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 xóots, or brown bear. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say xóots.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Xóots.
That means brown bear.
Here are some sentences:
Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: De sá wé yaa nagút wé xóots?
Where is the brown bear walking to?
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Teiḵweidí shagóon áyá xóots.
The Teiḵweidí are the brown bear clan.
Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: Xóots, máayatee yéixʼ yatseeneit yóo dax̱ duwasáakw.
Brown bears are sometimes called “Yatseeneit” (the living thing).
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Yá xóots ḵa yá hintaak xóodzi woosh tin has yatee.
Brown bears and polar bears are coming together.
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Xóots aas daax̱ kei wdlitl’ét’.
The brown bear climbed a tree.
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.
