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
M |
|---|
macaroni: LITERALLY 'rabbit guts' |
mad: |
maggot: nindaagh |
magpie: tsaxatndiik (Pica pica) |
make:yehtseyh he is making, building, constructing it imperfective paradigm
\tb dhektsįį ts'ehtsįį dhįhtsįį dhahtsįį yíhtsįįxiyíhtsįį shax xahtseyh he is making, building a house yíhtsįį she or he made it Making more than one thing yinxąą he made them ALSO kill (several) perfective paradigm
yexąą he is making them | ||||||||||||
mallard (duck): (Anas platyrhynchos) |
mammal: nûun ká'ehá' he is hunting LITERALLY 'he is fetching animals' |
man:dendeh man, person dendeey men, people tsiil young man, older boy ch'etey old man |
manner (way): (do it) in this manner, this way |
Mansfield: Mansfield Village Ch'enaa Ndêdh old Mansfield Village Dihthâad Xt'een Iin Mansfield People |
Mansfield Hill: |
many: many, lots (of something) wudzih ndlâan nek-'ęh I see lots of caribou SYN lots, much ndlâan iin many people, lots of people xtíitl gha ndlâan iin nindeetl lots of people came for the potlatch xindlą́ą there are many (people) Fairbanks xt'een iin xghindlą́ą there are lots of Fairbanks area people |
March: |
marmot: (Marmaota caligata) SYN ground hog |
marrow: its marrow |
marry: he married her k'ôd niłxútdíik they are already married xuht'ęę I am married Fairbanks tah ts'axunt'ęę we are married and make a home in Fairbanks |
marshhawk:nah daax marsh hawk |
marten: (Martes americana) |
marvel: |
mat: ALSO mattress, rug, bedding |
matches: ALSO fire |
mattress: ALSO bedding, rug, mat |
May: |
maybe: SYN possible kadándé' Dihthâad ts'į́' tíhhaał súle' maybe I'll go to Mansfield tomorrow |
me: |
me too: shint'ah, ihsųų me too, I'm fine |
meadow: meadow; flat, unforested area |
mean: she or he is a mean person wushíi xnét-thet he or she is mean mets'adaxdiht'eey \au she or he is a mean person |
measure: he is measuring it mech'unéedhék-'ąą I am measuring it, sizing it up |
meat: meat, general term for food tthį́į' meat, flesh nłeen cooked meat shí' tnetlog well cooked meat shí' éhtsel freshly cut meat nat-ttheg strips of meat wuká'éegęy partly dried meat |
medicine: medicine, usually a traditional remedy given by medicine man etshen he is making medicine |
medicine man: SYN shaman |
meet: we will meet again (on purpose) k'ahdąądé' naniłts'étnal'íił we will meet again tomorrow niłts'į́' xâats'atdeetl we accidentally met, we ran into each other |
melt:ta'udeełet it (ice) is melting, thawing na'elxęę shétth na'elxęę the snow is melting tuu gha shétth na'ekxęę' I am melting snow for water |
memorize: |
mend: I mended it, patched it (by sewing) wukéjédhįhką́ą' you mended them (moccasins) wukéjelką́ą' the moccasins were resoled nadhektsįį I mended it |
mention: |
merganser, red-breasted (duck): (Mergus serrator) |
mess up: |
messenger: LITERALLY 'someone who carries news' |
metal: ALSO steel |
meteor: SYN shooting star, falling star |
midday: midday dzeen ts'į́' deg towards noon dzeen taandîidz noon |
middle: dendeh keey taandîidz xetlaatiił a man is driving a sled to the middle of the village |
Midway Lake: |
migrate: |
milk: breast milk |
mind: my mind |
mine (own): mine, my own jâan ch'e stsen this is mine jâan ch'e sts'en sínt'eh this one is mine too \de |
minister: SYN preacher |
mink: (Mustela vison) |
minnow: minnows, fish fry |
mirror: |
mischievous: she or he is mischievous et-sûug mischievous person |
miss (long for): I miss him or her |
mittens: mittens jeyh shíi degndíik I put my hand in the mittens deshoz jeyh old time mittens with fur inside |
mix: mixed together jêg niłtah net-tsiin sínt'eh berries are mixed together |
moccasin: moccasins, shoes, slippers ch'ekent'ǎag' moccasin tops |
modern: modern things |
moist: |
molar (back tooth): my molar |
mold:u'atxą́ą' it is moldy shí' u'alxą́ą' the meat became moldy |
molt: it is molting |
money: |
month: |
moon: moon gheldzeey na'ít-'ąą waxing moon (first quarter) gheldzeey k'énélshąą' full moon gheldzeey nâa'at-'ąą waning moon (last quarter) |
Moon Lake: |
moonlight: |
moose: general term for moose (Alces alces) detsîig calf moose deshaaz cow moose ninchûun bull moose ch'eshiidz big bull moose tl'ach'aakáal old moose with curved horns Parts of a moose that have a special name ch'inxǎann' hump on a moose's back wutthéet'ǎag' moose "bell" ch'inchěnn' rump ch'ekelaagę̌y' hoof ch'egáan' forelegs ch'exǒl' hind legs ch'endaag k'ée area where moose regularly go to feed |
more: |
morning: morning k'á k'áhmén' xúułé́ey it's not morning k'áhmén' dé' tomorrow morning k'áhmén' dé' Fairbanks ts'į́' natihdaał I am going back to Fairbanks tomorrow morning k'áhmén' dą́'ą this (past) morning k'áhmén' dą́'ą xesaghin'ąą this morning it was sunny |
mosquito: |
moss: ALSO algae |
mother: my mother náa' mommy |
mother-in-law:stsųų my mother-in-law (man's) shkę́y' wunąą my mother-in-law (woman's) |
Mount Neuberger: SYN Tanacross Mountain LITERALLY 'frog tooth' |
mountain: mountain(s) łuu ddheł mountain range, snow or glacier covered mountain(s) ddheł tthiit'aag mountain top xdaagh area above tree line, alpine tundra |
mountain pass: |
mountain willow: SYN buckbrush, dwarf birch |
mouse: mouse (general term) ché' ndeedh mouse with long tail tsudaakeey shrew |
mouth: my mouth taacheeg river mouth |
move: he or she moves, travels with household goods, travels nomadically Anchorage ts'enh Fairbanks tah ninihdah I moved from Anchorage to Fairbanks stanindah she or he moved away naxtetndeek they are moving from place to place ghihndeł I am traveling around (with my family and possessions) ya'ehaak she or he is moving about, always on the go |
move (animals): animals move, migrate, walk as a group Refers to overall movement of more than one animal. Used not only for herd animals such as caribou or sheep but also, for example, of a bunch of loose dogs running around. nûun natel'és animals are moving around wudzih ndlaan xúh ah'és a lot of caribou are moving around there Chedzǎagh' Ndîig ts'enh wudzih na'al'és caribou are migrating from the Fortymile River altl'eeł herd of animals moves quickly wudzih naltl'éy áltl'eeł a herd of caribou is moving quickly xah natedaak the goose is walking around łii atdetth The dog is running |
move (object): it (compact object) is moving, in motion naa tuutiił stádénín'aay move the cup there! naa tuutiił nanénį́htsiit move the cup aside! SEE push, carry |
much: |
mud: mud nah'ôg łéech'aak xúnłęę it's muddy outside łéech'aak na'alják there was a mud slide LITERALLY 'mud slid down' ALSO clay łeet'ot mud, quicksand ALSO quicksand |
mukluks: ch'edzaathéth keech'ótl caribou legging mukluks |
mumble: she or he is mumbling dadeljók she or he is mumbling angrily |
murky: liquid is murky, thick (e.g. muddy water, gravy) łeech'aak tanát-t'uut mud is thick, murky najalt'enh it (weather) is murky (due to fog, ice fog, smoke) |
muscle: |
mush dogs (drive dogs): I am driving a sled |
mushroom: a mushroom (any kind) ch'enę̌yy' tthishǔuz' cap of a mushroom łuudh nę̌yy' yellow or light brown mushroom t'aath nę̌yy' King Bolete mushroom (red headed mushroom) (Boletus edulis) k'įį nę̌yy' birch bolete (black headed mushroom) (Leccinum scabrum) |
muskrat: muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) níhts'îil muskrat food (watermilfoil) (Myriophyllum spicatum) dzenh kę̌ę' muskrat lodge dzenh tsědz' muskrat tunnel |
mussel (lake clam): |
mustache: my mustache |
mute: mute person |
