This collection of over 1,500 Tlingit example sentences and audio recordings was part of a Sealaska Heritage Institute project funded by the Administration for Native Americans between 2005 and 2009. Sentences were provided by elders Keiyishí Bessie Cooley, Kingeistí David Katzeek, Saḵaayí Anita Lafferty, Ḵooteix̱téek Johnny Marks, Aan Yax̱ Saxeex June Pegues, Ḵáachkoo.aaḵw Helen Sarabia, and G̱unaakʼw Fred White. Written examples were compiled by Keri Eggleston. Audio recordings feature the voices of Kingeistí David Katzeek, Saḵaayí Anita Lafferty, Ḵooteix̱téek Johnny Marks, Aan Yax̱ Saxeex June Pegues, Ḵáachkoo.aaḵw Helen Sarabia, and G̱unaakʼw Fred White.
Upload of this resource to this website was made possible by funding from the National Science Foundationʼs Dynamic Languages Infrastructure Program, award #BCS- 2125197 “Morphologically Complex Data Collection and Analysis for Improving Lexicographic Models” to the University of Alaska Fairbanks with Keri Eggleston as PI.
NOTE: We recommend not using Safari as your browser for this resource as it may not load properly. Please note that there are many typos, misspellings, missing tones, etc. in the written examples, as well as many places where the audio recording doesnʼt match up with the written examples in terms of word order. There are also some examples where the audio isnʼt available. The present project however, has concluded, and itʼs not possible to fix these problems at this time. In the interest of making this resource available to the community ASAP, it is being included here despite these issues. The goal during the next phase of the project will be to edit the written examples to match the audio recordings and fix any other typos and correct instances of missing audio. In the meantime, please enjoy the voices of our elders!
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Car tlein yíkt át yawduwax̲aa wé aan k̲áawu. The rich person is being driven around in a big car. aan k̲áawu, ya-ya-x̲aa2, a yík
Craftsman kas’éet kag̲éikwaa áwé Sears Roebuckdáx̲ x̲waa.oo. I bought a Craftsman wrench from Sears Roebuck. kas’éet kag̲éikwaa, ya-.oo2, -dáx̲
Ch’a áa yan awli.át wé gán láx̲'i. He just left the wet outer part of firewood there. ch’a, li-aat2, wé, gán láx̲’i, á, -x’
Ch’áagu aa kax̲’íl’aa stoox káx’ áwé yan dutéeych yag̲at’aayích. The irons of long ago were set on the stove to heat up. kax̲'íl'aa, ch’áagu, aa, stoox, a ká, -x’, áwé, yan ya-tee2, ya-t’aa
Ch’áagu aan galak̲ú kadutlaakw. Stories of a long ago flood are told (regularly). aan galak̲ú, ch’áakw, ka-ya-tlaakw
Ch’áagu kawóot áwé a daawú ax̲ l’eix̲ k’oodás’i. There are beads from long aga on my dance shirt. ch’áagu, kawóot, a daa, -u, ax̲, l’eix̲, k’oodás’
Ch’áak’ a loowú yóo katán. A bald eagle’s beak is curved. ch’áak’, a loowú, yóo katán
Ch’áak’ loowú néegwál’ x̲waa.oo. I bought some dark yellow paint. ch'áak’ loowú, néegwál’
Ch’áak’ naax̲ x̲at sitee. I am of the eagle moiety. ch'áak'
Ch’áakw dux̲áa noojín wé kals’áak. They used to eat squirrels long ago. kals'áak, ch’áakw, ya-x̲aa1
Ch’a a k̲wáanch áwé yéi uwasáa Deishú. The local people gave Haines its name. Deishú, ya-saa2, a k̲wáan
Cháanwaan atx̲aayí g̲aa awóo. Order some Chinese food. Cháanwaan, atx̲aayí
Cháanwaanch áwé wuliyéx̲ yá cannery. The Chinese built this cannery. Cháanwaan
Cháash a kaadéi kawtuwachák wé wutuwa.uni dzísk’w. We packed branches on the moose that we shot. cháash, dzísk’w, ya-.oon, ka-ya-chaak
Cháatl tíx'i yaa (ha)s a shuká nak̲úx̲. They're setting halibut gear. cháatl, tíx', a shuká
Cháatl yátx’i uwayáa dzánti. Flounders look like little halibut. dzánti, cháatl, ya-yaa1
Cháax̲ héen táade awjit’ákw. The grebe dove into the water. cháax̲, héen, a-ji-t’aakw
Ch’a du kíkt uwagút. He walked by his side. du kík, ya-goot1
Ch’a g̲ég̲aa aax̲ kei dahánch. He tried to stand up from there (but was unable to). ch’a g̲íg̲aa, di-haan1, á, -dáx̲
Ch’a g̲ég̲aa x̲ax̲oox̲. I keep trying to call him (but he wouldn’t come). ch’a g̲íg̲aa, ya-x̲oox̲
Ch’a g̲oot k̲aa at óowu, tléil áx̲ dushee. You do not bother another person’s possessions. k̲aa at óowu, A- + ya-shee1(in), ch’a g̲oot
Ch’a g̲oot yéidei yéi jiné has du jeex̲ dutee wéi k̲'atx̲áan. Cowards are given different jobs to perform. k̲'atx̲áan, ch’a g̲oot yéidei, yéi jiné, has, k̲aa jee- + ya-tee2
Ch´a hú du woowká aawagwál. He pounded his own chest. du woowká, ya-gwaal
Ch’a kik’át át nagoot. Go there at least. kik’át
Ch’a kik’át du jeeyís at na.oo. At least buy him something. kik'át, du jeeyís, ya-.oo2
Ch’a kik’át k̲aa x̲’éix̲ nas.aax̲. At least listen to what people tell you. kik’át, si-.aax̲1.2(in)
Ch’akyéis’ áwé yéi hás kaaxát atx̲á g̲aa. Young eagles are after food. ch'ak'yéis', atx̲á
Ch’ákw x̲á áx’ atoosg̲eiwún. We gillnetted there long ago. ch'ákw, a-dzi-g̲eiwoo
Chál áx’ wutuliyéx̲ wé héen x̲’ayaax̲. We built a storehouse on the edge of the river. chál, héen x̲’ayaax̲
Ch’as a geení áwé awsiteen wé tsaa. She saw only the tail flippers of the seal. ch’as, a geení, áwé, si-teen, wé, tsaa
Ch’as a gooshí áwé duteen nooch kéet. All that can be seen of a killerwhale is the dorsal fin (usually). ch’as, a gooshí, áwé, ya-teen, nooch, kéet
Ch’as a gooshí duwatéen wé kéet. Only the fin of the killerwhale is visible. a gooshí, kéet, ya-teen
Ch´as du xaagí áwé wuduwat´ei. Only his skeleton was found. du xaagí ya-t’ei1
Ch’as héen ákwé a kaadéi yóo yadudzixéik yá kat’ákx̲i? Is water all you put on these dried berries? ch’as, héen, ákwé, a ká, -de, yóo, ya-si-xaa, kat’ákx̲i
Ch’as k’éets’an áyá yáa g̲aa wootee. There’s nothing but false azalea around here. ch’as, k’éets’an, yá, g̲aa
Ch’a tlákw aa yéidáx̲ áwé yanéekw du k’í. His rump hurts from sitting all the time. du k'í, ya-.aa1
Ch’a tle a koowú teen x̲waax̲áa. I ate the tail and all. a koowú, ya-x̲aa1
Ch’a tle dziyáag̲inx’ tsá g̲unéi gax̲too.áat. Pretty soon we’re going to start walking. dziyáag̲in
Ch’a tlex’dahéen du een kananeek. Just tell him once. tlex’dahéen, ka-ya-neek
Ch’a yeisú lingít a yeewú wé x̲éidei kakg̲ilatix̲’ yé. There are still people in the place you are locking. yeisú, lingít, a yee, ka-li-teix̲’0.2
Cheech yáx̲ kaaxát chichuwaa. The chichuwaa is like a porpoise. chichuyaa, cheech, ka-ya-xaat2
Ch’éetg̲aa kéi awdzit’éx̲. He pulled up a skate. ch'eetg̲áa, si-t’eix̲
Ch’eet sheishóox̲ áwé akaawach’ák’w. She carved a murrelet rattle. ch’eet, sheishóox̲
Ch’eex̲’ yagéi yoo dei yaax̲. There are plenty of thimbleberries along the road. ch'eex̲', dei yáx̲
Chéx̲’i tóox’ awdlisín. He is hiding in the evening shadows. chéx̲'i, a-dli-seen
Chooneitx̲ áwé dulyéix̲ wé ch’áal’. Willow is made into bows. ch'áal', chooneit
Chudéi áwé a k̲’anoox̲ú áwu. Tom cod have a beard. chudéi, a k̲’anoox̲ú, á, -u
Ch’u dziyáak áwé ishuwtusitee. We were expecting you a while ago ch’a, dziyáak, áwé, shu-si-tee2
Ch’u kax̲'át'x̲ sitee wéi tléik̲w. The berries are still green. ch’u, kax̲'át', tléik̲w
Ch’u shóogu aan wududliyéx̲i túk̲l’ áwé a kax̲yee wéi ANB hall. Those are the original young spruce they used to build the ceiling of the ANB hall. a kax̲yee, ch’u shóogu, aan, túk̲l’, li-yeix̲1
Ch’u tliyaatgé áwé shux̲ sitee. I was expecting it the other day. tliyaatgé
Ch'a tlákw áwé yéi nateech ax̲ x̲úx̲, ch'u atk'átsk'ux̲ sateeyídáx̲. My husband is like this often, and has been since he was a child. ch’a, tlákw, áwé, yéi, A + ya-tee, ax̲, du x̲úx̲, ch’u, atk’átsk’u, A-x̲ + si-tee, -dáx̲
Ch'a yá Lingít yinaanáx̲ k̲u.aa áyá tléil k̲aa éeshch áyú k̲aa yádi saa a yáx̲ uteeyín. In our Lingít culture, a father never names the children. Lingít, yinaanáx̲, k̲áa, du éesh, du yádi, saa, ya-tee1.7
Ch'a yóo Anóoshi Aaníx' yaa German shaawát áyá du x̲ánx' yéi wootee. While in Russia he was with a German woman. Anóoshi aaní, shaawát, x̲án, ya-tee1.2