ḥaakʷaƛʔis and the čiinuł — Cedar House Gallery

We are currently open by appointment. To book email art@cedarhousegallery.com

There are so many ways to learn a language, and as teachers/parents, we’re always looking for ways to get our kids involved in the language. This book is a beginner level book, with the idea to learn several Nuu-chah-nulth words/short phrases, while keeping our English-speaking kids’ attention. We have found that learning some basic words as a first step can be helpful to then have buidling blocks to identify and hear the words in more complex written and spoken sentences. Our hope is to in the future translate more of the text into Nuu-chah-nulth, as a second-step language learning book that is more grounded in the Nuu-chah-nulth sentence-structure, and in turn Nuu-chah-nulth worldview.

Word List Audio

spoken by ʔaniicn̓aas Tommy Curley and čaw̓it̓uʔa Timmy Masso

ḥaakʷaaƛʔis - little girl
n̓uw̓iiqsu - father
c̓aqaa - Long Beach
hitinqis - beach
ʔuuʔuuqukʔiš - It’s beautiful weather
ƛ̓upaa - hot weather
m̓iƛaa - raining
ḥaaʔimitʔiš - tide is out
n̓aascamitʔiš - she saw
hasaamac - crab
qasqiip - starfish
c̓iin̓uu - sandpiper
huyaałmitʔišʔał - they were dancing
naʔaamitʔiš - she heard
aqaqḥ - what is ____ ?
c̓ixʷatinʔiš – it is an eagle
n̓ašiʔi - look!
paawac – nest (in a tree)
c̓ixʷatin - eagle
c̓iyaał - feather
c̓aʔak - river/stream
p̓uʔupt - moss
č̓iin̓uł - totem pole
Audio Block
Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more
nuučaan̓ułʔatḥ - Nuu-chah-nulth people
Audio Block
Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more
ḥaḥuułi - chiefly territories
Audio Block
Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more
ʔiisaak - respect
qiim̓uupt - from way back, histories
t̓iick̓in - thunderbird
ʔiiḥtuup - whale
ḥiyiƛ̓iik - lightning snake
m̓uʔakʷay̓ap - burned them
yaaʔakuks suw̓a - I love you
nawaayis - noticing the world around you
t̓aatn̓aʔis - children
kʷakuuc - grandchildren
ƛaayacqum - great-granchildren
hupii - help
Audio Block
Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more
ḥumiis - cedar tree
ḥaakʷaaƛ - young woman
nananiqsu - grandparents