Lingít Word of the Week: S’áxt’

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 s’áxt’, or devil’s club. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say s’áxt’.

The following transcript is meant to help illustrate the words and sentences. 

Keihéenák’w John Martin: S’áxt’. 

That means devil’s club.

Here are some sentences:

Keihéenák’w John Martin: Náakw yáx̱ x̱á atoolgein yá s’axt’.

Itʼs like medicine when we see devil’s club. 

Keiyishí Bessie Coolie: Sʼáxtʼ, a daa yalikʼáts. 

Devilʼs club bark has sharp things around it.

Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Yak’éi áwé yéi aa ysaneiyí wé s’áxt’

Itʼs good the way you worked on some of the devil’s club. 

Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Naakw yís yéi daadunéi yá sʼáxʼt.

People work on devilʼs club to make medicine.

Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Náakw sákw awliyéx̱ wé sʼáxtʼ

They made devil’s club into what will become medicine.

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.