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
W |
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wade: he is wading
taadetmeek | ||||||
wag:łii deché' étiik the dog is wagging its tail |
waist: my waist |
wait: stop, wait! needoogh eedah she or he is waiting for us |
wake up:ts'énihthíit I am waking up
ts'éninthiit | ||||||
walk:aahaał she or he is walking imperfective paradigm
tth'iitú' k'eddh łóghíhhaał | ||||||
walking stick: SYN staff, cane |
wall: |
want:shdéhtląą I want, crave it ldîil shdéhtląą I want tea ldîil ndéhtląą? do you want tea? meł shdéhtląą I am sleepy LITERALLY 'I want sleep'
Words with -thenh can imply a less immediate desire for something than words with -tląą. êy êynihthenh I want it xiy'êyninthenh they want it má' êynihthenh I want fish
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war: |
warbler (bird): |
warm: it (an object) is warm ldîil nelkón' t'o tishdiił the tea is lukewarm but I will drink it xnelgón' it (the weather) is warm nah'ôg xnelgón' it is warm outside naxnelgón' it warmed up |
warn: I warned him or her |
warrior: |
wart: |
wash:tth'ák k'éch'éktseł I am washing the dishes
tth'áak eta'ihłeex I am washing the dishes
neech'egdeex
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wash basin: |
watch: she or he is watching him. her or it ts'éhxeh gaay nayúdeh'ę́ę' the little girl is watching her dendîig na'údek-'ę́ę' I am watching the moose dendîig natdek-'íik I am watching the moose move around ndaxdédhíshdah I am watching, observing (nothing in particular) |
watch out!: be careful, watch out |
water:tuu water texninthaat deep water texnįhk'ôdl shallow water dees k'et déełęyh water flows over shallows tuu tth'ų́ų' clear water taak'étth clear, cold water tuu kón' clear water tuu tanat-t'uut water is muddy, dirty Different words are used to describe water levels or changes in water levels. tuu natet-tsetth the water went back down tuu niihąą water has risen, flooded tuu niltah water level is steady |
water (just above fish trap): |
water lily: |
water plants: |
waterfall: water is flowing down, cascading down |
watering hole: a place to get water, water source |
watermilfoil: watermilfoil, "muskrat food" (Myriophyllum spicatum) |
wave (hand): she or he is waving to him/her nts'į́' łá'ísh'aak I'm waving at you |
wave (on water): |
waxwing, Bohemian (bird):tl'uuł nęy |
we:neexon we, us |
weak: I am weak (have no strength) |
wear (clothing):nádédhégshah I am wearing it (clothing) náydélshah she or he is wearing it (clothing) Used as a general term for 'wearing' as well as for clothes worn above the waist but not on the hands or head.
díi nádédhílshah?
P shíi dédheg'éetth I am wearing P (pants, shoes)
ch'ehtlé' shíi dél'éetth
nátthí'udédhíshtl'uu
k'onit'êy nátth'í'udéttl'ųų | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
weasel: short-tailed weasel (Mustela erminea) SYN ermine tsuuy least weasel (Mustela rixosa) |
weather:nah'ôg nts'é xúnt'eh? how is the weather? LITERALLY 'How is it outside?' nah'ôg nts'é xúltsįį? how's the weather out there? LITERALLY 'How does it look outside?' nah'ôg xúnsųų the weather is nice, it is nice outside ch'et-ts'iik nippy weather |
weave: I am weaving aayh nexét she or he is weaving snowshoes |
web: SYN spider web |
wedge (for splitting wood): |
weep: |
weir (fishing): fish weir, bridge wuch'ěel' fish weir stakes |
welcome: you're welcome, it okay |
went: |
wet:ehtseł it is wet nadhįhtseł you are wet chąą ts'enh nadhektseł I am wet from the rain shinłá' éhtseł my hands are wet elsox it is damp na'ehts'ół it is soaking wet nadhekts'ół I am soaking wet SEE damp |
what: díi ín'áał? what are you eating? díi chíh? what else? nts'é' nts'é' t'índę́'ę? what are you doing? ęę what? |
wheeze: I am wheezing |
when:ndée dé' when (future) ndée dé' tínhaał? when are you leaving? ndée dą́'ą when (past) ndée dą́'ą nínshah? when did you arrive? |
where:ndée where (what place) ndée dhíndah? where do you live? chenhtiił ndée nínín'ąą? where did you put the box? nt'í́h? where is it (a specific person or thing) éeł nt'í́h? where is the trap? |
whetstone: |
which: which do you want? |
while: shchąą tah ts'enîin dâa'itshah while I was sleeping the child arrived k'ahdíidą́'ą a while ago k'ahdíidą́'ą nach'ih'áatl I ate a while ago k'ahdíidé' after a while (in the future) k'ahdíidé' tâatihdaał after a while I'm going home dindah a while wukól díndah na'ilsheyh you rest while she or he is gone |
whimbrel: |
whimper: |
whirlpool: whirlpool, eddy in water SYN eddy |
whirlwind: xaghints'eyh maay SYN dust devil |
whiskers: my whiskers SYN beard minch'ědl xá' whiskers on dog or lynx |
whisper: I am whispering
sts'į́' díldziit | ||||||
whistle: he or she is whistling
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whistler: |
white: it is white xey tah gah delgeyh rabbits are white in winter delgey the white one jâan tthíishúus délgey sínt'eh this is a white hat |
white fronted goose: (Anser albifrons) |
White Person (non-Native): |
white socks (bugs): |
white-winged junco (bird):ts'est'ûud (Junco hyemalis) |
white-winged scoter (duck): (Melanitta fusca) |
whitefish: |
whittle: I am whittling (to a point) |
who: who jâan dóo ch'e nt'eh? who is this? dóo íin éł tínhaał? who (plural) are you going with? |
whole: wudzih gǎan' łaaltth'ek ts'į́' wutl'ayghų́hchuut dé' make sure you give him or her the whole caribou arm |
why: díi gha ch'e t'inden? why are you doing that? |
wide: it is wide tsá' ch'e dintéeł beaver has a wide tail |
widgeon (duck): American widgeon (Anas americana) |
widow: widow or widower |
wife: my wife, mate wu'éł dhíhdaay my spouse, the one I stay with |
wiggle: she or he is wiggling, cannot sit still ts'enîin et-t'aał the child is wiggling |
wilderness: |
wildman: Brush Indian. Bogeyman. People in stories that lived apart from society and were often intent in capturing children. SYN brushman ALSO bug, insect, worm |
willow: willow dahłiigaay pussy willow k'aaz tsets dry willow or alder branches łuudh mountain willow SYN buckbrush, dwarf birch k'ę́y' jiits willow sprouts, new growth |
win: I won something |
wind (chinook wind): warm winter wind |
window: |
windpipe: my windpipe ALSO tube |
windy: it is windy xaghįhts'eyh it became windy tęy k'et det-ts'iik it (snow) is blowing on the trail |
wing: |
wink:nelts'ék he is winking negts'ékts'enelts'ék nilts'éknalts'ék nelts'ékxnelts'ékyits'į́' nelts'ék he or she is winking at him or her |
winter: winter xey taatl'ed mid-winter |
wipe:mejektlet I am wiping it (quickly) tth'aak ejektlet I am wiping (drying) the plate mejekkét I'm wiping it (thoroughly) tuu nee_h_el éł méjekkét I am wiping it with hot water |
wise: he is wise ALSO clever ndaxdinshaan sínt'eh that is a wise person |
wish:nah'óg xneek'eddh éł, sheen úkah tsíixú'ék-'ęę when it is cold outside I wish for summer |
witch's broom: witch's broom (in spruce trees) |
with: with sh'éł dhíndah stay with me shtá' éł with my father gha dendeey iin aanděg' gha ishndaa I work with Native languages |
withered: |
without:êy ehdenh without that thing |
wolf: (Canis lupus) tiikâan théth wolf hide |
Wolf Lake:Shós Menh |
wolverine: (Gulo gulo) |
woman: woman ts'est'eey old woman ts'éxeey iin women |
womb: |
wonder: díi lé'e ch'e nt'eh I wonder what that is? |
wood: firewood tsets ndeeth long length wood tsets wuk'et det-tl'ęę sawed wood ts'ôgh dehtsel wet, green wood |
wood burl: SYN burl |
wood chips: |
woodpecker: hoary or downy woodpecker (Picoides villosus, pubescens) |
work: I'm working
ishndah shax ts'enh ghihhaał | ||||||
world: |
worm: ALSO brushman, insect, bug |
wormwood: |
worn out: it is worn out tet-tsenh it is worn down, worn thin shxú' tet-tsenh my teeth are worn down shkentsį̌įdh' xanintleek my moccasins are worn out |
worry: she or he is worried |
wound: |
wound: wounded animal ch'ekaa k'ée a wound, injury SYN sore |
wrap: she or he has a blanket wrapped around them |
wreck: |
wrestle: they are wrestling |
wring: I am wringing it out na'ídhíhgétth I wrung it out na'úghédhíhgétth I wrung it out (a hide, by wringing around a stick) |
wrinkle: it is wrinkled nach'ihgêddh ts'enh shinlaatsógh' nelch'ų́ųtth my fingers are wrinkled from washing clothes |
wrist: |
write: I'm writing
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wrong: not that way (direction)! k'á xúu' wrong way! dada'én' wrong way (verbally) dada'én' ts'į́' sų́'ų naxxghuldeg don't tell that story the wrong way |
