Dena'ina
Nda'ich' q'u t'int'a?
How are you?
Dena'ina (Tanaina), the Athabascan language of the Cook Inlet area, has four dialects -- on the Kenai Peninsula, in Upper Inlet area above Anchorage, and in coastal and inland areas on the west side of Cook Inlet. Dena'ina is the only Alaska Athabascan language to be spoken in a coastal environment, and it is the only Alaska Athabascan language spoken on both sides of the Alaska Range.
Yagheli
I'm fine
James Kari has done extensive work on the language since 1972, including his edition with Alan Boraas of the collected writings of Peter Kalifornsky in 1991.
Documentation
Common Expressions
| chin'an | thank you |
| shida | my friend |
Click Here for more Dena'ina phrases (includes audio recordings)
Dog Names
The words below are taken from the Nondalton Tanaina Noun Dictionary, compiled by Joan M. Tenenbaum.
| chu | beaver |
| chulyin | raven |
| desna | boss |
| hey | winter |
| k'eyush | (bear) cub |
| nini | porcupine |
| shesh | brown bear |
| shila | flame |
| shtiya | my strength |
Links and Resources
- Dena'ina publications from the ANLC press
- Dena'ina Qenaga Du'idnaghelnik by Alex Balluta and Gladys Evanoff. Edited by Olga Müller. Dena'ina Phrases 1: Nondalton
Dialect. Text and audio for common Dena'ina phrases. Produced jointly with the Alaska
Native Heritage Center.
- Dena'ina Field Recordings: Kenai Dialect, recorded and transcribed by James Kari in 1974.
- Dach' Dena'inaq' Qeyegh Nuqelnixch': The tell about this in Dena'ina. Collection of time-aligned text and audio transcribed by James Kari and assembled by Andrea Berez.
Learn More:
Alaska is home to at least twenty distinct indigenous languages. More than just dialectal variants, these different languages reflect the diverse cultural heritage of Alaska's Native peoples. For more information about particular languages, click below.