Tanacross Learners' Dictionary
PRELIMINARY VERSION
compiled by Irene Solomon Arnold, Gary Holton, and Rick Thoman
Copyright © 2006 Alaska Native Language Center. The materials on this site, including Tanacross language transcriptions and audio recordings are intended for educational and reference purposes only. Commmercial use is strictly prohibited. Reproduction for non-profit educational purposes is permitted, provided appropriate citation is included. See complete terms of use. Please direct questions and comments to gary.holton@uaf.edu.Browse the glossary using this index
Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O
P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL
C |
|---|
cabin (log): |
cable: ALSO chain |
cache: cache up above ground tsaak'ée underground food cache nîinekchúut I cached, stored my food xey de'ukah shíi nîinekchuut I cache food for winter yenínįhdíik it is put aside (saved, cached) |
cackle: |
calf (lower leg): my calf |
calf (young animal): |
calico: |
Calico Point: LITERALLY 'calico tied to it' |
call (name): she or he is calling my name nu'ihsih I am calling your name naa nesheegh, nsts'é xiyusiix? what is that plant called? SEE name |
calm (weather): it (weather) is calm, still |
camp: she or he camped (overnight)
kón' k'ée ts'enéeháał | ||||||
camprobber: (Perisoreous canadensis) SYN grey jay, jay |
campsite: camping site dendeey iin níndeyh k'ée níxníndah the people settled at the campsite kón' dak'ée fireplace, customary camping site kón' k'ée camp |
can: SYN container |
candle: ALSO lamp |
cane: SYN staff, walking stick |
canoe: |
canvas: ALSO tent |
canvasback (duck):naltthogh (Aythya valisineria) |
canyon: ALSO valley ALSO headwaters ch'etl'aa dég' téeshah he is climbing out of the head of the canyon |
cap: knitted cap |
capsize: it capsized, flipped over, rolled over ts'eyh wu'éł nákédéexeł his boat capsized |
car:natet-łeg natet-łeg deek'én' the car is running |
carcass: |
cards (playing):galdás éł nach'ehłeek he's playing with cards |
care: I'm taking care of them wuk'ánédhéktąą I took care of him or her wuk'ánįhtá' take care of it wuk'átnektá' I will take care of it yik'ánehtá' he's watching over it |
careful: ts'edogh nih há' tuu ghinkaał be careful carrying the water be careful súu' de' be careful, watch out! |
careless: she or he is not being careful, not doing a good job |
caribou: general term for caribou deek'el bull caribou dzih chox largest bull caribou dahtsîig caribou calf (Rangifer tarandus) |
caribou corral: enclosure that caribou were driven into |
caribou fence: |
caribou leg skin: |
caribou moss: caribou moss, lichen (Cladonia rangiferina) SYN lichen |
caribou snare: |
carrot: wild carrot, Indian potato SYN potato, roots (Hedysarum alpinum) kaat store-bought carrots |
carry:ghih'aał I am carrying it (compact object)
ghihtiił
ghekcheth
ghihkaał
ghekteeł
k'á' ghíhtiił | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
carving knife: carving knife with a curved end used in making snowshoes |
casket: SYN coffin ALSO box |
catch (something thrown): he is catching a ball da'ídhekshéł I caught it in mid-air (with one hand) da'ú'dhihdíik I caught it in mid-air da'úndíik he caught it dayíidzek he caught (just barely) |
catch (up): he caught up with the boat |
caterpillar: gųų detshos black, hairy caterpillar |
Cathedral Bluffs: LITERALLY 'brushman ridge' |
caulk: |
cave: SYN den |
caw: |
ceiling: |
cellar (underground cache): łuug tsaak'ée déghíhdlah dzenax ghultseyh gha I put fish in the cache to make fermented fish |
cemetery: |
center: taandîidz tah shí' níxníndlah they put the food in the center tandîidz xiyihdah he's in court (they are holding court for him) |
chain: ALSO cable |
chair: |
change: |
chap: it is chapped; rough and dry shthéth dét-ts'iits my skin is chapped net-ts'iits \au it (his or her face) is chapped |
charcoal: |
charred: |
chase: he chased me away tâaxuneshók he (always) chases them away |
chatter (from the cold): |
cheap (inexpensive): something cheap jâan diitlog sínt'eh this one is cheap SYN inexpensive |
cheat: he cheated me naynin'aak she or he cheated him or her sų́'ų nashtnun'aag don't cheat me |
cheek: my cheek shxostl'aa the inside of my check |
cherish:shaa dint'eyh I cherish him or her shaa dint'eey my cherished ones maa yidint'eyh he or she cherishes him or her shchâay iin shaa dint'eyh I cherish my grandchildren |
chest (body): my chest sdzehchíi chetkeyh I have a pain in my chest sdzehtah my chest area |
chew: he chewed it up
nshí'i xunsų́ų xátnuldék tl'âan tuhndék déh | ||||||
chickadee: |
chief: |
Chief Creek (AK Hwy xng @ Mile 1359): |
child: child ts'ínkeey iin children |
childhood: |
chill: |
chimney: łet xádétjuut deh |
chin: my chin ALSO beak, bill |
chink: I'm chinking it
shax xnehtthúuk | ||||||
chinking: |
chinook wind: SYN wind |
chip: she or he is chipping shí' néltsįį ts'į́' yéhjek naadley the meat is frozen solid so he is chipping it instead ekch'ék I am chipping it yehch'ék he or she is chipping it łuut ekch'ek I am chipping ice |
chips (small peices): tsaath tthěel' potato chips tsets tthěel' wood chips |
choke:yitnelndék she or he choked on it (on something solid)
ch'etnédhegshíits | ||||||
choose:ch'etah xayį́htęę he chose him (from a group) ch'etah ts'enh xaghíhdlah I chose these from among them |
chop: I am chopping it (into chunks) imperfective paradigm
nén' íhddheł tsaath xaghúhłêel gha | ||||||
Christmas: Christmas Day nach'imaal traditional stick used to give and receive gifts |
cigarette: |
claim: she or he claimed it |
clam: lake clam Commonly found in Mansfield Creek. ALSO snail SYN mussel |
clamp: |
clan:Ch'echeelyu Ch'aadz Ałts'į́' Dendeey Dik'aagyu Niisaas Taandîidz Altsiil Tsesyu Naltsiin |
clap (hands): I am clapping
maa lach'ihkét | ||||||
claw: its claw xuudzek it (bird) is gripping with its claw |
clay: ALSO mud |
clean: she or he is cleaning up naxahsú' clean it up, straighten up shax naxoksú' I'm cleaning the house |
clear (liquid):tuu thų́ų' clear water tuu nįhkón' the water is clear tuu kón' clear water |
clear (weather): shaa k'et cheltsonh the sky is clear |
clever: clever naagêddh xunshąą foxes are clever ALSO wise |
cliff: a steep river bank or a sharp drop-off in the mountains sų́'ų dzendaax ghultthiid don't fall off the cliff SYN bluff xdáag edge of a cliff xdáag dídhíndah sit by the edge of the cliff |
climb: I am climbing ké'ídhíhshah I climbed ddheł ké'ídhíhshah I climbed the mountain ts'ôgh ké'ídhíhshah I climbed up a tree |
cling: |
close: SEE near |
close: he closed his eyes nedhegts'étlts'enelts'étl nedhilts'étlnedhalts'étl nelts'étlxnelts'étl
niłdátníntąą |
clot (blood): |
clothing: |
cloud: cloud k'oth xeta'ułęę clouds are floating by k'oth dat-sęy dark clouds ch'ets'étl low clouds along mountains |
cloudy: it is cloudy xá'xuh k'oth xúnłęę it is partly cloudy |
clown: funny person tsąą el'ęh he is clowning around |
club: dechenh xěl' wooden club SYN bat wudzih dé' xéł caribou antler club (hit) dechenh xěl' éł yéhxeł she or he clubbed it with a club xuu'éch'éhtl'eth he clubbed, beat them |
clumsy: things fall out of his hand, he has "butterfingers" SYN butterfingers |
coat: a coat ALSO dress, shirt eek nádédhégshah I'm wearing a coat xey eek winter coat, parka dąą eek old time fur coat |
cobweb: SYN spider web |
coffee: |
coffin: SYN casket ALSO box |
coil: rope is coiled |
cold: it (object) is cold tuu néek'etth the water is cold xnéek'etth it (weather) is cold nah'ǒg' xnéek'etth it's cold outside k'etth cold tuu k'etth etnaa she or he is drinking cold water naxtnétk'etth it is getting colder (fall time) xníik'aatth it turned cold elih! cold! shax elíh xúnłęę the house feels cold dhihdlih I am cold dlih ts'enh detndiyh she or he or it is shaking from the cold |
cold (illness): I have a cold koth t'iníłáak you have a cold koth t'iyíłáak she or he has a cold |
collapse: it collapsed |
collarbone: my collarbone |
color: I colored it (an area) yitnemenh she or he is coloring it na'etnetmenh she is putting on make-up LITERALLY 'she is coloring her face' shdaamel natnihmenh I put on lipstick LITERALLY 'I colored my lips' |
comb: a comb yenehseeł she's combing it
| ||||||
come: come on! dánínhaay come in! |
comfortable: I am comfortable with him, her |
commander: commander, someone who orders people around |
companion: shehłěg' éł łóníhshah I traveled with my companion |
compel: tsets ts'į́' xúníhshok I made them haul wood |
compress: she or he compressed it (into a container) daxnelt'enh |
cone (spruce): SYN spruce cone, pine cone |
confidence: she or he has confidence in him/her |
conscious:xół xghushndéyh I am conscious xół xghutndéyh you are conscious xół xatndéyh he or she is conscious |
container: SYN can |
cook:ch'įhmeets! cook something! díi ch'e įhmeedz? what are you cooking? yehmeets she or he is boiling it yeht'éeth she or he is frying, roasting it |
cooking stick: stick used to hold meat over a fire |
cool:náynehk'é' he's cooling it off tuutheł nánink'é' the soup is cooled off náxnink'é' it (weather) has cooled off xeł t'âagh ts'į́' xaatthel éł shax nâxtnítk'e' the house finally started to cool off in the evening tuutheł natnetk'é'e the soup is cooling |
copper: |
Copper River:yaa'én in the direction of the Copper River area (from Tanacross) |
copy: he copied it, made it like that one |
corner: |
corpse: |
cotton: |
cottonwood: (Populus sp.) cottonwood ALSO aspen, poplar dahchǔuy' fluffy seed of the cottonwood tree (also fireweed seeds) |
cough:degkoth
| ||||||
count:dihtiił lsaaz dihtiił |
country: land, country nén' k'et on the land |
cousin: my cousin ALSO friend |
cover: I covered it ts'enîin gaay ts'ěd' wúk'et dekchúuth I covered the baby with a blanket ts'ěd' dék'et degchúuth I covered myself with a blanket wunách'udédhekchúuth I covered something |
cover (sled): |
crack: it cracked, popped sits'enal'iin dlii ts'enh deltétl the window cracked from the cold |
cracker: SYN pilot bread |
crackle: |
cradle: |
cramp: I cramped up shké' níxeełdélneyh my foot cramped up |
cranberry: low bush cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) tsaanttheetl high bush cranberry (Viburnum edule) |
crane: SYN sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) |
cranefly: cranefly, mosquito hawk |
cranky: she or he is cranky, not in a good mood |
crash: |
crave:COMP edektląą I crave COMP, have taste for COMP má' edektląą I have a taste for dry fish |
crawl:Different words are used depending in part on whether the crawling motion is 'slow, creeping' or 'fast'.
xághíhduuth | ||||||
crazy \cl: she drove me crazy, mixed me up |
creak:nedhegk'aaz éł dégk'ek I am stiff so my bones are creaking |
Creator, God: |
creek: a small creek, especially a creek on or coming down from hills or mountains. ch'endá' a creek ndîig a creek tlandíig a creek ndá' small creek The word nda' and especially ndîig occur in many river and creek names. |
cricoid cartilage: |
crippled: a crippled person shaatth crippled shaatth nłęę he is crippled, handicapped, hobbled by old injury SYN handicapped |
crisp: I am crisping, scorching it kón' keddh įhtsétl crisp it by the fire |
croak (frog): |
crooked: it is crooked tsets détgétth the wood is crooked net-tth'aagh something really crooked k'ę́y' net-tth'aagh crooked willow |
cross: religious cross |
cross wind: |
crossbill (bird): |
crouch: I am squatting down, crouching |
crow: SYN raven (Corvus corax) |
crowberry: SYN blackberry (Empetrum nigrum) |
crowded: it (area) is crowded shax shíi xaltl'ét the house is crowded daxnet-t'ots they are crowded in |
crumb: crumbs, scraps of food |
crunch: she or he is crunching it ch'etnelk'on there is a crunching sound |
crush: it (for instance, a can) is crushed |
crust (on snow): |
cry:ihtsax
ts'enîin gaay etsax | ||||||
cup: |
curious: |
curly: his or her hair is curly |
currant: red currant (berry) (Ribes triste) |
current (in river): tth'iitú' na'ahtthug dashe' deninłęęyh the Tanana River flows by here |
curve: it is curved ch'eexót it is curved, bent wutį́į' ch'eexót the handle is curved |
cuss: I am cussing dektsíix I cussed at him/her |
cut:Different Tanacross words are used depending on the overall motion involved in the cutting. See also 'hack' and 'chop' and 'slice'.
łuug et'aatth | ||||||
