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 shéiyi, or spruce. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say shéiyi.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Shéiyi.
That means spruce.
Here are some sentences:
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Shéiyi da dax̱ káax’ has awliyéx̱.
He made a basket out of spruce bark.
Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: Cháash hít yeedé shéiyi haaw, yéi amsinee.
They put spruce boughs in the brush house.
Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Aak’éi aas áwé wé shéiyi.
It’s a good tree, the spruce.
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Shéiyi daayí tsú atx̱ duleix̱.
Spruce bark as well, it is always growing.
You can hear each installment of Lingít Word of the Week on the radio throughout the week.
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.
