Tlingit Swadesh list

A Swadesh list for the Tlingit language. Last updated 25 April 2008.

Notice the large number of verbs given for some English verbs. Tlingit, like all Na-Dené languages, has an extensive classification system which is marked only through choice of verbs. Also, because the language is verb-centered, there are fine semantic divisions which are not elaborated in English. A generic Swadesh list works poorly for English-Tlingit comparison.

English	Tlingit
all	ldakát
and	ḵa
animal	?
ashes	gan eetí
at	-x’, -t, -x̱
back	(du) déx̱’, (du) díx̱’
bad	tleil ooshk’é
bark (of a tree)	aas daayí
because	aḡaa, adáx̱, ach
belly	(du) yoowú
big	tlein
bird	ts’itsk’w
to bite	ya-taax’
black	t’ooch (yáx̱)
blood	shei
to blow (wind)	ya-.oox̱
bone	s’aaḵ
to breathe	di-saa
to burn (intrans.)	si-gánt’
child (young)	(at) k’átsk’u, (du) yádi
cloud	góos’, ḵugóos’, ḵuligóos’
to be cold (wx)	ḵu-si-.aat’
to come	haadéi ya-goot
to count	dzi-toow
to cut	ya-xaash
day (vs night)	yagiyée, yakyée
to die	si-naa [human/animal], di-laax̱ [tree], ka-di-k’eet’ [many]
to dig	ka-ya-haa, ka-si-haa [deep]
to be dirty	di-tl’eex [piled trash], li-tl’eex [surface], ka-li-tl’eex [container]
dog	kéitl
to drink	di-naa
to be dry	ya-xook [general], ka-ya-xook [inside of container], ka-si-xook [in container], ḵu-ya-xook [wx]
to be dull (knife)	ya-di-ḡeel [edge], lu-di-ḡeel [tip]
dust	kadánjaa
ear	gúk
earth (soil)	tl’áx̱’kw, tl’éx̱’kw
to eat	ya-x̱aa, si-x̱aa [small amt], ka-ji-x̱aa [berries from bush], ya-x̱’eex’w [gumboots], a-ya-nees’ [urchins], ya-tl’eikw [raw seafood], ya-ch’eet’ [dipped], li-dleixw [pried out], li-ch’eet’ [with fingers]
egg	k’wát’
eye	waaḵ
to fall (drop)	ka-ya-soos [pl objs together], di-ḵoosh [into a pile or heap], dzi-geet [living], ji-x̱een [solid], ya-wooḵ [textile], ka-di-ḡaat [powder, grain], sha-ji-x̱een [stick], ya-xeex [small compact], si-xeex [large or complex], ka-ya-xeex [ball], ka-si-xeex [small stick], daak si-taan [precipitation], li-x’aas [water], sa-di-ḡaat [building]
to be far	ya-lei
fat (substance)	taay
father	(du) eesh
to fear	a-ka-dli-x̱eetl’
feather (large)	t’aaw
to be few	ya-ka-ya-.aatl’
to fight	ḵu-li-gaaw
fire	x̱aan
fish	x̱áat [esp. salmon]
five	keijín
to float	li-haash, a-ka-ya-haa [on surface], ya-ts’eet’ [low in water]
to flow	ya-daa [tide], ka-ya-.aa [stream]
flower	ḵ’eikaxwéin, kayaaní
to fly	di-ḵeen [sg, or in plane], ka-dli-yeech [winged], dzi-ḵeen [cloud of insects], ya-ka-li-yeeḵ [sparks]
fog	ḵugwáas’
foot	x̱’oos
four	daax’oon
to freeze	li-t’eex’
fruit	tléiḵw [berry]
to give	(ḵaa jeet) ya-tee, (ḵaa jee-) ka-ya-tee [ball], (ḵaa jee-) ka-si-taan [small stick], (ḵaa jee-) ka-li-.aat [small pl], (ḵaa jee-) yéi=si-nee [pl], (ḵaa jee-) ya-.aax̱ [textile]
to be good	ya-k’ei
grass	chookán, shaak, sooḵ, x̱aatl’
green	s’oow (yáx̱)
guts	(a) yikádi
hair	(du) shax̱aawú
hand	(du) jín
he	ḵaa, ash, du, a-
head	(a) shá
to hear	ya-.aax̱, sa-ya-.aax̱ [voice]
heart	(du) téix̱’
to be heavy	ya-daal [inanim], li-daal [anim], ka-ya-daas [insufficient]
here	yaadu, yaat
to hit	ya-dzoo [missile], sha-ya-dzoo [missile to head], ya-xeex [bullet], sha-ya-x̱eech [club head], ka-ya-gwaal [fist], ya-ya-gwaal [fist to face], a-ji-t’aakw [knock down]
hold (in hand)	ka-li-tl’eit’ [tightly], li-shaat [grasp], si-haan [hold up]
how	waa sá
to hunt (game)	a-ya-l’oon
husband	(du) x̱úx̱
I	x̱át, ax̱, x̱at-
ice	t’éex’
if	??
in	-x’, -t, -x̱
to kill	ya-jaaḵ
to know (facts)	si-goo
lake	aa
to laugh	ya-shooḵ, ya-dli-shooḵ [continue], ka-ya-shooḵ [laugh at, mock]
leaf	(a) kayaaní
left (hand)	s’at’nax̱.á, lḵaax̱éinax̱.á
leg	x̱’oos
to lie (on side)	ya-tee, si-tee [solid complex], ka-ya-tee [ball], ka-si-tee [stick, string], ya-taan [container], ka-ya-taan [long], ka-si-taan [small stick], ka-li-.aat [small pl], ya-.aax̱ [textile], sh-dzi-taa [sg hum], sh-dli-.aat [pl hum]
to live	ḵu-dzi-tee [exist], ya-tseen [be alive], ḵu-ya-.oo [dwell]
liver	tl’óoḵ
long	ya-yaat
louse	wéis’, wés’
man (male)	ḵáa, lingít
many	aatléin
meat (flesh)	dleey
moon	dís
mother	tlaa
mountain	shaa
mouth	(a) x̱’éi
name	(du) sáa
to be narrow	ya-saa [small obj], li-saa [rope], ka-ya-saa [framelike], ka-li-saa [long obj]
to be near	ka-ya-sei, ka-li-sei [time or space]
neck	(du) leitóox̱, (du) lidíx̱’, (du) séi
new	yees
night	taat
nose	(du) lú
not	tléil
old	shaan
one	tléix’
other	ḡuna
person	ḵaa, lingít
to play	ḵu-dzi-.ook’ [quietly], ash-ka-dli-yát [running around], ash-ka-li-ch’eit’-aa [ball], ash-ka-li-ḵ’eesh-aa [bat & ball], ash-ka-si-ḵoox̱-aa [toy boat], ash-ka-li-t’aax’-aa [marbles], ash-ka-li-k’ein-aa [jumping, twirling], ash-ka-li-keets’-aa [seesaw], ash-ka-li-ḡeiḡ-ach’ [swings], ash-ka-da-t’aa-jaa [swimming], li-.aax̱ [musical instrument], ash-ka-dli-ḡeex̱’-jaa [string instrument], yéi=ji-ka-ya-neiy [twiddle thumbs]
to pull	si-yeeḵ [rope], ya-yeesh [light obj], ya-x̱oot’ [quick movement], ka-si-xaat [fastened obj], ka-ya-yeesh [root crop], li-s’eil’ [tree roots]
to push	ya-gooḵ, ka-ya-gooḵ, ya-tsaaḵ [on end], ka-du-ya-sheet’ [push out], ka-li-sheet’ [push against]
to rain	a-ya-ḡeet [storm], daak=si-taan [rain/snow], a-ka-ya-leet [sprinkle], ḵu-ka-du-ya-ḡeet [squall]
red	x̱aan (yáx̱)
right (correct)	ayáx̱, ?
right (hand)	seeynax̱.á, ḡaayéinax̱.á
river	héen
road	déi
root	x̱aat
rope	tíx’
rotten (log)	naaḵw, ḵúlkw
to rub	yoo=ka-ya-haa [liniment], li-choox [hands], li-ḡeex̱’ [two surfaces], sh-ji-ḡeel’ [self], ya-deech [until irritated]
salt	éil’
sand	l’éiw
to say	ya-ya-ḵaa
to scratch	ka-ya-x’oot’ [one direction], ka-si-x’oot’ [glass], ka-ya-dlaakw [animal, repeatedly], ya-ka-ya-dlaakw [face], la-ḡaas’ [relieve itching], sh-dzi-xein [self]
sea (ocean)	éil’
to see	ya-teen [perceive], si-teen [behold]
seed	(a) x’aakeidí
to sew	ya-ḵaa [general], ka-ya-ḵaa [sew beads]
to be sharp	li-k’aats’ [point], ya-li-k’aats’ [edge],
to be short	ya-yaatl’ [general], li-yaatl’ [rope], ka-li-yaatl’ [stick], yee-ya-yaatl’ [time], ka-ya-yaach’ [insufficient], ka-li-yaach’ [rope, insufficient]
to sing	ya-shee [general], kei-ka-ya-shee [start], kei-ya-ka-ya-shee [about relatives], si-.aax̱ [prolong note], sa-si-.aax̱ [loudly]
to sit	ya-nook [sg], ya-ḵee [pl], ya-.aa [state, sg], si-.aa [cause], ji-ḵaaḵ [quickly], a-ya-.aan [quietly]
skin (of person)	(du) dook, (du) ch’áadu
sky	xáats’, dikée, keewáa, góos’
to sleep	ya-taa [sg], ya-x̱eix’w [pl]
to be small	yéi-ya-géik’ [quantity], yéi-si-géik’ [living], yéi-ka-ya-géik’ [ball], yéi-ka-si-géik’ [stick], yéi-ka-dzi-gei [grain], ka-ya-k’aa [excessive]
to smell (perceive odor)
smoke	s’eiḵ, s’eeḵ
to be smooth
snake	l’ut’tláaḵ, tl’úk’, tl’úk’x̱
snow	dleit
some	x’oon sá, daaḵw.aa sá, x’oonínáx̱ sá, a x̱oo aa
to spit
to split
to squeeze
to stab (or stick)
to stand
star	ḵutx̱.ayanaháa
stick (of wood)	sheey, wootsaaḡáa, kaay, káat’
stone	té
straight	yaadachóon
to suck	ya-l’aa
sun	ḡagaan
to swell
to swim
tail	(a) kú [fish], (a) l’eedí [animal], (a) kuhaawú [beaver], (a) koowú [bird/fish]
that	wéit’aa
there	wéidu, wéit
they	ḵaa, hasdu
to be thick	si-kaak
to be thin	shi-ḡaax̱’
to think	tu-ya-tee, ya-jee, ḵu-ya-jee, tu-ya-taan [sg], tu-li-.aat [pl]
this	yáat’aa
thou/you	wa.é, ee, i-
three	nás’k
to throw	ya-ḡeech [pl], ya-ḡeex’ [solid], si-ḡeex’ [large], ka-ya-ḡeex’ [ball], ka-si-ḡeex’ [stick], ya-x̱eech [flexible], ka-ya-x̱eech [fluid], si-gooḵ [spear], ya-dzoo [aimed]
to tie
tongue	l’óot’ l’út’
tooth	(du) oox̱
tree	aas
to turn (veer)
two	déix̱
to vomit
to walk
to be warm (wx)	ḵu-ya-t’aa
to wash
water	héen [fresh], éil’ [salt]
we	ooháan, haa, haa-
to be wet
what	daa sá
when	gwátgeen sá [ft], gwátk sá [pt], goot’aḡáan sá [period]
where	goo sá, goosú, goot’á sá [spec]
white	dleit (yáx̱)
who	aadóo sá, aa sá
to be wide
wife	(du) shát
wind (breeze)	óox̱jaa
wing	(a) kéeji, (a) kéech
to wipe
with (accompanying)	(du) een
woman	shaawát, sháa [pl]
woods	at gutú, aasgutuyík, dáaḵ
worm	tl’úk’x̱, tl’úk’
ye (pl)	yeeháan [pron], yee [poss], yi- [vb]
year	táakw
yellow	s’éix̱wani (yáx̱), ketllóox’u (yáx̱)