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 shaa, or mountain. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say shaa.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Shaa.
That means mountain.
Here are some sentences:
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Ḵúnáx̱ átx̱ sitee yá Lingít yá óoxjaa noowx̱ sitee yá shaa.
Itʼs really something, for the Lingít, the mountains are a wind fortress.
Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: Shaa kaadé na.átch dzískw, tlákw táakw.
The moose always walk up the mountains every winter.
Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Shaayadaadé gax̱too.aat.
Letʼs go up around the upper part of the mountain.
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Lingít aaní shayadihéin shaa.
There are many mountains on Lingít land.
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Dleit a shakée daak wusitán wé shaa.
It snowed on top of the mountain.
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.
