Kaska Language Website

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Recorded by Leda Jules (2016)

Examples of l			Examples of ł
melá’	his/her hand		łūge	fish
ele	branch		łṓlā́	five

	tselī	gopher, arctic ground squirrel
	łą̄́	really
	ełī́gé	one
	det’ele	red
	beldīé’	mushroom
	eshū́ł	rosehips
	esyéhłī́gé’	my spouse
	ledī́	tea
	lāt’ē	it is
	łédedlīnī	confluence

	Tselī łą̄́ medege łedī́h	Gophers are really tasty for him
	Eshū́ł det’ele ełī́gé’ yeneslīne	I want one red rosehip
	Ledī́ lāt’ā	That’s tea
	Tū Łī́dlīnī ts’ī́’ āyāł	He’s walking to Ross River
	Beldīé’ łṓlā́ esyénǹleh	Give me five mushrooms
	Łūge néstlōnī tésela’	He pulled out lots of fish
	Nelá’ nelābā́dé’ dédendī	Put your hands in your mitts
	Kolāhū́né’ melah łénādāl	Finally his brother-in-law came back
	Melá’ yéh ele łîhgas	He broke the branches in two with his hands
	Ī men tah łūge gū́līn-am?	Are there fish in that lake?

Examples of t			Examples of t’
tū’	water		met’agé’	its wings
tū́de	duck		t’ū’	milk

	dénḗst’ę̄dze	black, dark coloured
	téskóse	chipmunk
	mest’į̄́e	marten
	tenū́sdīé’	muskrat
	etene	trail
	tésdų̄dze	yellow legs, sandpiper
	tésdlūne	ants
	eht’ū́t	baby
	késtāne	stranger
	gā́nestān	I see

	Téskóse dechen t’ā́t néde’	A chipmunk lives in that log.
	Mest’į̄́e dénéht’éhī dénhhīna?	How many martens did you trap?
	Tenū́sdīé’ ten kāge gégoch.	The muskrat is walking on the ice.
	Tōt’īne etene kah gēdéł.	The Tlingits are walking on the trail.
	Tḗsdų̄dze tādet’ē men mā génā’ás.	There were three yellowlegs by the lake.
	Tésdlūne nétlōn dé, getsēhlī’.	If there are lots of ants, you all leave them alone.
	Késtāne ts’āt det’ele yéh gā́nestān.	I saw a stranger with a red hat.
	T’ę̄́s gḗt‘e’.	It’s like charcoal.
	T’ǭ́s esyénnǹtī́.	Give me the oar.
	Etene kā mest’į̄́e tādet’e esghát tēdéhyes.	Three martens ran away from me down the trail.

Examples of k			Examples of k’
kón	fire		k’ī	birch
kedā	moose		dek’ale	white

	k’ų̄́ą́	pika, whistler
	mekūe	its den
	mekēgé’	its tracks
	mek’ásé’	its windpipe
	ek’ąh	fat
	desk’eshe	grayling
	mek’ū́né’	its fish eggs
	mek’os	its neck
	gésk’ale	willow ptarmigan
	kē	moccasins

	Mā kón dáhk’ānā?	Who made the fire?
	Kūe ts’į̄́’ mekēgé’ gū́līn.	Its tracks went to its den.
	Kedā mek’ąh néstlōn.	That is a lot of fat on that moose.
	Gésk’ale désts’egī ghṓlī́ dūłą̄́ gegā́nestān.	I hear willow ptarmigan, but I don’t see them.
	Deké’ kā kē dédēt’ḗts.	He put his moccasins on his feet.
	Mekǭ́ą kū́hdegá se’ān.	His house is up there.
	K’īt’ų̄dzé’ łā́neyéh dāk’ale.	Birchbark is really white.
	Kū́k‘ā kéh ledī́’ tesetl’īdī nedenką̄́’.	Pick up your cup with all that tea inside.
	Et’āne kah k’ū́k néstlōnī nenesla’.	I put a book on lots of leaves.
	Kolāhū́né’ dekǫ́ą ts’į̄́’ nédésja’.	Finally he went back to his house.

Examples of ts			Examples of ts’
tsá’	beaver		ts’á	plate
metsīé’	its offspring, its young		désts’ī	twigs

	tselī	gopher
	ts’ūssę̄	balsam, alpine fir
	mets’īé’	his/her small intestine
	sṓsk’ā	gray jay, whiskey jack
	tsesk’į̄ze	chickadee
	géstsį̄h	robin
	denēts’ī́he	yellow
	ts’edāsnāne	bee
	ts’ōdze	fly
	tahtsá	beetle, bug

	Tsátsén nenzen-am?	Do you like beaver meat?
	Mida ts’ī́’, “Ts’ūssę̄t’ūdzé’ dent’īn-am?” yéndī’.	Ask Mida if she has some balsam bark.
	Ts’edāsnāne ests’ahdé’ kā seda’.	There’s a bee on my hat.
	Ts’édāne sedêhts’eg-am?	Children, do you hear me?
	Ts’édé’ esyénńhtsūs.	Give me a blanket.
	Tahtsá’ denāts’ī́he ts’á’ kā seda’.	There is a yellow bug on the plate.
	Tsátsīé’ shobāt’ūdzé’ négétsets.	Baby beavers eat poplar bark.
	Tsūhél kāge tselī łā́néyéh néstlōn.	There are lots of gophers on top of the hill.
	Detsų̄ ts’į̄́’ gūts’į̄́t.	He lied to his grandmother.
	Ts’odze ts’ūssę̄dzéh tah kedetsę́tl.	The fly was stuck in the balsam pitch.

Examples of tl			Examples of tl’
tlį̄’	dog		ītl’ét	low bush cranberries
estlę̂	my sister-in-law		destl’ede	squirrel

	tsūstlę̂	northern harrier hawk
	dētl’ęse	blue
	metl’edzé’	his/her gallbladder
	gūtl’és	dirt
	gedésdētl	they went
	nédetl’ī́t	it’s raining
	tsētl’áh	valley
	néstlōn	lots, many
	tl’ōge	grass
	ētl	salt

	Tlūł detl’ęse yéh tlį̄’ kenehtl’ūn.	He tied up the dog with a blue rope.
	Ītl’ét néstlōnī genesbé’.	They picked lots of cranberries.
	Destl’ede tl’ōge tah kwanātl’a’.	The squirrel ran back into the grass.
	Tsātl’áh degá āyāł.	He’s walking up the valley.
	Mī́ł néstlōnī desetl’ūn.	She set lots of snares.
	Ī tlą̂ chą̄́ nédetl’īt.	After that it rained.
	Ētl kegedésdētl.	They went for salt.
	Estlę̂ gūtl’és dét’īn.	My sister-in-law had some powder (from birch fungus).
	Tsūstlę̂ estlę̂ yénǹhtéh.	Give the harrier hawk to my sister-in-law.
	Tl’ūł néstlōnī yéh ezés kūdentl’ų̄ dege.	There is a lot of rope to tie the moose hide with.

Examples of ch			Examples of ch’
chosh	down feathers		dech’ūe	porcupine
meché’	its tail

	mechą̄gé’	its ribs
	mechené’	its back
	tahch’ōhe	red-winged blackbird
	meché’	its tail
	dechen	stick
	eschų̄́é’	my son
	dech’et	tough
	chą̄	rain
	ēch	shirt
	ch’ā́sh	fish hook

	Ī kedāchą̄gé’ łą̄́ dā́nāchō’.	Those moose ribs are really big.
	Eschâ desk’eshechō’ kah et’īn.	My grandson is fishing for a big grayling.
	Eschūę́’ shetīn.	My son is sleeping.
	Dedī etsén łā́néyéh dech’ét.	This meat is really tough.
	Mā nedege ēch īkḗda?	Who bought you a shirt?
	Dāhch’ah dechen yéh néyenītl’as.	Suddenly he hit him with a stick.
	Sas ts’ī́yōné’ché’ sahk’ás.	The bear bit the wolf on the tail.
	Yē et’ā? Tēch’ele et’ā? Tahch’ōhe et’ā?	What is it? Is it a kingfisher or a blackbird?
	Ī chosh yénéslīne estsī́’ādle’ dege.	I want down feathers for my pillows.
	Chek’ōh sehtsīn.	He made a mooseskin boat.

Examples of s			Examples of ts
sā	sun		tsá’	beaver
sas	bear		metsīé’	its offspring

	metsī́ghá’	his/her hair
	téskóse	chipmunk
	nūssę̄	fox
	tselī	gopher, arctic ground, squirrel
	kedātsén	moose meat
	estsets	I’m eating
	tū́htsehī	loon
	dīh sede	roughed grouse
	sę́ł	gaff hook
	etsey	he/she is crying

	Detsī́ghá’ ne’ṓts.	She’s washing her hair.
	Métsų̄ nūssę̄ selū́h.	His grandmother snared a fox.
	Tselī tl’ūtsen etsets.	The gopher is eating sage.
	Men ts’į̄́’ tū́htsehī etsey déstsek.	I heard the loon call on the lake.
	Sęł yéh gés tesestīn.	I caught salmon with a gaff hook.
	Eschedle kedātsén yéh tsās yḗdé ētsḗt.	My younger brother ate moose meat and bear-roots.
	Tses dent’ā́s.	Cut firewood (with a saw).
	Sa’ǎ tsá’ ēł nenela’ lî.	Long ago a beaver made a dam.
	Esąhdī dāsyāł.	I’m going to go alone.
	Łą̄́ sṓ’ālé tsá’ detsī́’ degá dā́nelá’.	The beaver slowly raised its head.

Examples of z			Examples of dz
zas	snow		mésdzį̄h	owl
ūzę	hawk		dzę́h	pitch

	denést’ę̄dze	dark, black
	gūdzį̄h	caribou
	gédedzedzī	mystery animal, jack
	ū́sts’ę́ze	flying squirrel
	kedāzés	moose hide
	dzų̄́dze	bird
	dzéhhīn	he/she killed
	zǭ́dze	small
	dzī́dze	berry
	medḗdzé’	his younger sister