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dagger
wushųų
dagger, long knife
dance
ch'edzes
a dance
ch'eldzes
she or he is dancing
| ch'egdzes | yits'eldzes |
| ch'ildzes | ch'aldzes |
| ch'eldzes | ch'exeldzes |
dangle
see hang
dark
There are two basic words used
xnat-tl'éts
it is dark
tl'és
dark
tl'és shíi dhíhdah
I am sitting in the dark
natl'esaldox
it is pitch black
xéł
darkness
xéł t'aagh ts'į́' xáatheł
it getting on toward dark
naghį́hxeetl
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
my daughter (woman's)
shtthé'e
my daughter (man's)
daughter-in-law
The same terms are used for grandchildren
shchâay
women's daughter-in-law
shtthûuy
man's daughter-in-law
dawn
xútgaay
dawn (it became daylight)
day after tomorrow
k'ahdâan xú' k'ahdą̂ądé'
day before yesterday
k'ahdâan xú' k'ahdą́ą' dąą'
dead
see die
deceive
syn fool, cheat, trick
nashtnin'áayh
he deceived me
nantnih'áayh
I deceived you
December
wunenh nach'ehjedh
deep
texninthaat
water is deep
jan teexdinthaat
it (river) is deep here
nadaxninthaat
depression in ground (hole, gully) is deep
tsaakée nadaxninthaat tsį́' xâaxuntthit
dig a deep hole
dinchaax
it is deep
shéth dínchaax
the snow is deep
definitely
łą́'ą ch'e le'
definitely, actually
łą́'ą ch'e le' sítnih
he or she definitely said that
delirious
wu'éł staxúníntthet
she or he is delirious
literally 'she or he has lost direction'
deliver
maa yínindíik
it was delivered to him/her
demonstrate
mech'axdekdiix
I am demonstrating something to him or her
dent
yunítnalch'ų́ųtl
it is dented
dentalium
ch'ink'ón'
dentalium necklace
depend
see rely
deprive
wuch'aa yudhihdiik
I took it away from him, her or it
wuch'aa stáyídhihdlah
I took it away from him, her or it
descend
xdaghinshah
she or he descended (came down)
ya'andêdz xdaghinshah
she or he descended from inland
wuts'enh xáts'áltsį́į
we are descended from them
describe
see tell
desire
see want
devour
thayaldeek
she or he devoured it, ate it all quickly
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
she or he died
| dhektęę | tsinłaak |
| dhįntęę | ghahłaak |
| ehtęę | xghinłaak |
different
ch'ítshuuy
a different thing
ch'ít-shûuy nâadalshah
she or he changed clothes
ch'ítduug
a different direction or place
ch'ít-tsedz
a different manner
niłch'ítsédz xélts'įį
they look different
ch'ítshuun
a different person
difficult
tsadaxudít'eh
shaa tsadaxudínt'eh
it's difficult, uncomfortable for me
mexuntsaath
difficult to handle, cope with
dig
xaxuhłeeyh
I am digging
xáyełé'
he or she dug it out of the ground
ihgot
I am digging
| ihgot | ts'egot |
| ingot | ahgot |
| egot | xegot |
nén' egot
she's digging in the ground
dip
see ladle
dipnet
éth
parts of the dipnet have their own name
éth dámaadh
round "hoop" of dipnet
éth tį̌į'
handle of dipnet
tedenin'aay
willow stick used as a fish detector (wiggles when fish
swims by)
dipnetting place
éth k'ée
platform used for fishing or a place along the bank.
dipper
(bird)
tuu ch'iisheł
(Cinclus mexicanus)
direction
(way)
ndíig
xuhndíig ch'e ts'enindedl
that's the way we came
dirt
nén'
soil, ground
ch'edǔul'
dirt in the house
dirty
gés
gés nłęę
it is dirty
shinłá' gés nłęę
my hands are dirty
xnetjak
it (table, floor) is dirty, messy
disappear
mextehkôtl
it is disappearing
łéets extehkôtl
flour is disappearing
wuk'exdalneyh
it disappeared
shjěyy' k'éxdálneyh
my gloves disappeared
tuu natét-tsetth
water disappeared, dried up
nídét-'įį
he or she disappeared
xuts'į́' téeshaay nídét-'įį
he or she went to a place and has disappeared
discover
see find
discuss
xighaxunhéeyh
it is being discussed
disease
ts'iik
syn ailment, sickness
dishpan
ts'íitsiy tth'áak
also pot
dislike
shaa ts'į́' néet'ey
someone or something is disliked
k'á shaa ihsú́uy
it is not good for me
dislocate
niłghadalket
it is dislocated
shgáan' niłghadalket
my arm is dislocated
dissolve
The same Tanacross word is used for 'melt'
ta'udeełet
it dissolved, melted
łuut shthaa ta'udeełet
the ice dissolved in my mouth
distant
see far
distasteful
ts'adaxdintleg
distasteful, unpleasant manner
ts'adaxdintleg ts'í née'éł náxúldek
she or he is telling us a story in a distasteful manner
ditch
xosk'ée
ditch
also hole, pit
syn gully
xosk'ée xu'éddh éł xu'althet
she or he stepped in the ditch and fell down
dive
teenishdetth
I dove
tetishdetth
I am going to dive
divide
niłk'édzálsh_ah
we divided them (more than one)
niłdze'alshaay
something which is divided
niłdze'elsheek
it is divided
niłdze'elsheeg
that which is divided
shí' niłdze'elsheeg síxúnt'eh
food is customarily divided (shared)
dizzy
wu'éł náxdéltheeyh
she or he is dizzy
do
tdę'ę
she or he is doing
nts'é tdę'ę
what is he, she or it doing
nts'é t'indę'ę?
what are you doing?
| t'ihdę'ę | xodę'ę |
| t'indę'ę | t'ahdę'ę |
| tdę'ę | xetdę'ę |
nts'é' t'índę'
what were you doing
nts'é' tedhindę́'?
what are you going to do?
nts'é' tindiił?
what are your plans?
nts'é' tedhįh'ę'?
what are you going to do with that?
dog
łii
łii iin
dogs
wułǐig'
his or her or her dog
Note the form for 'someone's dog' has a -g' at the end
łii ts'é'e
female dog
łiigaay
puppy
body parts of a dog that have a special name:
ch'inch'etl xú'
fangs, canine teeth
minchědl' xá'
whiskers
łii iin xettheyh
the dogs are barking
don't
sų́'ų
sų́'ų Tok ts'į́' tunsha'a
don't go to Tok
éna' sų́'ų xu'duu ni'ih
no, don't say that!
éna' sų́'ų xu'dighundę'ę
no, don't do that!
also no
don't know
lé'e
I don't know
xets'į́'ishdíig
I don't know it
Dot Lake
Kelt'áaddh Měnn'
literally 'Waterlily Lake'
down
(downward vertically)
yaashěg'
down (from a distant)
nahshěg'
down (close by)
naashěg' aahaał
he is walking down (the hill)
daatthén'
down a slope
xahshóg
area down below
tthee xahshóg eedlah
rocks are laying down there (on the ground)
shghahshóg
from me down
shghahshóg daashęę tęy xuh'aa
downriver
yanadá'a
toward downriver (distant)
yaadáa téeshah
he's going downriver (toward Fairbanks)
yandâadz
from downriver (distant)
nahdáa naghindaał
he's returning from downriver
doze
xamełyeltéek
she or he is dozing
dzeen uudíh xáméłsheltéek
I was dozing all day long
drag
naghishłuuth
I am dragging it back
dream
ná'ihté'
I am dreaming
nághihté'
I dreamt
naa ná'ihté'
I am dreaming about you
teddh dąą díi gha lé'e ná'ihté'e
last night I was dreaming of something
dress
eek
dress
also coat, shirt
ts'éhxeey iin eek naxdelshax, tl'âan dendeey iin dú'
ch'ehtle1' shi1i xdel'i1itth
women wear dresses, but men wear pants
na'ishtl'uh
I am getting dressed
| na'ishtl'uh | nats'et-tl'uh |
| na'it-tl'uh | na'at-tl'uh |
| na'et-tl'uh | naxet-tl'uh |
naghut-tl'uh de'!
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
I am drifting along (in water)
tayahteeł
he or she is drifting along
natashtehteek
I am floating around
ch'aachěnn' tadahtiił
a stump is drifting along
tadaałeeł
(more than one) drifting along
tsets tadaaleeł
wood (more than one piece) is drifting along
drill
xnídeltâadh
snowshoe drill
dektáath
I am drilling
wuchaa dįhtáath
drill a hole through it
drink
| ishnąą | ts'etną |
| itnąą | atnąą |
| etnąą | xetnąą |
tuu etnąą
he's drinking water
ch'etnąą
he's drinking
ts�utnaa�a gha shétth na'ekxęę'
I am melting snow for us to drink
títs'eex
drink it up!
| ghishną́' | ts'atną́' |
| ghitną́' | ghatną́' |
| yaatną́' | xiyaatną́' |
drip
del'éetl
it dripped
chąą tú' dél'eetl
rain water is dripping
drive
ch'ekłeł
I'm driving (a car, sled)
| ch'ekłeł | yits'ahłeł |
| ch'įhłeł | ch'ahłeł |
| ch'ahłeł | ch'axahłeł |
naxetltihtiik
I am driving a car, sled
drop
Different words are used depending on the kind of
object that is dropped
shintl'adalneyh
I dropped it (compact object, such as a rock)
literally 'it fell out of my hands'
xúh ts'į́' dedhekneyh
I dropped it somewhere
shintl'aghindéek
I dropped them (multiple objects, single fabric-like
object,)
literally 'they fell out of my hands'
shintl'aghinxeł
I dropped it (an elongated object such as a stick or
gun)
naghekxel
I dropped it (a living being, such as a puppy)
medintsiit!
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
she or he drowned
drum
ch'elxěl
literally 'that which is struck'
drunk
(intoxicated)
neexel
a drunk person
nexeł
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
it is dry
ekgęyh
I am drying it
ts'éhxeh má' éhgęyh
the woman is drying fish
| ekgęyh | ts'ehgęyh |
| įhgęyh | ahgęyh |
| yehgęyh | xiyehgęyh |
nadeltthayh
it is drying (clothes, a tent)
ch'ěl' nadeltthayh
the clothes are drying
tuu natet-tseth
water dried up, receded, evaporated
xdéeshaak
the ground is completely dry
dlaat deshaak
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'
dry fish
łuug ekmá'
I am making dry fish
drying rack
dahdzeł
also bed, rack
duck
dets'ên
general term
chetth
molting ducks
etchot
molting duck
Specific kinds of ducks
daałeeł
northern shoveller
tuhtsêdl
green-winged teal
shahsęy
American wigeon
naltthogh
lesser scaup
dzehndeedh
northern pintail
ndzel
canvasback
tsoth
red-breasted merganser
hąháalá'
oldsquaw
ddheł tox dets'énn'
harlequin
t'aay chox
mallard
tthí'k'ą̂ąy
goldeneye
k'éłttheel
bufflehead
ndêl
white-winged scoter
taatsą́ą' ndêl
surf scoter
dull
(not sharp)
k'á dihk'é́y
it's dull
literally 'it's not sharp'
wuk'á' kó́l
it's dull
literally 'it has no edge'
dung
dųųts
during
tah
during
dzeen tah eetęę
he sleeps during the day
dust
łéemah
also glacial silt, flour
dust devil
ehts'eyh mâay
xaghints'eyh mâay
syn whirlwind
dwelling
shax
syn house
See 'house' for various kinds of dwellings.
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