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 g̱ooch, or wolf. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say g̱ooch.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: G̱ooch.
That means wolf.
Here are some sentences:
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: G̱ooch kei akaawag̱áx.
The wolf is howling.
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Kaagwaantaan, g̱ooch áwé has du yahaayí átx̱ alyiex̱.
The Kaagwaantaan use the image of the wolves.
Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: G̱ooch ax̱ éesh du kʼoodásʼi kaadé wuduwaḵáa.
A wolf was sewn on my fatherʼs shirt.
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Kaagwaantaan Yanyeidí has du at.óowu áyá g̱ooch.
The wolf is the at.óow of the Kaagwaantaan and the Yanyeidí.
Additional language resources:
Find biographies for the master speakers included in this lesson here.
Learn more about why we use Lingít instead of Tlingit here.
