Haida Example Text

I have included two example texts here, one in the northern Alaskan dialect, the other in the southern Skidegate dialect. The first story (Kaigani, Alaska) can be found in full in Eastman and Edwards, and is entitled Gyaehlingaay. I have modified the text a little to better fit the standard Alaskan orthography. The Second story, called Xuyaa Ḵaagaangaas is from a retranscription of a story told to John Swanton. I have updated the editor, John Enrico’s orthography to fit the current Skidegate standard.

As some of the accented letters in Haida are not independently encoded by Unicode, the accents may not appear in the positions they should.

Gyihlingaay (Alaska orthography)

Ḵ’wii xaataay g̱ii g̱aagahl gyin uu waa saaguust tlak kun tl’ ḵiinsii aa uu tl’ kasaasdlaayaan. Waast Jiingaagan. Singaay laas dluu sg̱unaan uu tlagaay ḵinggagaangaan waadluu jiingaas an tl’ wunsits gyinaan uu tlak g̱iduuwaanuu tlakw na’aangs t’alguu tl’ ts’aagaay laa’asaan tl’ gwadans dluu g̱aa tl’ ḵasaa asdlaayaan. Ts’aagee’an an tl’ g̱iihldaayaan.

Xaatgaay ii kingaa tlaagans dluu tl’ gudingaay hlkwiid isdlaayaan. Sinuu ḵ’wiitaas xataay x̱aajaa uu tl’ ga kihlaas. Sintlaa tlii tluu tl’ tlaawhlaan sinuu tl’ xajaawhl.

Gyihlingaay (B.C. orthography)

ḵ’wii xaataay g̱ii g̱aagahl gyin uu waa saaguust tlak kun tl’ ḵiinsii aa uu tl’ kasaasdlaayaan. waast jiingaagan. singaay laas dluu sg̱unaan uu tlagaay ḵinggagaangaan waadluu jiingaas an tl’ wunsits gyinaan uu tlak g̱iduuwaanuu tlakw na7aangs t’alguu tl’ ts’aagaay laa7asaan tl’ gwadans dluu g̱aa tl’ ḵasaa asdlaayaan. ts’aagee7an an tl’ g̱iihldaayaan.

xaatgaay ii kingaa tlaagans dluu tl’ gudingaay hlkwiid isdlaayaan. sinuu ḵ’wiitaas xataay x̱aajaa uu tl’ ga kihlaas. sintlaa tlii tluu tl’ tlaawhlaan sinuu tl’ xajaawhl.

Xuyaa Ḵaagaangaas (Skidegate Orthog.)

7aaniisuu tangaa G̱agingang 7wan suuga. ’ll xidgwangaas, x̱uyaa7aa. tllgu ḵ’aawgyaa hllngaaygi ’laa ḵyaangaas. ḵawdiuu gwaay G̱ud gwaa nang ḵadlaa ḵ’ayG̱udyaas ’laagu ḵ’aawgaay G̱an ’laa G̱á ’laa xidaas. 7á tl’l sG̱aana ḵidaads 7yaahlgaagaas G̱iinuus gangaang ’laagu gud gwii x̱iihlt’ahliyaagaas. ga sG̱aanaG̱waa G̱ax̱aas ’laa t’isda ḵ’a sḵ’agilaangaas, tll gwii x̱an, hahl gwii7ad wah gwii7aa. G̱adagaas gyaanuu7asing G̱aalgaagaang 7wan suuga.

nang kilsdlaas naaG̱aG̱a·aw tadll chi7a7aawaagan. sing ḵ’alG̱ada ’ll ḵaaxuhls gyaan ’ll kindagaangaas. sda ’laa xid k’udahldats’aasii gyaan gagu ’laa ḵ’aw7aawaasgu x̱an ’laa ḵ’aawgangas.

Xuyaa Qaagaangaas (Bringhurst Orthog.)

Aaniisuu tangaa ghagingang wan suuga. Lla xidgwangaas, xhuyaa’aa. Tlagu qqaawgyaa hlangaaygi llaa qyaangaas. Qawdiuu gwaay ghud gwaa nang qadlaa qqayghudyaas llaagu qqaawgaay ghan llaa gha llaa xidaas. A ttla sghaana qidaads yaahlgaagaas ghiinuus gangaang llaagu gud gwii xhiihlttahliyaagaas. Ga sghaanaghwaa ghaxhaas llaa ttisda qqa sqqagilaangaas, tla gwii xhan, hahl gwii’ad wah gwii’aa. Ghadagaas gyaanuu’asing ghaalgaagaang wan suuga.

Nang kilsdlaas naaghaagha·aw tadll tsi’a’aawaagan. Sing qqalghada ll qaaxuhls gyaan ll kindagaangaas. Sda laa xid kkudahldattsaasii gyaan gagu laa qqaw’aawaasgu xhan laa qqaawgangas.

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Last Update: June 13, 2005