a | b | ch | c’h | d | ə | f | g | h | i | kʰ | kʰw | k’ | l | ɬ | m | n | o
p | p’ | q | qw | q’ | q’w | r | s | sh | t | t’ | tł | t’ł | ts | t’s | u | w
x | x̣ | y | ʔ
Click on the word to expand for more information.
aba ⟺ well then
Interjection from French “eh bien”.
aha ⟺ ok, alright | yes!
Interjection
Example from CTGR dictionary project:
“‘dret mayka wawa?” – “aha, dret na wawa” ⟺ “You are really speaking the truth?” – “Yes, I speak the truth.”
Note: it may sound a bit like the English “uh-huh” but is to emphasize something, and not used the same way.
alaxti ⟺ maybe, might, perhaps | almost
Example (CTGR) for maybe, perhaps: aláxti mayka ɬatu ⟺ You might go.
Example (CTGR) for “finally, then”: alaxti qʰá-san ma chaku sáx̣ali ⟺ And finally some fine day you’ll rise up!
See t’ɬunas ⟺ don’t know
Etymology: from Old Chinuk for “at last, finally”.
aləksh ⟺ to beg for
Example (CTGR): kʰamuksh aləksh uk məkʰmək. ⟺ Dog begs for that food.
Etymology: from Salish languages -> pity, poor.
alikʰuchik ⟺ (archaic) Dentalium shell
Might have been used as a currency by the Chinuk. Might have also been used as the word for “shell” in general (also old, and maybe only around Puget Sound).
alim ⟺ rest, take a break
Variants: ilim
Examples: miɬayt pi alím. ⟺ Sit (stay) and rest.
Etymology: Unlikely from French for aliment (food). So who knows.
álta ⟺ now
Other spellings: alta
Also “and then” in storytelling: Now the dog wakes up, now the dog stretches, now the dog goes outside.. to move a story along.
alta … aɬqi … ⟺ Now … (then)
Example (CTGR): alta mayka chaku aɬqi sayku ɬatu ⟺ Now you come on (and) we’ll go.
alta compounds:
alta-aɬqi ⟺ now will
Examples (CTGR):
• nayka təmtəm, “alta-áɬqi nayka məkʰmək?” ⟺ I think “now will (do I have to) I eat it?”
• alta-áɬqi nayka munk-mímlus mayka, pus nayka t’ɬap mayka ⟺ Now I will surely kill you, when I find you.
alta hilu ⟺ to be done with. that’s all now.
See finis.
alta ɬush ⟺ that’s good | nice
Example: “That’s nice!” as exclamation.
alta-pus ⟺ now when … , then would … .
Example (CTGR):
álta-pus ya q’uʔ k’ilapay ʰ ɬas haws álta-pus ya umaʔ uk ya chəch ⟺ Then when she would get back to their house then she would feed that grandmother of hers.
alta-wəx̣t ⟺ then again
áɬqi ⟺ later (future)
Other spellings: Al’-ki, alekli
also “eventually”
Examples (CTGR): ‘áɬqi yaka mamuk ⟺ Later on he’ll do it.
- áɬqi … áɬqi … ⟺ then it will be (that) ….
- áɬqi-hilu (munk-áɬqi-hilu) ⟺ to use up, to consume.
- áɬqi pus … chxi … ⟺ until; only when … ; not until …
- áɬqi-tumala ⟺ tomorrow it will be; sometime in the future
Example (CTGR): alta-tumula ⟺ then next day …
- áɬqi-tumala sitkum-sán nisayka k’ilapay ⟺ We’ll get back tomorrow noon.
- áɬqi-wəx̣t ⟺ see you! (good-bye)
- áɬqi wik-lili ⟺ in a little while.
ampkwa ⟺ the Umpqua people.
ana ⟺ exclamation of surprise
See: ala
anqati ⟺ before (past), long ago
Other spellings: ahnkutty, ahnkuttie
Use anqati to indicate past tense.
Shaw says this:
Alm’-kut-tie, or Ah’n-kut-te, adv. (C) (CMnook.-ankutti.) Formerly; before now; long- ago; anciently; ago. (With the accent prolonged on the first syllable, a very long time ago; anciently. The longer the first syllable is held, the longer the time expressed.)
aaanqati ⟺ very long time ago
Examples:
- (CTGR) anqati tsa məkʰmək hayú ⟺ In the past we ate quite a lot.
- aaanqati yak achaku yakwa ⟺ He came hera a loooong time ago.
anqati-ikta ⟺ artifact
antʰiyeɬ ⟺ wasp, yellowjacket, bee
antʰiyeɬ məlasis ⟺ honey
bastən-antʰiyeɬ ⟺ honey bee
Etymology: from Kalapuyan. Honey bees came with white settlers. Before, at the end of summer when one burnt the prairie, they’d eat the leftover roasted yellowjacket larvae.
ata ⟺ to wait for, to linger
Examples (CTGR):
lili ya atá ⟺ he waits for some time.
na atá tunús ⟺ I’ll wait a little.
atá nayka ⟺ wait for me.
ats – sister
Sometimes kapxu ⟺ older sibling (brother or sister), and ats is only a younger sister. Other times ats can be a younger or older sister (depending on source).
See aw.
aw ⟺ brother
Sometimes kapxu ⟺ older sibling (brother or sister), and aw is only a younger brother. Other times aw can be a younger or older brother (depending on source).
ayaq ⟺ quickly, immediately, at once | able to, competent
Alternate spelling: hayaq, but use to ‘ayaq’.
ayaq-kuri ⟺ to run fast.
ayrish ⟺ Irish
Pertaining to the ethnicity from Ireland.
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