Lingít Word of the Week: Yán — Hemlock

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 yán, or hemlock. Listen to the audio below to learn how to say yán.

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

Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: Yán. 

That means hemlock.

Here are some sentences:

Keiyishí Bessie Cooley: Yán at káx̱i linúkts, ḵa náakw yís tsú yéi du.úx̱xʼ

Hemlock sap is sweet, and it is collected for medicine, too.

Kooshdáakʼu Bill Fawcett: Ḵúnáx aan alyeix̱ wé yán.

Theyʼre really building it with hemlock.

Ḵaakal.áat Florence Marks Sheakley: Yán áyá yá yaaw yís héendáx̱ yei du.úx̱xʼ

People put hemlock in the water for the herring.

Kaxwaan Éesh George Davis: Yán wáasʼi káa yoo dilʼóox̱ʼk.

Herring spawn on hemlock branches.

You can hear each installment of Lingít Word of the Week on the radio throughout the week. 

Additional language resources:

Find biographies for the master speakers included in this lesson here.

Learn more about why we use Lingít instead of Tlingit here.

Watch a video introducing Lingít sounds here.