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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.

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E

each other : nił'éł nił'éł nats'exaldek  we're telling each other stories

eagle : tuud bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) ch'eshǎan' golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

Eagle (village) : Ttheet'oodlęy \de

Eagle Trail : łaateth Tęy LITERALLY 'pass trail'

ear : sdzǎagh'  my ear sdzii my inner ear dziit'úudz ear wax

earache : wudzíi' xuhts'iik  she or he has an earache

early : saachąą early in the morning k'á tthée' xtíithé́d ts'į́' t'êey na'itshah he or she returned early

earring : dzaatl'ǔul'

earthquake : nén' étndah

easy : shée' k'et'êey  easily gah sh_ée' t'êey neljíit  rabbits are easily frightened shée' k'et'êey maa xúltsįį  nothing bothers him

eat : nach'ih'áał I am eating imperfective paradigm nach'ih'áał nayits'e'áał nach'in'áał nach'ah'áał nach'e'áał nach'exen'áał łuug ih'áał I am eating fish perfective paradigm nach'ih'áatl nayts'in'áatl nach'in'áatl nach'ah'áatl nach'in'áatl nach'axghin'áatl tthadegnęyh I am eating fast ch'eldiił he, she, it is eating, browsing wudzih ch'inshǔ' eldiił the caribou are eating moss jêg ts'eneldiił we are eating berries

echo : wudadehshiig an echo

eclipse (solar) : tadasaaghin'ąą LITERALLY 'the sun came up the wrong way'

eddy : ok an eddy in water SYN whirlpool

edge : mâagh menh mâagh ło'aahaał he's walking along the edge of the lake ALSO border

egg : ch'exěez' an egg ch'et'ox shíi súus xěez' xúnłęę  there are robin eggs in the nest ch'exeestthǐig' egg yolk ch'exeestth'ěn'  eggshell

eight : niłk'eden

elastic (stretchy) : neduuth it is stretchy, elastic shmǎad' ghendah neduudh nenintl'ųų  she sewed elastic around my sleeve

elbow : sts'és my elbow xets'és'údék-'ąą   I am leaning on my elbow

elder : ch'enděddh' díichâagh elder, respected person

eleven : ts'ehłeg wuk'et

embarrassed : uníshshá' I'm embarrassed Also means 'ashamed' perfective paradigm uníshshá' ts'unítshá' unítshá' unatshá' unítsh1a' xunítshá'

embers : tthiit

empty : díi t'êey kó́l  it is empty, nothing there dahtsaa shíi díi t'êey kó́l   the cache is completely empty tuutiił wushíi ch'ekôl  the cup is empty

empty (house) : kón' k'ée ALSO campsite, abandonded (village) kón' k'ée dón' łâanyíi níníhshaay gee!, I arrived at a completely empty house

end : This refers only to the end of physical objects wuchíi end, tip SYN point (of an object) wuchíi taanduu xuu'ąą end of an island

enjoy : shaa xníndíik  I am enjoying it maa xníndíik she or he is enjoying it maa xunétdíik she or he is enjoying it

enough : k'ôd ALSO already k'ôd xúu' shęę' that is enough

enraged : shshíi xnét-tthet I am enraged wushíi xnét-tthet she or he is enraged

enter : daninshah she or he entered

entertain : shshíi dįhshąą  it is entertaining me, keeping me company shtlęę shnidįhshąą  my friend is entertaining me niłxa tsądaxdetdlii they are entertaining each other, making each other laugh

entire : xunelt'eh entire, all of it, them nat-tlêdz' xunelt'eh ts'í nanįhts'eyh   pick up all the beads uudíh entire (time) teddh uudíh ghishndah   I worked the entire night

entrance : dahxultsįį deh

envious : yuunit-łé' she or he is envious of him/her/it xetl súu nek-'ę́ę' ch'e wunihłé'e   I am envious of the sled I saw

equal : niłk'e' nel'ąą niłk'e nel'ąą ts'į́' xútlajų́hchuut dé'  make sure you give them an equal amount of food

erase : nanin'ét undo it, erase it

ermine : nihmaay SYN weasel (Mustela erminea)

escape : statthinįhshah  she or he escaped, fled away negjed éł tthítédhékshah   I was afraid so I escaped, fled nedagh ghinshah he, she or it escaped

Eskimo : Ch'enaakeey \de

esophagus : shthéeg' my esophagus SYN throat

evening : xeł tah xeł ts'į́' toward evening, dusk

every now and then : xaatêg xaatêg tah ldîil ishdíix  every now and then I drink tea

everything : xunelt'eh xunelt'eh ts'í meexushaak  everything is lost

excellent : łą́'ą xúnsųų  an excellent place, weather łą́'ą nsųų an excellent thing

excess : SEE too much

exchange : SEE trade

excrement : wutsą́ą' its excrement SYN stool tsą́ą' manure

exercise : ishk'aatth I am exercising imperfective paradigm ishk'aatth ts'etk'aatth itk'aatth atk'aatth etk'aatth xetk'aatth SEE train

exhausted : wushíits shę́ę' dálílthet she, he or it came back exhausted

exist : The appropriate word is based on the type of object involved, or number (if more than one). These words imply that the items are stationary and so can mean 'it is sitting or lying there'. ee'ąą it (compact object, or any single object not fitting another of the categories below) is there k'ech'ii'aadl k'et díi ch'e ee'aan? what (compact object) is on the table? tthee gaay k'ech'ii'aadl k'et nee'ąą a little rock is on the table eedlah they (any kind of multiple objects) are there k'ech'ii'aadl k'et díi ch'e eedlaay? what (multiple objects) are on the table? k'ech'ii'aadl k'et tthee needlah rocks are on the table xúh éedlah they are there eekąą it (object in a container) is there k'ech'ii'aadl k'et díi ch'e eekaan? what (object in a container) is on the table? ldîil k'ech'ii'aadl k'et eekąą a cup of tea is on the table eetąą it (sticklike or longish object) is there k'ech'ii'aadl k'et díi ch'e eetaan? what (sticklike object) is on the table? dechenh k'ech'ii'aadl k'et deetąą a stick is on the table ehchuut it (food) is there k'ech'ii'aadl k'et díi ch'e ehchuud? what (food) is on the table? shí' gęyh k'ech'ii'aadl k'et ehchuut dry meat is on the table ehchúuth it (a flat, flexible object) is there k'ech'ii'aadl k'et díi ch'e ehchúudh? what (flat, flexible object) is on the table? k'ech'ii'aadl k'et eek ehchúuth a shirt is on the table

exit : tixúltsįį deh

expensive : diitl'eddh  it is expensive ch'ěl' diitl'eddh shíi ét-tlųų   he or she is dressed in expensive clothing

explode : teltétl it exploded xá'altáł   it accidentally exploded, went off by itself (e.g. gun)

exterior : wuk'et exterior, outside surface (of something) wuk'et shę́ę' xúhtseł  only the exterior is wet

extinguish : nayitnéhdek  she or he extinguished it, put it out kón' natnétdek   the fire went out

eye : shdǎagh' my eye shnahts'ehgěey' area around my eye (refers to the area around the eye socket) mindǎagh' déhk'eyh   its eyes are sharp (it has good eyesight) dhegket I'm wide-eyed, my eyes are wide open

eyebrow : shnaxdzaaxá' my eyebrow

eyelash : shnaxts'eh xá' my eyelash

eyesight : wudǎagh' dehk'eyh she or he has excellent eyesight LITERALLY 'his or her eyes are sharp'

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