigm audio
na'ishtl'uhnats'et-tl'uh
na'it-tl'uhna'at-tl'uh
na'et-tl'uhnaxet-tl'uh

    naghut-tl'uh de'! audio get dressed!

drift (in water)
Different words are used depending on whether there is one or more than one object involved and what kind of object is drifting.
    tashahteeł audio I am drifting along (in water)
    tayahteeł audio he or she is drifting along
    natashtehteek audio I am floating around
    ch'aachěnn' tadahtiił audio a stump is drifting along
    tadaałeeł audio (more than one) drifting along
    tsets tadaaleeł audio wood (more than one piece) is drifting along

driftwood
    tahdeddh audio

drill
    xnídeltâadh audio snowshoe drill
    dektáath audio I am drilling
    wuchaa dįhtáath audio drill a hole through it

drink


    ishnąąaudioI am drinkingaudio
imperfective paradigm
ishnąąts'etną
itnąąatnąą
etnąąxetnąą

    tuu etnąą audio he's drinking water
    ch'etnąą audio he's drinking
    ts�utnaa�a gha shétth na'ekxęę' audio I am melting snow for us to drink
    títs'eex audio drink it up!

perfective paradigm audio
ghishną́'ts'atną́'
ghitną́'ghatną́'
yaatną́'xiyaatną́'

drip
    del'éetl audio it dripped
    chąą tú' dél'eetl audio rain water is dripping

drive
    ch'ekłeł audio I'm driving (a car, sled)

imperfective paradigm audio
ch'ekłełyits'ahłeł
ch'įhłełch'ahłeł
ch'ahłełch'axahłeł

    naxetltihtiik audio I am driving a car, sled

drop
Different words are used depending on the kind of object that is dropped
    shintl'adalneyh audio I dropped it (compact object, such as a rock) literally 'it fell out of my hands'
    xúh ts'į́' dedhekneyh audio I dropped it somewhere
    shintl'aghindéek audio I dropped them (multiple objects, single fabric-like object,) literally 'they fell out of my hands'
    shintl'aghinx audio I dropped it (an elongated object such as a stick or gun)
    naghekxel audio I dropped it (a living being, such as a puppy)
    medintsiit! audio drop it!, let go of it! (any object; implies that rapid motion is more important than the kind of object involved)
  see fall
For water level drops see 'water'

drown
    łanintthet audio she or he drowned

drum
    ch'elxěl audio literally 'that which is struck'

drunk (intoxicated)
    neexel audio a drunk person
    nex audio she or he is drunk

dry
The -geyh stem is the most general word for 'dry' and the primary word 'people causing something to dry'.
    nelgęyh audio it is dry
    ekgęyh audio I am drying it
    ts'éhxeh má' éhgęyh audio the woman is drying fish

imperfective paradigm audio
ekgęyhts'ehgęyh
įhgęyhahgęyh
yehgęyhxiyehgęyh

    nadeltthayh audio it is drying (clothes, a tent)
    ch'ěl' nadeltthayh audio the clothes are drying
    tuu natet-tseth audio water dried up, receded, evaporated
    xdéeshaak audio the ground is completely dry
    dlaat deshaak audio the moss is really dry (crunchy underfoot)
    ch'et'ą̌ą deshaag dried out leaves (in autumn)
    nah'og xdet-tsets it's drying up outside

Dry Creek (AK Hwy xng @ Mile 1378)
    Gah Tsoghk'ah Ndiig

dry fish
    má' audio audio dry fish
    łuug ekmá' audio I am making dry fish

dry meat
    shí' gęyh audio
  syn jerky

drying rack
    dahdzeł audio also bed, rack

duck
    dets'ên audio general term
    chetth molting ducks
    etchot molting duck
Specific kinds of ducks
    daałeeł northern shoveller
    tuhtsêdl audio green-winged teal
    shahsęy audio American wigeon
    naltthogh audio lesser scaup
    dzehndeedh audio northern pintail
    ndzel canvasback
    tsoth audio red-breasted merganser
    hąháalá' audio oldsquaw
    ddheł tox dets'énn' harlequin
    t'aay chox audio mallard
    tthí'k'ą̂ąy audio goldeneye
    k'éłttheel audio bufflehead
    ndêl audio white-winged scoter
    taatsą́ą' ndêl surf scoter

dull (not sharp)
    k'á dihk'é́y audio it's dull literally 'it's not sharp'
    wuk'á' kó́l audio it's dull literally 'it has no edge'

dung
    dųųts

during
    tah audio during
    dzeen tah eetęę audio he sleeps during the day

dust
    łéemah audio also glacial silt, flour

dust devil
    ehts'eyh mâay audio
    xaghints'eyh mâay
  syn whirlwind

dwelling
    shax audio
  syn house
See 'house' for various kinds of dwellings.



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