Tanacross Learners' Dictionary


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habit
    yexnílts'et audio he habituated to it
    coffee exnílts'et ts'į́' k'á ldîil étdí́igh audio coffee became a habit and he doesn't drink tea

hack
    ihdzonh audio I am hacking it (forcefully so that small pieces fly away)
Refers to using a sharp instrument to rapidly cut something
    dekkeyh audio I am hacking, chopping it

hail
    ch'inłuut audio also blueberry (unripe berry)
    ch'inłuut e'ehchąą audio it is hailing

hair
    wuxá' audio it's hair, fur
    shtthixá' audio my hair (of my head)
    tthiixá' ts'eeg xúnłęę audio long hair
    shtl'exxá' audio my pubic hair

half
    ch'exaan audio
    naa shí' ts'enh ch'exą́ą' wutl'ághų́hchuut de' audio give him or her half of the food

halo (around sun or moon)
    kelahdziimiil audio solar halo
    gheldzeey nakech'etneet'eyh audio there is a lunar halo
  syn ring

hammer
    ch'iitth'ed audio

hand
    shinłá' audio my hand
    shinlat'aag audio back of my hand

handicapped
    ts'idint'eh audio handicapped person, animal
    sháath handicapped, hobbled by old injury
    shaath nłęę audio he is handicapped
  syn crippled

handkerchief
    k'onit'êey audio
  syn bandana

handle
    wutį̌į' audio its handle
    xetl tį̌į' audio sled handlebars

handsome
This refers specifically to 'face'. It is injih to say that someone is pretty or handsome
    ninsųų audio he is handsome also pretty

hang
    naghint'eyh audio it is hanging
    eek dádzełdíhłeeyh audio I am hanging up coats

happen
    nts'é' xútshaak audio what happened?
    nts'é t'ítshaak? audio what happened to you?

happy
    shaa xunsųų audio I am happy about it

hard (surface)
    detgek audio
    jah wuk'et detgek audio this surface is hard

hard time
    shaa xéxúntsáath audio I am having a hard time

hardship
    méxúntsaaddh audio hardship
    shaa medaxdíitsáath audio it's difficult for me to pronounce that

hare
    gah audio
  syn rabbit (Lepus americanus)

harlequin (duck)
    ddheł tox dets'énn' \de (Histrionicus histrionicus)

harm
    shexdéghindíik audio I was harmed, I got injured

harness
    łii dadíndah audio a dog is harnessed
    łii keey iin daxdíndlah audio they harnessed up the dogs

harrier
    kechents'êeg audio northern harrier (Circus cyaneus)

hat
    tthíishúus audio hat (general term)
    tthíishúus ét-tl'uun audio knitted hat
    tthíishúus mintaak'ey xunłęę hat with a visor

hatch
    xaghįh'aats audio it hatched

haul
The same Tanacross word can used to convey the meaning of English 'get', 'haul' or 'fetch'.
    shí' ka'inhá' audio go get food!

imperfective paradigm audio
ká'ihhá'káts'éhá'
ká'inhá'ká'ahhá'
ká'aahá'ká'xéhá'

    tuu ká'ahá' audio she or he is hauling water
    tsets ká'íhá' audio I am fetching firewood

have
    dhihdlah audio I have (own, possess) them

perfective paradigm audio
dhihdlahyits'eedlah
dhindlahch'edhahdlah
ch'eedlahch'axeedlah

    tthíshúus dhíhdlah audio I have a lot of hats
    taanduu k'et éeł dhíhdlah audio I set traps on the island
    sts'inkeey taag elt'eh audio I have three children

hawk
    keech'otl sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus)
    ch'etthaayh red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
    gah daxeeł marsh hawk
    nah daax audio marsh hawk

he
Tanacross does not have non-specific words that refer to the gender of 'that other' person. A separate word for 'he, she or it' 'is rarely used. Instead, who or what is involved is a necessary part of the verb. A separate word can be used to point out or emphasize a particular 'he' and is often translated as 'that person'.
    nâan audio that one (person or thing)
    nâan nt'sé miisí'? audio what is his (that person's) name?

head
    shtthí' audio my head
    ch'etthí' audio animal's head

headache
    tthí' ts'iik audio
    tthí' ts'iik shdhéhxęę audio headache is killing me
    shtthí' éhts'iik audio I have a headache

headwaters
    ch'etl'aa audio also valley, canyon

heal
    naghishshé' audio I healed up, got better

Healy Lake
    Menhdeescheeg audio literally 'shallows mouth lake'

heap
    xatnaldók audio
    tsets xatnaldók audio wood is heaped up, piled up in a heap (disorganized)

hear
    nde'ihtth'ek audio I hear you
    shde'intth'ek? audio do you hear me?
    de'ihtth'ek audio I hear him/her/it
    xuude'ihtth'ek audio I hear them
    je'ihtth'ek audio I listening, I hear something
    díi lé'e de'ihtth'eg? audio what is it that I hear?

hearing
    sdzii audio my hearing
    sdzíi k'éxdélneyh k'eh shaa xúltsįį audio it seems like I'm losing my hearing

heart
    sdzeey' audio my heart

heartburn
    tuutthox audio
    tuutthox shdatnénínts'iik audio I have heartburn

heat
    nanį́hthiił audio heat it up!
    nshax naxnį́hthiił audio heat up your house

heaven
    yaak'et audio

heavy
    ndaath audio it is heavy
    tsets dehtsel dindaath audio green wood is heavy

heel
    shkeetétl audio heel of my foot

help
    shxaan ts'į́' dę́'ę audio she or he is helping me (with a task)
    shxaan ts'į́' yint'áath audio she or he helped me cut it up
    xe'édáldek audio they rushed to help him or her (for example after an accident)

her
  see she

herd (of animals)
    naltl'éy audio
    naltl'éy ná'al'és audio a herd (of caribou) is moving

here (in space or time)
    jah audio
    nts'é éł jah nínáhdeetl? audio how did you all get here?

hers
    wutsen sínt'eh audio this belongs to her, him

hiccup
    shdatch'iltthet audio I have the hiccups

hide (of an animal)
    ch'ethéth audio a hide
  syn skin, pelt

hide (conceal)
    tneedhįh'įį audio (you) hide it!
    shax nandîidz ch'etnél'įį audio he, she or it is hiding behind the house

high up
    yatthiidóg audio
    yatthiidóg tah kón' dí'ihdláx audio I keep matches way up there

hill
    teyh audio
    teyh kedl audio hill with very few trees
    xeekeeyh audio hillside
    teyh k'iig audio slope of a hill

him
  see he

hip
    shk'ę̌yy' audio my hip

his
    wutsen sínt'eh audio this is his or hers

hit (punch)
    nédhekgót audio I hit him
    shídhįhgót audio you hit me
    shetédhįhgót audio you hit me for no reason at all
    yíhgót audio he or she hit him or her
    yinelshos audio he or she hit him, her or it really hard
    metnedhegshos audio I hit him (in the head, face)
  see slap
    dhektl'eth audio I hit him, her or it (with a stick)

hoarse
    degthéek audio I am hoarse

hoist
    teełų́ų' audio she or he hoisted it up
    daałų́ų' audio hoist down

hold
    u'ihtón' audio I'm holding it

imperfective paradigm audio
u'ihtón'ts'uutón'
u'intón'u'ahtón'
yuutón'xiyuutón'

    shěg' údin'éetth audio hold it down with your foot
    wudįhtl'et audio hold it tight!

hole
    tsaak'ée audio hole in the ground
    xosk'ée audio shallow hole in the ground also ditch, gully
  syn pit
    xdú' audio a hole in something

holler
  see shout

hoof
    ch'ekelaagę̌y' audio hoof of moose, caribou or sheep

hook
    łox audio fishhook
    sáx audio gaff hook
    ehsáx audio she or he is hooking, gaffing

hop
    naaxęy atkek audio a frog is hopping
    natjehchéek audio it is hopping around (on two legs)

hope
  see wish

horizon
    yaamâgh audio

horn
    ch'edé' audio also antlers

horrible
    ts'áxuntleeg
    łą́'ą éł ts'áxuntleeg audio it is really horrible, very bad
    naxalxeen éł tęy łą́'ą éł ts'áxuntleeg audio it is melting so the trail is horrible

horsefly
    ch'ut'aaddh audio

hospital
    ts'iik shax audio

hot
    néeth audio it (object) is hot
    tuu néeth audio the water is hot
    tuu néethel audio hot water
    xnéeth audio it (weather) is hot
    nah'ôg xnéeth audio it is hot outside
    elok! audio I'm hot!

house
    shax audio house, modern house
    shshax audio my house
    nshax audio your house
Note that the form for 'someone's house' does not follow the usual pattern because [ -x ] at the end does not change to [ -gh' ] and the word does not have a rising pitch
  syn dwelling
Traditional houses
    ch'elaats'eyh shax audio spruce bark house
    dlaat shax audio moss covered house
    niimaal shax audio traditional skin house

housepit
    nįhtsiił audio

how
    nts'é' audio
    nts'é' tâatindaał? audio how are you going home?
    nts'é' k'eh naxúltsįį? audio how does it look to you?

how are you?
    nts'é t'ínt'eh? audio

how much
The same Tanacross word covers a range of English meanings that involve 'how much of something", such as how long, how much and how many.
    ndóxk'ee audio
    jâan ts'enh ndóxk'ee ch'eyninthenh audio how much do you want of this?
    ndóxk'ee n'éł xátheł? audio how old are you?
Traditionally, it was impolite to ask 'how old are you?' of someone.
    ndók'ee jah dhindah audio how long have you lived here?

however
  see but

howl
    etsax it (dog, wolf) is howling, crying
    shaxeh'ąą audio howling, making a commotion
    tiikâan iin shaxeh'ąą audio the wolves are howling
    tsaxdelxos audio howl, cry
    tiikâan iin tsaxdelxos audio wolves are crying, howling

huff
    stá'etdzá' audio he or she left in a huff

hug
    łeeshnintset audio she or he gave me a hug
    meghíshdek audio I hugged him or her

humorous
  see funny

hungry
    dihtsįį audio I'm hungry

imperfective paradigm audio
dihtsįįdzintsįį
dintsįįdahtsįį
dintsįįxdintsįį

hunt
    na'elséex audio he's hunting

imperfective paradigm audio
na'egséexnats'elséex
na'ilséexna'alséex
na'elséexnaxelséex

    nûun ká'ehá' he is hunting literally 'he is fetching animals'
This is a metaphorical way to referring to hunting.

hunter
    na'elsêegh

hunting blind
    xkeeł

hurry
    xánteyy' audio hurry up
    xen audio fast, quickly
    xen eg'ęh audio I'm in a hurry

hurt
Different words are used for 'hurt physically' and 'hurt feelings'.
    shexdéghindíik audio I got hurt
  syn injured
    xenitet-tthet audio his or her feelings were hurt
    xenitédhíshthet audio I got my feelings hurt

husband
    shkę́y' audio my husband, mate
    wu'éł dhíhdaay audio my spouse, the one I stay with

hush
    dádhíinęy audio hush, be quiet!



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