ú-làʼ (his/her hand)

ú-la-tây (hand top)

ú-la-tlʼâyʼ (palm of hand)

ú-la-shùhʼ (thumb)

ú-la-gânʼ (nail)

ú-la-tthʼâwʼ (index and ring finger)

ú-la-tthʼâwʼ shäw (middle finger)

ú-la-tsel-a (pinky finger)

kè (foot)

ke ǹ tlʼà (heel)

Hand Phrases

Lhâwa u tsʼan ń tthʼâw dàʼa
Donʼt point your finger at me.

yäw (snow)

yäw sha-daa (light snow)

sha-daa nį́-khyàw (powder snow)

daa-yâw (snow on branches)

na-kwaâ-zhaw (GJ) na-kwa-dà zhäw (LJ)

shäw (frost)

Je kʼe (lhú) shé-mę̀lʼ tan-nį̀-tlʼų?

When you are you going to set the fish net?

She-mę̀l tan-nį̀-tlʼų-a?

Are you going to set the net?

kà-tʼą̀ kʼe shé-mèn (GJ) ta nì tlʼų̂.

Tomorrow Iʼm going to set the net.

kìjen dzé-nų̀ ta nà dî tlʼųʼ.

In five days we two will set the net.

tthʼe mę̀lʼ (LJ) tthʼe mènʼ (gopher snare)

thäy tʼà mę̀l (golden eagle snare)

Literacy Workshop May 9-10, 2016

PRONOUNS

Possessive Pronouns – my, our; his/her/its, their; your

Singular (one) Plural (some, many)

1st person sg 1st person pl

á kų̀ʼ  MY house dáh kų̀  OUR house

2nd person sg 2nd person pl

ń kų̀ʼ  YOUR house dáh kų̀  YOUR house

3rd person sg 3rd person pl

u kų̀ʼ  her/his/its house kwa kų̀ʼ  THEIR house

á  my dáh  our

ń  your (singular) dáh  your (plural)

u   her/his/its kwa  their

ma /mǝ/   her/his/its (in other dialects)

me /mɛ/   her/his/its (in other dialects)

Ń kų̀ tsʼàn ʼa-taa-dį́n-daal-a?

your house to obj-wander-you-walk-Q

Are you walking back to your house?

E.g., Are you going home?

Ń office tsʼàn ʼa-taa-dį́n-daal-a?

your office to obj-wander-you-walk-Q

Are you walking back to your office?

E.g., Are you going back to your office?

Á kų̀ tsʼàn ʼa-taa-dí-daalʼ.

my house to obj-wander-asp-I-walk

Iʼm going to walk to my house.

E.g., Iʼm going home to my house.

Á kų̀ tsʼàn ʼa-taa-dí-shaalʼ.

my house to obj-wander-asp-I-walk

Iʼm going to start walking to my house.

NOUNS TAKE POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS

All nouns inflect for possession with a set of pronouns (my, our, her, his, its, their, your). Nouns that donʼt carry low tone change the tone on the vowel in that word to a falling tone, and glottal stop is added to the end of the word. Tutchone marks nouns for possession by putting a pronoun before it, and possession marker after it.

Ex.

man /mʌn/ means lake. In Kaska men /mɛn/ means lake. If I want to say my lake Iʼll place the prefix for my, es– /ʔɛs/, before the word, then add the possession marker –éʼ /ɛ́ʔ/ after the word. It looks like this, es–men–éʼ. Iʼd write it es menéʼ. In Tutchone weʼll place the prefix for my, á– /ʔʌ́/, before the word, then add the possession marker –ʼ /ʔ/ after the word. It looks like this, á–mân–ʼ. I write it like this, á mânʼ for my lake.

Ex.

tthe is the word for rock/stone but when you use a possessive pronoun with it, it changes to tthêʼ. So the way you say my rock, is you say my rock is, á tthêʼ , ń tthêʼ your rock, u tthêʼ her rock, and so on.

ke means track, or moccasin, but when you use a possessive pronoun, it changes to kêʼ so that á kêʼ is my tracks, ń kêʼ is your tracks, and u kêʼ is his/her/its tracks.

Kanäy kê níʼʼį. I see moose tracks.

moose tracks I-see-them

tsʼaát is a hat or cap, but when you use a possessive pronoun, it changes to tsʼaât so that á tsʼaât is my hat, ń tsʼaât is your hat, u tsʼaât is her/his/its hat.

taa-tsʼaaát is related to the word for hat. The prefix taa- means water, and tsʼaát is a hat or cap. Á taa-tsʼaât means my suckerfish. Ń taa-tsʼaât means your suckerfish. U taa-tsʼaât means her/his/its suckerfish.

In nouns that carry a low tone no change is made to the tone on the vowel in that noun word, as we saw with the word for house, kų̀ʼ.

Ex.

So my house is á kų̀ʼ. Your house is ń kų̀ʼ. His, her, or its house is u kų̀ʼ. Same goes for kèʼ, foot.

Ex.

Á kèʼ is my foot/feet, ń kèʼ your foot/feet, u kèʼ his/her/its foot.

Kanäy kè níʼį. I see moose foot/feet.

moose foot I-see-it/them

Ex.

Á tsʼàt is my blanket, ń tsʼàt is your blanket, u tsʼàt is his/her/its blanket.

Some nouns change the first segment when a possessive pronoun.

Ex.

tlį is the word for “dog” but when you use a possessive pronoun with it, it changes to dlį̂ʼ. So the way you say my dog, is you say, á dlį̂ʼ my dog, ń dlį̂ʼ your dog.

lhú is the word for “fish” but when you use a possessive pronoun with it, it changes to lûʼ. So the way you say my fish, is you say, á lûʼ, ń lûʼ your fish.

Some nouns are kinship terms.

u tthé-a manʼs daughterPRIMARY VOWELS

a    e   i    u

/ɑˑ/  /eˑ/  /iˑ/  /uˑ/

Front      Back

High   iˑ         uˑ

Low   eˑ         aˑ

Canadian English equivalents

a = “ah” “aw” as in caw, shah, straw, the a in father

e = “ay” as in say, may, day, hey, they, hay

i = “ee” as in see, bee, me, ski, we, she, he

u = “oo” as in who, blue, shoe, do, chew, stew

OPEN SYLLABLE – CV (consonant-vowel syllable)

a = “ah” “aw” as in caw, Shaw, the a in father

sha sun

e = “ay” as in say, may, day, hey, they, hay

chʼe is/are

i = “ee” as in see, bee, me, ski, we, she, he

dli freeze

u = “oo” as in who, blue, shoe, do, chew, stew

CLOSED SYLLABLE – CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant)

a = “ah” “aw” as in caw, Shaw, the a in father

maat older sister

mààt mitt

nàà-lààt boat

tsʼaál frog

tsʼaânʼ wife, partner

tsʼaát cap/hat

tthʼaát guardian, boss

REDUCED VOWELS

a   e   i   u

/ʌ/  /ɛ/  /ɪ/  /ʊ/

a /ʌ/ = but, cut, gut, hut, jut, mutt, nut, putt, rut

e /ɛ/ = bet, get, jet, let, met, net, pet, set, vet, wet, yet

i /ɪ/ = bit, fit, hit, kit, lit, mitt, nit, pit, sit, wit, zit

u /ʊ/ = could, foot, good, hood, put, soot, should, wood

REDUCED VOWEL

The “loosey goosey” vowel is mostly in prefixes to a stem, and can be a vowel in a stem.

e ~ a

/ ɛ ~ ʌ /

Ex.

de-chʼäw ~ da-chʼäw porcupine

de-gäy ~ da-gäy swan

Ex.

Dań dè-jel. People left.

Dań dà-jel. People left.

Dań dè-jal. People left.

Dań dà-jal. People left.

See how the shifting vowel doesnʼt change the meaning of the word.  Look at the word for woman. Theyʼre all the same word.

a-ghà-jèn woman

a–yà-jèn woman

a-ghà-jàn woman

a–yà-jàn woman

a-ghà-ję̀l woman

a–yà-ję̀l woman

a-ghà-ją̀l woman

a–yà-ją̀l woman

Consider the reflexive pronoun de-/da-, /dɛ-/dǝ-, meaning “to self”.

de tàʼ /dɛ-tàʔ/ his/her own dad

da tàʼ /dǝ-tàʔ/ his/her own dad

ma tàʼ his/her dad

me tàʼ his/her dad

u  tàʼ his/her dad

U tà là ʼa-tàn. Sheʼs holding a dadʼs hand.

her dad hand she-holds

De tà là ʼa-tàn. Sheʼs holding her dadʼs hand.

own dad hand she-holds

SECONDARY VOWEL

uh

/ʉ/ [ɜ] is a secondary vowel because it comes from old syllables with a s-type final consonant.

uh /ʉ/ [ɜ] = is a u-sound but with lip-flattening, and there is no comparable sound from English.

Ex.

tùhʼ /tʉˑʔ/ [tɜˑʔ] cane

tóʼ  /tóˑʔ/ [tɔˑʔ] cane [Northern Tutchone]

tésʼ  /tésʔ/  [tɛ́sʔ] cane [Kaska]

chʼùhʼ roast O

Tsal ń-chʼùh-a? Are you roasting gopher?

gopher you-roast-Q

Tsal ʼí-chʼùhʼ kwàn màyʼ. Iʼm roasting gopher by fire.

gopher I-roast-fire edge

sù-nèn ʼa-chʼuh bannock

flour itʼs-roasted [Tlingit sàk-nàìn]

Àghây. Tsal ʼí-chʼùhʼ. Iʼm roasting gopher.

yes gopher I-roast-it

dluh toboggan

duh, tàà-dûhʼ twisted, driftwood,

“water twisted”

gyuh King salmon

jųh, lha-jųh cottonwood

jùh, kà-na-jùh crawl

jùhʼ, u juh-a his/her sister

nuh, u nuh uncle, motherʼs brother

nuh, tsʼá-nuh it is long

tʼuh poplar/aspen

tùhʼ cane, walking stick

ʼùhʼ fish trap, V-formation

ʼÙ ʼa-tsi making a V-formation

RETROFLEX VOWELS

There are two r-coloured vowels, -ar, and -ur. The retroflexion comes from a sh-type final consonant.

ar /ɚ/ burr, curr, fur, her, purr, sir, were

khàrʼ roots/stump

mar, mar-a nephew/niece

shar bear, beer

tʼàrʼ 2 people go

ʼàrʼ animals go

ur /ɝ/ something like <ear> in beard.

chʼùrʼ charcoal

dur, kwan-dur story

lur piss

mur knife

njur through

shur inconnu, coney

tsur wood

tsʼur ~ tsʼru blowfly

DIPHTHONGS

Diphthongs are composed of two vowels. In ST they are /ǝ͡ɪ/ and /ǝ͡ʊ/. Written respectively they are -äy, and -äw.

äw sounds like ouch, couch, about, shout, stout, lout

The diphthong appears in such words as:

bäw, a-bäw Ouch! expression

chʼäw quill

chʼäw, da-chʼäw porcupine

chʼâw is/are

Ye chʼâw? What is it?

khyàw, yäw nį́-khyàw snowing

shäw big/large

shàw good/great/fine/excellent

tthäw bear-root

yäw snow

äy sounds like bite, fight, light, kite, mite, rite, site

gäy, a-gäy wolf

gäy, da-gäy Swan

käy on

mäy sheep

mą̈y, mą̈ya aunt, motherʼs sister

tàyʼ, tàya uncle, fatherʼs brother

tthʼäy heard, e.g., someone said

tʼäy, yaa-tʼäy sky/heavens

tsäy, ʼa-tsäy crying

WORD ORDER

Languages of the world generally have these parts of speech. Noun, Pronoun, Adjective, Determiner. Verb, Adverb. Preposition. Conjunction. Interjection. Of these parts of speech, Nouns and Verbs play the greatest role in communicating ideas.

Verbs are words for actions like eat, run, sleep, and play.

Mary  | is playing/running/eating/sleeping, etc

subject | verb

Languages make sentences by using nouns and verbs. Nouns have two groups. Subject nouns, and object nouns.

Subjects are people, animals, or things that perform the actions.

three parts of speech that they use to communicate complete ideas. These are subject, object, and verb. Linguists classify languages by the way in which they order these parts of speech. These three language components make up a complete sentence.

Objects are nouns that describe what receives the action of the verb or where or how

Verbs generally require a subject, and sometimes may require an object. Verbs represent actions, and the state of things.

Subjects are the performers of the verb action.

Objects can be either direct objects or indirect objects. Direct objects are nouns that receive the action of the verb. Indirect objects are nouns that describe location and manner.

Athapaskan languages are typified as subject, object, and verb. In fact, the subject can appear after an object and verb phrases. This means that the subject is only loosely bound to the verb. This is because verbs are inherently marked with a subject pronoun.

John    | is eating.

subject |    verb

John    | heʼs-eating

John ʼá-tthuh.

John    | ate.

subject | verb

John    | ate-O

John ʼá-tthèt.

Hereʼs what it looks like when we add an object noun (gopher) to the sentence.

John is eating a gopher.

Here it is in the imperfective mode – like a present tense. John is eating a gopher.

John    |  tsal  | ʼá-tthuh.

subject | object |   verb

John    | gopher | heʼs-eating-it

Johnʼs eating a gopher.

Here it is in the perfective mode – like a past tense. John ate a gopher.

John    | tsal   | ʼá-tthèt.

subject | object |    verb

John    | gopher | he-ate

John ate a gopher.

Note that the 3rd person form has no marker. The ʼá- marker stands for “something”.

Shań  |  tsal  | ʼí-tthuh.

subject | object |    verb

I    | gopher |  I-eating-it

Iʼm eating a gopher, e.g., me Iʼm eating a gopher.

Nań   |  tsal  |    ń-tthuh-a?

subject | object |      verb

you   | gopher |   you-eating-it-Q

Are you eating gopher? e.g., you are you eating gopher?

Àghây. |  Tsal  | ʼí-tthuh.

S    | object |    verb

yes   | gopher |  I-eating-it

Yes, Iʼm eating a gopher.

Man kè  | lhú a-tlą | kwà-lį chʼeʼ.

ind. object | subject   | verbs

lake in | fish many | area-is are

There are many fish in the lake.

PEOPLE

Mary Tyone (née John) and Andy Tyone, Ahtna

Father Bell “Gaay” John, ST speaker, Ft. Selkirk

Mother Laura, born on the Generc R.

Jenny Sanford, Mentasta

Miscellaneous Vocabulary

ń-tlʼe yiw kwa dìʼ morning beverage, e.g., coffee

night there its tea

Ją̂w nį̀-nje? Where do you live?

where you-live

Burwash yiw nį̀-í-nje. I live in Burwash.

Burwash yiw nàà-njeʼ. S/he lives in Burwash.

Daa-kwà-kààt-a Haines Junction area

up-area-platform-

daa-kààt platform cache

up-platform

the kààt-a Swallow

tha kààt-a Swallow

sand platform

tsʼe, de-tsʼe ~ da-tsʼe s/he yawns

tsʼe, dí-tsʼe I yawn

tsʼe, dį-tsʼe ~ dįn-tsʼe you yawn

dį-tsʼe-a ~ dįn-tsʼe-a Are you yawning?

kų̀ʼ house, camp, village, town

Words can sound similar so it helps to know the syllable structure.

nà-dàà-ya you all stand

nàà-däy-a small lynx

nàà-däy lynx

tsʼìna dį̀-kʼą̀ʼ light a candle

candle asp-you-light-it

tsʼìna na-je-ń-thuh blow out a candle

candle itr-asp-you-blow-it

tsʼìna in-da-kwa-d-į̀n-ʼàʼ shut off a “light”

candle asp-area-asp-you-switch-it

tan shį̂ʼ glacier, “face of glacier”

ice ribs

Lhuut Laan Klutlaan Glacier

ice  end/tip

ń-chį̀ʼ bow

ń-tàrʼ arrow, stunner

dań ghą ʼa-sà-sa-dla civil servant

people for it-s/he-works

je-ń-tlʼąr green/blue

je-ǹ-chʼur ~ je-nà-chʼur black

Ń-tʼą̈y na-ye níʼį. I see plants growing.

dań kàà-tthe chief

dań naa-tthe ʼa-naal chief

dań naa-tthe ń-lį chief

ʼa-naa-kwá-yį̀ʼ chief

u yì-ń-jì I know him/O

nààkwa-daa-gwàt fog, canʼt see in it

shi-chį Iʼm sleeping

ta-dį̀n-yèl ~ ta-ǹ-yèl calm

sha-kà-ǹ-jį sun shining (on O)

sha-kà-dǹ-jį sun shining (on O)

Translations

LHÙ ’ÀÀN MÂNʼ

whitefish place lake

Big Whitefish Lake

Kwa-dą̂y chʼâw Dań á-dè Tthe Kaa-la Daa-gur

long-ago it-was people downstream boulders strewn between

It was long ago that People

yiw nà-nàà–jè kwà-chʼe nà.

there they-lived area-was did

lived down there at Little Arm.

A-tlʼa ʼA-lûr de dá ta [ná ta] yè tà-naa-dàl kʼeʼ

it-was Tlingit own belongings with they-came when

When Tlingit People arrived with their belongings (trade)

kà-naa-zhà Dań Lhù ʼÀàn Mân mày tsʼàn ń-dà-nįn-jal.

it-happened peope fish place lake edge to there-gather-pl

the People would gather on the shore of Kluane Lake.

ʼA-lûr kʼè kù-ye Lhù ʼÀàn Mân kwa-nį.

Tlingit way they-named-it fish place lake they-said

In the Tlingit way they named it Kluane Lake.

Lhù Shäw Mân ke-nį̂ kà-nàà-ni. [dį-ì-nį we say, yà-dį-ì-nįʼ]

whitefish big lake they-say like-that-they-said  [we pl. say]

They say that they called it Big Whitefish Lake.

Da-zhan mân tlą̈yà chʼâw ʼa-kʼùh yè ta-à-tlą chʼeʼ.

one-this lake really is cold and deep it-is

This lake is very cold and deep.

U käy shų ń-lha-tâ¹ ń-tsʼi kàà-tsʼî kʼe²

it on also sometimes wind on-blows when

Also, sometimes when the wind blows up suddenly

ta-yaan tsá-shäw kwà-lhè chʼeʼ.

white-caps very-big area-happens is

and very big waves happen.

Man käy³ lhú a-tlą kù-lį chʼeʼ, thì shų.

lake on fish many there-are is Chum also

There are many fish in the lake, Chum salmon too.

¹ lha-tâ da sometimes [LJ]

² kaa-thân na suddenly [LJ]

³ kè in [LJ]

Translations

SHAR NUH CHÙʼ

bear colon waters

Bear Gut Waters

Kwa-dą̂y chʼâw Dań Lhùʼààn Mân tsʼan

long-ago it-was people whitefish-place lake from

Long ago, the People from Kluane Lake

Shar Nuh Chù gà dây nena ka lha-nàà-jàl chʼeʼ.

bear colon waters along up animals after they-hunted was

hunted for animals up along the Duke River.

Á-ʼààn Dań Zhùr Chùʼ tsʼàn shų shaa-da-dàl nà.

to-side people berry waters to also circle-they-go did

Also, they walked in a loop through the Donjek River.

Yų́-kʼe du màt ghà-dá-tsî kʼe . . . chʼeʼ ??? fix this

winter for food pl-they-make-it when

They made food for when it was Winter

Tsal shų a-tlą tthʼäy Shar Nuh Chù tlʼäw käy yiw.

gopher also many heard bear colon waters grass on there

They say there are many gophers on the hill sides.

VOCABULARY

Nouns

chu water

chùʼ waters in a drainage system

dán people

dań zhùr people berry, silverberry, Wolf Willow

Dań Zhùr Chùʼ people berry waters aka Donjek River

dań jik people berry [Northern Tutchone]

lhùʼ whitefish [cf Tlingit lʼooxh whitefish]

lʼooxh aan-i [Tl] whitefish place; klu-a-ni or klu-a-nee

lhú ghąfish place, Klukshu

lhù ʼààn Tlingit: fish place

Lhù ʼÀàn Mânʼ Kluane Lake

man, mânʼ lake, inflected form

màt food

ne-na animal

nuh colon; kʼà tthal, “bum gut”

shar bear

shar nuh bear colon

shar nuh chùʼ bear colon waters

tlʼäw grass

tsal gopher, ground squirrel

yų́-kʼe Winter

Verbs

chʼeʼ it is, they are

chʼâw it-was; also the question form of chʼe

dàl, shaa-da-dàl they went in a circle

jàl, lha-nàà-jàl they hunted

tlą, ʼa-tlą there are many

tsi, ghàa-dà-tsi they made

Directionals

dâyʼ up, above

yiw down there

ʼààn, ʼá-ʼààn off to the side

Adjectives (none)

Adverbs/Adverbials

kwa-dą̂y long ago

shų also/too

Postpositions

du for benefit of one/reason for something

gà along a river/trail/road

ka after something

käy on

kʼe when/then

tsʼan from

tsʼàn to, toward

Enclitic

nà did

tthʼäy heard, e.g., one heard someone say