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Vocabulary Words in Native American Languages: Gwich'in

We have included twenty basic words, enough to give you a feeling for each language. All the nouns are singular and all the verbs are 3rd person singular ("he or she sings") because many Native American languages don't have a separate infinitive ("to sing") the way English and French do.

If you would like to know a Gwich'in word that is not currently on our page, you can take part in our Indian translations fundraiser, buy a Gwich'in dictionary, or visit our main Gwich'in language site for more free resources.

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Gwich'in Word Set

English (Français) Gwich'in
one (un) ihłak
two (deux) neekaii
three (trois) tik
four (quatre) dàang
five (cinq) ihłokwinlì'
man (homme) dinjii
woman (femme) oonjit
dog (chien) łaii
sun (soleil) srii'
moon (lune) oozrii'
water (eau) chuu
white (blanc) dagàii
red (rouge) ch'ik
black (noir) zraii
eat (manger) a'àa
see (voir) gwinah'ii
hear (entendre) yijiitth'ak
sing (chanter) èdlih

Click here to see Gwich'in vocabulary words compared to words in related Athabaskan languages: Athabaskan Indian Words

Additional Resources

   Alaska Indian languages
   American Indian language dictionary
   Indian names and meanings
   Northern Athabaskan languages



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