Common Terms - Tracking Change

Across the Mackenzie Basin, many Indigenous languages are spoken including six dialects of Dene (Tłı̨chǫ Yatıı̀, Dëne Sųłıné – Chipewyan, Dene Zhatıé – South Slavey, Sahtúot’ı̨nę Yatı̨́ – North Slavey, Dinjii Zhu’ Ginjik – Gwich’in, and Dane-zaa Záágéʔ – Beaver), Nēhiyawēwin (Cree), and Inuvialuktun. In many cases, concepts in English do not have a direct translation into these Indigenous languages and the opposite is also true. These Indigenous languages reflect a strong connection to the land and water and can help us to understand more about Indigenous knowledge systems. We have put together a collection of commonly used terms in the five most commonly used languages across the region that can be used by our research team.

Many thanks to our translators for helping us to build this valuable resource.

Nēhiyawēwin (Cree) – Sharlene Alook and Floyd Auger

Dane-zaa Záágéʔ (Dene-Beaver) – Kevin Ahkimnachie

Dene Zhatıé (Dene-South Slavey) – Kevin Ahkimnachie

Dinjii Zhu’ Ginjik (Dene-Gwich’in) – Eleanor Mitchell-Firth

Inuvialuktun – Holly Carpenter

English	Nēhiyawēwin (Cree)	Nēhiyawēwin (Cree Syllabics)	Dane-zaa Záágéʔ (Dene – Beaver)	Dene Zhatıé (Dene – South Slavey)	Dinjii Zhu’ Ginjik (Dene – Gwich’in)	Inuvialuktun
Weather	isiwepan, tansi Kîsikâw, isikisikâw	ᐃᓯᐁᐧᐸᐣ ᑕᐣᓯ ᑫᓯᑳᐤ ᐃᓯᑭᓯᑳᐤ	Xéwodehdli	Dáodéhdlee		Sila
Normal weather	ayiwastin	ᐊᔨᐊᐧᐢᑎᐣ	Tthene’ wǫjo	Dzene gonezų		Sila
Weather is changing	nohte mayikisikaw	ᓄᐦᑌ ᒪᔨᑭᓯᑲᐤ	Tthene e’c’ha ǫt’e	Dzene ech’ati		Sila allauyuaq
Warming spring weather	kisopwew	ᑭᓱᐯᐧᐤ	Wokǫ nda’udiidli	Yah/zhah edíli		Sila qiqaiqtuaq
Early spring	kȋyipa miyoskamiw	ᐠȋᔨᐸ ᒥᔪᐢᑲᒥᐤ	Gwé nda’udiidli	łuk’éh agodandeh		Sivulliq Upinraksaq
Spring	miyoskamiw	ᒥᔪᐢᑲᒥᐤ	Nda’udiidli	łuk’éh		Upinraksaq
Summer	nîpon	ᓀᐳᐣ	E’tǫ’leh’	imbéh		Auyaq
Early fall	mikiskon, kîyipa takwâkin	ᑫᔨᐸ ᑕᑳᐧᑭᐣ	Gwe etǫ nda’keh	xat’ãã agodandeh		Ukiaksaq
Late fall	otahkwatahkahk	ᐅᑕᐦᑲᐧᑕᐦᑲᕁ	Tthų etǫ’ nda’keh	xat’ãã melǫ		Ukiaksaquktuaq
Early winter	kîpahpipon	ᑫᐸᐦᐱᐳᐣ	Gwé yah’ke’ awodeh	Xaye agodandeh		Sivulliq Ukiuq
Winter	pipon	ᐱᐳᐣ	Yah’ke’	Xaye		Ukiuq
Winter weather	pipon	ᐱᐳᐣ	Yah’ke’	Xaye		Ukiuq sila
Good weather	mewkîsikâw	ᒣᐤᑫᓯᑳᐤ	Yahk’e tthene wǫjo	Xaye dzene gonezų		Sila nakuyuq
Weather is bad	mâyikisikâw	ᒫᔨᑭᓯᑳᐤ	Yahk’e tthene edu wǫjo	Dzene nezųile		Silaqluq
There is no cold weather	namoya iyewak itahkiyow isikisikâw	ᓇᒧᔭ ᐃᔦᐊᐧᐠ ᐃᑕᐦᑭᔪᐤ ᐃᓯᑭᓯᑳᐤ	Edu tthene wodli	Gohdli’ile		Sila qiqaiyuq
Weather has become good	imewisikisikâw	ᐃᒣᐃᐧᓯᑭᓯᑳᐤ	Wokǫ andawoja	gókõ anagújá		Sila nakuuyuqtuaq
Weather is good enough for hunting	imewisikisikâw kamacîhk	ᐃᒣᐃᐧᓯᑭᓯᑳᐤ ᑲᒪᒉᕁ	Wǫjo ndatsezedi gha	Nadzeze gha gonezų		Sila qiqaiyuq anguniaqtuat
Testing the snow	kôna êkocîhat	ᑰᓇ ᐁᑯᒉᐦᐊᐟ	Yah k’a tse’ndehta	Yah k’e tse’ni		Piangnuq
First snow	oskimspôhk	ᐅᐢᑭᒼᐢᐴᕁ	Nda’thah	nahshah		Apusiqtuaq
Snow on the ground	Kôna ayaw mohcihk	ᑰᓇ ᐊᔭᐤ ᒧᐦᒋᕁ	Digeh k’e ndae’ttha	Ndeh ke’ nashah		Apun nunami
Fresh snow	wâsâkonastew	ᐋᐧᓵᑯᓇᐢᑌᐤ	Yah’ du wotsi ǫt’e	Du jǫ nahshah		Apusiqqaun
Light snow	papistew	ᐸᐱᐢᑌᐤ	Yah t’ena	Nahshah gwa		Apilraun
Soft snow	Yoskihkôna	ᔪᐢᑭᐦᑰᓇ	Yah yodla	Yah/zhah decłea		Aqiuyaq
Deep soft snow	yoskihitimkonk kôna	ᔪᐢᑭᐦᐃᑎᒼᑯᐣᐠ ᑰᓇ	Yah tǫ’e de yodle’	Yah detǫ yodla		Mauya
Deep snow on the hillside (that may slip)	itimkônamahtinahk	ᐃᑎᒼᑰᓇᒪᐦᑎᓇᕁ	Yah detǫ shih mo’	Shihta yah ndak’e dezo ndudli’		Apun qimiq ulugaa
Powdery snow	piswîyakônakaw	ᐱᓭᐧᔭᑰᓇᑲᐤ	Yah deyah’de	Ya’de t’ah nahshah		Pukak
Wet snow	sâpît kôna	ᓵᐯᐟ ᑰᓇ	Yah tsele’	Yah sela’		Qanikłuk
Soft wet snow	yoski sâpît kôna	ᔪᐢᑭ ᓵᐯᐟ ᑰᓇ	Yah tsele yodła	Tsela t’ah nahshah		Misak
Wet falling snow (sleet)	sâpît kôna ipahkisin	ᓵᐯᐟ ᑰᓇ ᐃᐸᐦᑭᓯᐣ	Yah tsele t’ah nda’thah’	nahshah yah tse’le		Qanikłuk
Roughened snow	imaskowaskaht kôna	ᐃᒪᐢᑯᐊᐧᐢᑲᐦᐟ ᑰᓇ	Yah k’edze’	Ten’e tah’ nahshah		Apusiqtuaq
Snow that is melting in the sun	pîsim itehkitsat kôna	ᐯᓯᒼ ᐃᑌᐦᑭᐟᓴᐟ ᑰᓇ	Sa tsį yah nda’udidli	Yah udili sa tsį		Apun siqiniqmi augvingnaqtuq
Snow that melted and is frozen again	kôna itehkisôt ekwa kihtwam ahkowacit	ᑰᓇ ᐃᑌᐦᑭᓲᐟ ᐁᑲᐧ ᑭᐦᑕᐧᒼ ᐊᐦᑯᐊᐧᒋᐟ	Yah e’tene, uh k’aju ndahte’	Ki la yah na’teni’		Qiqsuqaqtuaq
Snow is going down (melting, compressing)	itihtihksôt kôna, ahkamtihksôt	ᐃᑎᐦᑎᐦᐠᓲᐟ ᑰᓇ ᐊᐦᑲᒼᑎᐦᐠᓲᐟ	Yah yué adeh udili	Yah yué adeh e’ten’ile		Augvingnaqtuq
Snow drifted (wind packed)	ipîwastak	ᐃᐯᐊᐧᐢᑕᐠ	Yah ke’e’tsihi	Ta’ke etsi’ / k’e tsįcla		Qimugyuk
Snow drifted (wind packed)	ewatowast kôna	ᐁᐊᐧᑐᐊᐧᐢᐟ ᑰᓇ	Yah ke’e’tsihi	Ta’ke etsi’ / k’e tsįcla		Qimugyuk
Hollow out snow due to wind (e.g. tunnel or a hole/cave	ewatowast kôna	ᐁᐊᐧᑐᐊᐧᐢᐟ ᑰᓇ	Yah teneh mbexa’oni’ah	Yah tene’me’gǫ’neą́		Piqtuluk
Flurry of snow	isimspôk	ᐃᓯᒼᐢᐴᐠ	Yah ke’eh’tsih	Nashah shi’ih’		Natiruvik
Blowing snow	eyotinast kôna	ᐁᔪᑎᓇᐢᐟ ᑰᓇ	Yah t’ah ndatsii	Nashah duye’		Piqtuluk
Crusted snow *same as rough snow	imaskowaskaht kôna	ᐃᒪᐢᑯᐊᐧᐢᑲᐦᐟ ᑰᓇ	Yah tene toneh	wotła’ t’ah nahshah		Qiqsaq apun
Hard crusted snow that gives way underfoot	kamasokowaskat kôna kahtehkisôt kipsihkoskowaw	ᑲᒪᓱᑯᐊᐧᐢᑲᐟ ᑰᓇ ᑲᐦᑌᐦᑭᓲᐟ	Yah tene ke’ k’e yué dadekeh	Ke’ yue ndak’e		Qiqsaq apun
Crunchy snow	ikaspist kôna	ᐃᑲᐢᐱᐢᐟ ᑰᓇ	Yah tene adii	Yah wotle’		Qiqsaq apun
Soft Spring Snow	yoskinsekwan kôna	ᔪᐢᑭᐣᓭᑲᐧᐣ ᑰᓇ	Yah yodle udili	Yah ten’ile		Aqiluraq
Little snow	apsis kôna	ᐊᑊᓯᐢ ᑰᓇ	Yah tsuda	Yah i’tsela		Aqiluraq
Light rain, dew	apsis ikimowan	ᐊᑊᓯᐢ ᐃᑭᒧᐊᐧᐣ	Dah’wodehtu’	Gotselé/dahdéhtú		Silaqluq
Sheets of rain *hard pouring rain	isîkihpîstahk	ᐃᓭᑭᐦᐯᐢᑕᕁ	Woteh ndahchų’	Duye de’chǫ’		Silaqluq
Freezing rain	ayakotihk kimowan	ᐊᔭᑯᑎᕁ ᑭᒧᐊᐧᐣ	Yah tene t’ah ndahchų	Eten’i nahchų		Silaqluq
Snow iced over by freezing rain	sahkweyaw or iyihtow	ᓴᐦᑫᐧᔭᐤ ᐃᔨᐦᑐᐤ	Yah tene e’ten cłǫ ndachu’	Guin’cłet ucho clo’		Apulu silaqluqlu
Melting snow	itihtihksôt kôna	ᐃᑎᐦᑎᐦᐠᓲᐟ ᑰᓇ	Yah udilii	Yah ehte’ile		Auqiyuaq apun
Water from snow (i.e., melted for tea)	nipiy oschi kôna	ᓂᐱᕀ ᐅᐢᒋ ᑰᓇ	Yah tue’	Tu yah tse’		Immiuqtuaq
Freshwater	oskinipiy	ᐅᐢᑭᓂᐱᕀ	Tu uujǫ	Tu nezų		Imaq
Drinking Water	minihkwayâpoym minihkôn nipiy	ᒥᓂᐦᑲᐧᔮᐳᕀᒼ ᒥᓂᐦᑰᐣ ᓂᐱᕀ	Tu tsedǫ	Tu tse’tsehi		Imiq
Water (big area of water)	mistahi nipiy	ᒥᐢᑕᐦᐃ ᓂᐱᕀ	Tu k’e wo’cho	Mieh cho’		Imagyuk
Water flows	nipiy ka pemicowahk	ᓂᐱᕀ ᑲ ᐯᒥᒍᐊᐧᕁ	Tu ghe tle’	Tu dehcli’		Imaq piimayuaq
The sources of the water	nipiy tantî oshcipiyîk	ᓂᐱᕀ ᑕᐣᑌ ᐅᐢᐦᒋᐱᔦᐠ	Tu andetii	Tu mbeta wodethii
Water levels	tânimâykohk nipiy	ᑖᓂᒫᕀᑯᕁ ᓂᐱᕀ	Tu dende’ǫ	Nde’ǫ gotsi tu		Imaq naqittuq – low
The level / top of the water (water level)	tahkohc nipiy tânimâykohk	ᑕᐦᑯᐦᐨ ᓂᐱᕀ ᑖᓂᒫᕀᑯᕁ	Tu deloh nde’oh	Tu nde’ǫ gotsį		Imaq kingiktuq
Deep water	atâmipêk	ᐊᑖᒥᐯᐠ	Wo’dįthhį	Go’dehtthį		Itiyuq Imaq
Water level is rising	wîtimîhk nipiy, iskipew	ᐁᐧᑎᒣᕁ ᓂᐱᕀ ᐃᐢᑭᐯᐤ	Tu tadelį	Tu dieh adde’	Chuu dàk t’idi’inh	Imaq qagvaqtuaq
Surface of the water	tahkohc nipiy	ᑕᐦᑯᐦᐨ ᓂᐱᕀ	Tu ke’	Tu meh’		Qagvaqtuaq
Shallow water	pahkwaw	ᐸᐦᑲᐧᐤ	Wodin tłetse’	Godi’ tłesa		Ikkalruq
No more water	meschipayew nipiy	ᒣᐢᒋᐸᔦᐤ ᓂᐱᕀ	Tu edulį	Tu nedu’e	Chuu kwàh	Makaituq imaq
Water near the shore that is deep	itimew	ᐃᑎᒣᐤ	Tu moh wo’dinthhį	Tu da’moh godinthį		Imaq sina itiyuq
It was put in the water	Kîhastahk kotah nipihk or nipiyihk astahk	ᑫᐦᐊᐢᑕᕁ ᑯᑕᐦ ᓂᐱᕁ ᓂᐱᔨᕁ ᐊᐢᑕᕁ	Tu ta’ nih’tse’nihtį	Tu tahniits’eni’chu		Imaqmun qakitaa
It contains water	nipiy astew or inipiywihk	ᓂᐱᕀ ᐊᐢᑌᐤ ᐅᕒ ᐃᓂᐱᔨᐧᕁ	Tu mbet’a wolį’	Tu mbeta’		Imaqtuq
Good tasting	wîkasin nipiy	ᐁᐧᑲᓯᐣ ᓂᐱᕀ	Tu łuko	Tu theka’	Gwiinzii vigwaandaih	Mammaqtuq imaq
Good quality (may not apply to water)	meyosîchikatîk	ᒣᔪᓭᒋᑲᑌᐠ	Wolį uujǫ adla	Ki golį nezų		Mammaqtuq
Dirty water	wîpahtan nipiy	ᐁᐧᐸᐦᑕᐣ ᓂᐱᕀ	Tu tsene’	Tu dzǫ t’ehi	Chuu vee	Imaq salumaittuq
Bad tasting water	Ispakowan nipiy	ᐃᐢᐸᑯᐊᐧᐣ ᓂᐱᕀ	Tu dehtsį	Tu nezų’ile	Chuu tr’aakaii	Imaq mamaittuq
Bad smelling water	Wicekan nipiy	ᐃᐧᒉᑲᐣ ᓂᐱᕀ	Tu woteh dehtsį	Duye’ tu de’tsį	Chuu nididzin	Imaq tipaaqtuaq
Fall falling, trickling water	pakihtin nipiy	ᐸᑭᐦᑎᐣ ᓂᐱᕀ	Tu nda’de’tli	Tu nda’ dehlį		Ukiuqman piimayuaq imaq
Bugs in the water	manchôsahk ehayawak watayihk	ᒪᐣᒎᓴᕁ ᐁᐦᐊᔭᐊᐧᐠ ᐊᐧᑕᔨᕁ	Tu ta’ tehtsa	Tu tah tessa ati		Niviuyiat imaqmi
River bugs	sîpiyihk manchôsak	ᓭᐱᔨᕁ ᒪᐣᒎᓴᐠ	Sageh wotehtsa	Deh tah’ tehtsa		Niviuvak
Lake bugs	sâkahikan manchôsak	ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᒪᐣᒎᓴᐠ	Mieh wolį xede tehtsa	Tu tehtsa		Tasiqmi niviuyiat
Water that flows quickly	nipiy kisiskâciwan	ᓂᐱᕀ ᑭᓯᐢᑳᒋᐊᐧᐣ	tu gwé ghetlii	Tu shi’ih atį		imaq puptayuaq sukayuq
Water that flows slowly	nipiy nasihkâc nihtâciwan	ᓂᐱᕀ ᓇᓯᐦᑳᐨ ᓂᐦᑖᒋᐊᐧᐣ	Tu tthų xetlii	Tu thoǫ ghii’tle		Imaq piimayuaq sukaittuq
Water that is stagnant (doesn’t flow, pond)	nipiy kâmwâtan	ᓂᐱᕀ ᑳᒫᐧᑕᐣ	Tu the’tlii / mieh gwa	Tu ttheh’tle’/ mieh’a		Tasiraq
Water falls	nipiy kanahkihtik	ᓂᐱᕀ ᑲᓇᐦᑭᐦᑎᐠ	Tu ndaa’deli cho	Tu náilî
Rapids	pawistik	ᐸᐃᐧᐢᑎᐠ	Tthhe tah nįlį	Tthe’bacha		Itimniq
Rivers going into Lakes	sîpîyah pihtikwetihkaw sâkahikanihk		Sageh mieh tsi ghetlii’ / łii nįlį	łiidlii		Kuuk tasiqmun
Small rivers going into big rivers	sîpîsisak pimiciwan	ᓭᐯᓯᓴᐠ ᐱᒥᒋᐊᐧᐣ	Sagah sageh cho tah e’tlii	Dea łiidlii		Kuuk tasiqmun
	sîpîsis		Sa’gah

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