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 l’ook, or coho salmon. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say l’ook.
The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences.
Keihéenák’w John Martin: L’ook.
That means coho or silver salmon.
Here are some sentences:
Keihéenák’w John Martin: Yaakwdáat dáx̱ áyá l’ook ḵoowdzitee.
It was from Yakutat that the coho were born.
Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: Lʼook ḵu.aa téil Deisleenx̱ dax̱ uxʼaak.
The coho, however, none of them swim to Teslin.
Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Héen yík yawa.aa yu l’ook.
The coho flowed in the river.
Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Lʼuknax̱.adí at.óowux̱ sitee yá lʼook.
The coho is the Lʼuknax̱.adíʼs at.óow (sacred clan-owned item).
Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: L’ook náayadi aas aawax̱áa.
He ate half smoked coho for dinner.
You can hear each installment of Lingít Word of the Week on the radio throughout the week.
Find biographies for the master speakers included in this lesson here.
Learn more about why we use Lingít instead of Tlingit here.
