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
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P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL
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gaff: gaff hook ehsáx she or he is hooking, gaffing SYN hook |
gag: |
gain (weight): she or he gained weight |
gall bladder: my gall bladder ch'etl'éts an animal's gall bladder |
gamble: I am gambling |
gap (crack): a gap in something niłk'ée dálneyh something fell in a gap |
gape: |
gasp (for breath): she or he is gasping for breath |
gather: |
gathering: people are gathered together |
George Creek: |
Gerstle River: |
get: |
get away: get away, go away |
get out: get out, leave! én' tîinindaayh get out of here! |
get up: get up (lift yourself up) dég ni'idhinhaayh rise!, get up! (from sitting or laying down) |
ghost: ghost, spirit of someone deceased ch'eshǐig' ghost ALSO reflection, photograph |
gift: memento, gift jâan dú' kǎay' íl'ee this is just a memento SYN present ALSO souvenir, keepsake |
giggle: she or he is giggling nadlokdach'etnel'iik ts'į́' me'ishdeyh I know they're laughing (at me) |
gill: fish gills |
girl: young girl t'êd adolescent girl (teenager) |
girlfriend: my girlfriend, boyfriend, companion LITERALLY 'the one I usually go around with' ALSO boyfriend |
give (hand to): I am giving it to you Different words are used depending on the type of object or if more than one object is being handled. The same basic set of Tanacross words are used in slightly different forms for English action words "give", "there is", "carry", "pick up", "put down" More than one of any object eek shtl'á'indlah you give me the coats eek ntl'á'ghíhdlah I gave you the coats One compact object tthee gaay shtl'ánín'aayh give me the small rock tthee gaay ntl'á'ghíh'ąą I gave you the little rock One long and skinny object (like a pencil) k'á' shtl'á'íntiiyh give me the gun k'á' n1tl'ághíhtąą I gave you the gun One pourable object (in a container) tuu shtl'á'ínkaayh give me the water (in a cup) tuu ntl'ághíhkąą I gave you the water One flat, flexible object eek shtl'á'į́hchuuth give me the shirt eek ntl'ághékchuuth I gave you the shirt One (ready to eat) chunk of food má' shtl'á'į́hchuut give me the dry fish má' n1tl'ághekchúut I gave you the dry fish One living object (like a puppy or baby) ts'enîin gaay shtl'á'į́hteeyh give me the baby ts'enîin gaay ntl'ághéktęę I gave you the baby Since 'giving' includes a 'giver' and a 'receiver', the number of possible combinations is large. Below are examples using the 'gave one compact object' word. tthee gaay wutl'á'níhdlah I gave him/her the small rocks tthee gaay yitl'áníndlah she or he gave him or her the small rocks tthee gaay wutl'áts'enindlah we gave him/her the small rocks tthee gaay shtl'áxníndlah they gave me the small rocks tthee gaay xuutl'áníhdlah I gave them the small rocks tthee gaay neetl'áníndlah you gave us the small rock A different word can be used to emphasize handing something quickly shtl'adintsiit hand it (something long, like a pencil) to me fast |
give me:nde' give it to me seey nde' give me the knife tth'áak n1de' give me the plate |
glacier: |
glad: I glad she or he did that, I'm proud of what she or he did |
Glaman Lake: LITERALLY 'algae lake' |
glance: I glanced at him or her |
glare: |
glide: |
glimpse: I got a glimpse of him, her or it yitdéh-'ęę he got a glimpse of him, her or it aatthúug dáshee tashaay yitdeh'ęę I just got a glimpse of it down there |
gloves: modern gloves with fingers jeyh mittens deshoz jeyh old time mittens with fur inside |
glued: it is stuck, glued on |
glutton: she or he is a glutton, eats too much |
gnat: |
gnaw: he, she or it is gnawing on it tth'enh dehk'on he, she or it is gnawing a bone dexú' déhchiits it is gnawing its teeth |
go:Dihthâad ts'į́' ghíhhaał  I'm going (right now) to Mansfield imperfective paradigm
ch'utkeet shax ts'į́' ts'aadéł
Fairbanks ts'į́' téeshah
dzeen Fairbanks ts'į́' tíhhaał, tl'âan teddh dé' natihdaał | ||||||||||||||||||
go home: you go home! |
go out (extinguish): it went out (on its own) kón' natnétdek the fire went out (by itself) |
gobble: |
God: |
golden: it is golden colored |
goldeneye (duck): \de |
good:ihsųų I'm well
nsųų | ||||||
good luck: |
good time: |
Goodpaster River: LITERALLY 'camprobber river' |
goofy: she or he is goofy, clowning around |
goose: lesser Canada goose (Branta canadensis parvipes) dąąxed cackling Canada goose (Branta canadensis minima) |
goose grass: grass growing out of water around the edge of lakes |
goshawk: (Accipiter gentilis) |
gossip: they are gossiping about someone |
grab: she or he grabbed it
shch'ěl' ídhekchúut | ||||||
grandchild:shchâay my grandchild (women's) shtthûuy my grandchild (man's) |
grandfather: my grandfather |
grandmother: my grandmother łaan éł stsųų my mother's mother The term for 'mother's mother' is a more respectful term. |
grass: grass taagúuth goose grass |
grasshopper: LITERALLY 'little thunder' |
grateful: I am grateful |
grave: |
gravel: ALSO sand |
gravel bar in river: |
gray: the gray one delmaa it is gray |
gray-haired: tthiitnitgaay |
grayling: (Thymallus arcticus) |
grease: grease SYN lard, shortening elxęę it is greasy, rich ch'ekaa elxęę fat is greasy xee tlok it is soaked through with grease |
great person: SYN respect |
great uncle: my maternal great uncle (grandmother's brother) |
great-grand child: my great-grandchild (women's) shtthuuy wuts'eníin' chíh shtthuuy nłęę my great-grandchild (man's) |
grebe: red necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) red necked then horned |
green:deldlêedz green, blue sheen tah tl'ox deldléets in summer the grass is green ALSO blue |
green wood: |
green-winged teal: (Anas crecca) |
grey: |
grey jay: (Perisoreous canadensis) SYN jay, camprobber |
grizzly bear: (Urus arctos) |
grosbeak (bird): (Pinicola enucleator) SYN pine grosbeak |
ground: |
ground hog: (Marmaota caligata) SYN marmot |
ground squirrel: SYN arctic ground squirrel (Spermophilus parryii) |
group (people): |
grouse: spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) SYN spruce hen ch'ehtêeg sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) tsą́ą' ts'uug ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbelllus) |
grow (plants): tl'ox nesheegh plants are growing |
grow up: I grew up néeshąą she or he grew up |
growl: a dog is growling |
grudge: she or he has a grudge against him or her |
grumble: |
guard: ALSO police nayudah'ę́ę' she or he is guarding him/her/it |
guest: invited potlatch guest |
guide: she or he is guiding him/her around |
gull: mew gull (Larus canus) SYN seagull mehk'ą̂ąy chox herring gull (Larus argentatus) tthí' tsaan Bonaparte's gull |
gully: ALSO pit, hole SYN ditch |
gum (pitch): SYN pitch dzéex nekk'éts I am popping, snapping gum (as I chew) |
gums: |
gun: SYN rifle k'á' k'iig gunsite |
gunny sack:tl'ox saak |
gush: it gushed, spewed out |
gust: it is gusty, wind comes and goes |
guts (animal): |
guzzle: you are guzzling it, drinking it quickly natnatk'êddh tth'eh tilgots! drink it up before it cools down! tédheggóts I gulped it, drank it quickly tédhilgóts you gulped it, drank it quickly |
gyrfalcon:jîiz chox gyrfalcon |
