This is Lingít Word of the Week. Each week, we feature a Lingít word voiced by master speakers. Lingít has been spoken throughout present-day Southeast Alaska and parts of Canada for over 10,000 years.
Gunalchéesh to X̱’unei Lance Twitchell, Goldbelt Heritage Foundation and the University of Alaska Southeast for sharing the recorded audio for this series.
This week’s word is séew, or rain. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say séew.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Séew.
That means rain.
Here are some sentences:
Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Séew ḵúnáx̱ daak wusitán.
It’s really raining.
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Séew daak wusitán.
It’s raining.
Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: Aatlein séew daak wustaaní, yeis yít, ḵaa dzískʼw du sheidí chʼáalʼ x̱oox̱ yaa akla.átch.
When it rains a lot in the fall, the bull moose drag their antlers through the willows.
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Haa x̱ánxʼ yakʼéi wé séew.
This rain is good.
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Séew has du káa daak wusitán.
It rained on them all.
You can hear each installment of Lingít Word of the Week on the radio throughout the week.
Find biographies for the master speakers included in this lesson here.
Learn more about why we use Lingít instead of Tlingit here.
