This material is based on work supported by National Science Foundation grants BCS-0651787 and BCS-0853788 to the University of Alaska Southeast with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff as Principal Investigator and by National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship 266286-19 to Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or National Endowment for the Humanities.

Some Tips

  • Start and stop continuous playback with the media player's controls.

  • Play a single line by clicking on that line's number. To re-activate continuous play, use the media player's controls.

  • Use Command+F on a Mac, Control+F on windows, to search for words in the conversation.

  • For video conversations, the "picture-in-picture" mode can be useful. This puts the video in a separate window, after which you can shrink the originating video window in your web browser, allowing more text to be seen on-screen.

  • Safari on a Mac laptop, iPhone or iPad sometimes produces odd results in single line mode.

Symobls used in the transcription

  • {false start}
  • (added for clarity)
  • [translator/transcriber's note]
  • ??? = can’t understand
  • «Lingít quotation marks»

Software Used

Time-aligned text for this video was accomplished using ELAN, Versions 6.0 (2020), 6.1 (2021), and 6.3 (2022) Nijmegen: Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, The Language Archive. Retrieved from https://archive.mpi.nl/tla/elan

We use SLEXIL to render ELAN XML output as interactive web pages. Pronounced "sluck-HAIL", SLEXIL means daylight in the Lushootseed language, for which it was originally developed. The name may also be understod as an acronym: Software Linking ELAN XML to Illuminated Language.

SLEXIL is documented here, maintained on github, can be run interactively on the web, and is actively supported by Paul Shannon who welcomes your feedback.

To compare your pronunciation to that of the Tlingit elders, click on the microphone icon located at the right top of the main page. This opens the "RECORD YOURSELF" window in which you can record your own pronunciation of any line of interest.

Begin by clicking on the number of a line of an elder speaking. It may help to do this repeatedly, LISTENING more than reading, absorbing the sounds of their speech. (In English, we donʼt talk the same way a printed word is spelled. The same is true for Tlingít.)

When you're ready to record yourself, click RECORD in the "RECORD YOURSELF" window, then STOP, then PLAY. You can keep recording yourself with the same line and hear your pronunciation improving!

Usage notes from Alice Taff
Using a Macbook Air M4, Sequoia 15.5, the record-self works fine:
  1. with Firefox 140.0.2
  2. with Safari 18.5
  3. with Chrome 138.0.7204.158
Video Size
Tlingit Conversation #18

Speakers are Aan Yax Saxeex June Pegues and Sakaayí Anita Lafferty. Recorded June 2009, in Egan Library at the University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau, Alaska, by Kʼyuuhlgaansii Fred Olsen in cooperation with Goldbelt Heritage Foundation. This recording documents conversational use of the verb -lʼéix̱, ʼdanceʼ.
Tlingit transcription by Naakil.aan Mark Hans Chester. English translation by Shakwshaaní Margaret Dutson with Ljáaḵkʼ Alice Taff. Edited by X̱ʼaagi Sháawu Keri Eggelston and Ḵaachkoo.aaḵw Helen Sarabia.
Jíx̱alwách.
I shake my hands.
['At shooḵ']
['Laughter']
Tatgé gé iyal'eix̱?
Did you dance yesterday?
Tléik'.
No.
Tlél x̱wasakú áa yaa at yanaxíxi ANB Hall.
I didn't know there was something going on at the ANB Hall.
Ḵúnáx̱ háa adul'eix̱.
They were really dancing.
Ch'a yeisú haat ḵux̱waatín, ách áwé {tlél} tlél x̱wasakú.
I didn't know because I just came.
Tlél i een kawduneek?
They didn't tell you?
Hél ax̱ een kawduneek.
They didn't tell me.
Ḵúnáx̱ x̱áa woogei wé al'eix̱.
There was a lot of dances.
Ldakát ḵáa áwé al'eix̱.
Everyone was dancing.
Kaagwaantaan yádi daatx̱ at dusheeyí áwé kei x̱dahánch,
If they sing a song to the children of the Kaagwaantaan I usually stand to dance,
ch'a g̱unáa ax̱ keey néegu,
even with my knee hurting,
ax̱ tuwáa ḵ'asigóo.
it makes me happy.
Há, yéi x̱áawé haa yatee.
Indeed, this is our life.
X̱at ḵu.aa, T'aḵdeintaan yádi kát jix̱wálxwalch alʼéix̱ teen.
Myself therefore, when dancing, I shake my hands to the song where children of the T'aḵdeintaan are sung about.
Ax̱ léelk'w hás áwé gé wa.é?
Are you my grandfather's people?
Aaá.
Yes.
Ax̱ éesh, T'aḵdeintaan yádix̱ woositee.
My father was a child of the T'aḵdeintaan.
Kaagwaantaan, {sheet'} Sheet'kaadáx̱.
A Sitka Kaagwaantaan.
Kaagwaantaan yádi daatx̱ adisheeyí,
When they sing a song about children of the Kaagwaantaan,
kei x̱dahánch,
I usually stand up and dance,
ḵa,
and,
yeedát ḵu.aa,
now though,
aadéi kḵwasa.aax̱
I will listen
{da ta} T'aḵdeintaan dachx̱án,
Grandchild of the T'aḵdeintaan,
i dachx̱án así?
am I your grandchild?
Aaá.
Yes.
Ḵushtuyax̱ x̱á akát yil'eix̱í, wa.é tsú T'aḵdeintaan dachx̱ánx̱ isateeyí.
It's ok for you to dance even when you are the grandchild of the T'aḵdeintaan.
Tle át kuḵashk'éin, ha.é!
Then I will jump around, too much!
Yéi áwé, ax̱ tóodei yaa shoonaxíx, neekw.
This is all I have.
Ax̱ yáa ḵut woonéi.
['???']
Aadéi has awshigóogu yé {haa} haa yátx'i,
How our children learned,
haa dachx̱ánk'i yán,
all of our grandchildren,
has awsikóo aadéi yaa at yanaxíx yé.
they know what's going on.
X̱áach ḵwá, tlél ldakát x̱wasakú.
As for me, I don't know it all.
Tléil atóox̱ kei áx̱ wuduswáat, ách áwé.
They didnʼt bring me up in it there, that's why.
Tle ch'a ax̱ shaaní tsá,
Only in my old age,
yei nax̱shagóok haa ḵusteeyí, ch'a yéi googéink'.
am I learning just a little of our way of life.
Yak'éi.
Which is fine.
Yéi hás gusgéiyi wé yak'éi at yátx'i,
It's really good when the children are small,
has du éex̱ adooltóowu
to be taught
haa sheex'í ḵa haa l'eix̱x'í.
our songs and dances.
A tóox̱ kéi has woowaadí áwé yak'éi.
It's good when they are brought up in it.
X̱at áyá x̱at wootee a tóox̱ kéi haa wawát al'eix̱ ḵa at shí.
This is how it was with me, I was brought up with songs and dance.
Tlákw ḵoo.éex'dei yaa ktoo.átjin
We went to ḵoo.éex' at all times
ák.wé adul'eix̱ noojéen.
and then they used to dance.
Haa éesh daat tlákw shukandushéich.
And they would sing about our fathers. [All songs are sung to the opposite moiety]
Aag̱áa áwé atool'eix̱ nuch yuháan tsú.
And then we would always dance too.
Ax̱ dachx̱ánk'i yán,
All my grandchildren,
{ax̱} has du saayí,
their names,
tle yeedát tsá
only recently
has du yaadéix̱ wli.át
I gave them
has {has} du saayí.
their names.
Ḵúnáx̱ has du tuwáa sigóo
They surely like
haa Lingít ḵusteeyí.
our Tlingit way of life.
{tlei} Tlei yéi ax̱ yát has uwan.áx̱. [uwa.át (Nora Dauenhauer)]
They came to face me.
Aadéi has du tuwáa ḵ'asigóo.
How happy they were.
Kax̱waa.áaḵw has du ée x̱latóowu.
I tried to teach them.
Yeedát, neil ḵux̱aateení tsá,
Now, when I travel home
tsu kakḵwa.áaḵw
I will try again
{daa} ch'a daa sás du ée x̱latóowu
whatever I teach
ax̱ dachx̱ánk'i yán.
to my grandchildren.
Seattlex' yéi has yatee.
They live in Seattle.
Du éen kakḵwanéek
I am going to tell
{ax̱} ax̱ sée
my daughter
aadéi yaa at yanaxíx yé Seattle ká.
what's going on in Seattle.
{tlél} Tlél yéi x̱wsakóowun
I didn't know this well
haa Lingít aayí teeyi Seattle.
that our Tlingit people were in Seattle.
Hél yéi x̱wsakóo.
I didn't know it.
{wóosh teen} Woosh x̱ánx̱ has da.aadí.
That they all get together with each other.
Ḵúnáx̱ {yéi} yéi ḵustí áwé.
It's that type of living.
Haa dachx̱ánx'i yán
Our grandchildren
hásch tsú
they too
sh tóo has at g̱altóow.
will study our way of life.
Yak'éi x̱áawé!
That is good!
Ḵúnáx̱ at yátx'i éex' áwé át dultóow Seattle.
They're teaching children in Seattle.
Tlákw adul'eix̱ nooch.
They always dance.
Ḵa s at shée nooch.
And they would sing too.
Tle Lingít saayí tsú wé jeedé has al.át.
They're also giving each other Tlingit names.
Aag̱áa ḵúnáx̱ adul'ex̱ nooch.
And then they would really dance.
K'idéin yaa s anaskwéin.
They are learning well.
I dachx̱ánx'i yán ax̱óot has woo.aadí áwé kei kg̱wak'éi.
When your grandchildren go and join them it will be nice.
Yeedát tsú atóodéi yóo x̱'ax̱wdiwatángi át
And now with the telephones
kaadéi áwé yóo x̱'akg̱eetáan
you can tell
has du sáax'u
their names
ḵa gwál yee aayí yee x̱'asheeyí
and maybe even your clan songs
aag̱áa tsá s du jeedéi ách akg̱eesawóo.
then you will send it to them.
Akáax' áwé has akg̱wal'eix̱
They will dance to the song.
Yak'éi yé.
It is a good thing
Tlákw x̱á yáa at naxíx Seattle.
There are always things happening in Seattle.
Tlákw wooch g̱unéit ḵundutínch al'eix̱ yís.
They often get together to dance.
Ch'a g̱oot yéix' adul'ex̱ nooch.
People from Seattle always dance in different places.
Ag̱áa tsú adux̱áa nooch!
Then they would always eat!
Ḵúnáx̱ Lingít atx̱aayí dux̱áa nooch
They would eat real Tlingit food
tsu adul'eix̱ a ítdáx̱.
and dance after (eating).
Ḵúnáx̱ ax̱ tuwáa ḵ'asigóo i sh kalneegí.
Your story was fun for me.
Has du éen kakḵwanéek
I am going to tell them
{ax̱} ax̱ dachx̱ánx'i yán
all my grandchildren
{aag̱áa has has ḵun} aag̱áa has ḵung̱ashée
so they could search
Lingít wooch x̱ooxʼ.
for Tlingit gatherings.
Ch'a aadéi yá ax̱ na.oo {ax̱} ax̱ yóo x̱'atángi
Please excuse my speaking
Tléil tlax̱ ax̱ éex̱ wudaa Lingít x̱'éináx̱ yóo x̱'atánk.
I am not very accustomed to speaking in Tlingit.
Kakḵwa.áaḵw ḵu.aa
But I will try
ax̱ dachx̱ánx'i yán jeeyís
for all of my grandchildren
x̱at tsú,
and me too,
{ax̱} ax̱ ée gax̱dultóow!
they will teach me!
Ch'a ḵaa x̱óox̱ x̱agoodí,
Whenever I go among the people,
yee éen kakḵwanéek has du saayí.
I will tell you their names.
Has du éex' g̱ax̱dultóow wé al'eix̱.
Someone will teach them to dance.
Yéi hás kadáan áwé at yátx'i.
They are beautiful,the children.
Yeedát
Now
Celebration kát has ḵuwateení,
when they come for Celebration,
ḵúnáx̱ at yátx'i yéi kg̱eesatéen
you will really see the children
has al'eix̱.
dancing.
Tle wé shí tsú k'idéin has ashí.
And they're singing really well.
Waan i éen kax̱wḵanéek
I will tell you
has du sáax'u
their names
tlél ḵwa yaat a tóodei.
but not on this recording.
Gunalchéesh.
Thank you.
Aaá. Yéi áwé.
Yes. This is all.
Yak'éi. Gunalchéesh.
Good. Thank you.