Haida Alphabet


Letter
ä or .
a
aa
b
ch
d
dl
ei
g
G or ç r G
ĝ
h
hl
i
íi
j
k
k’
or q ñ
ḵ’ or q’ ñ’
l
’l
m
n
ng
p
p’
s
t
t’
tl
tl’
ts
ts’
ú
uu
w
’w
x or c
x or ý x
or þ
y
ya’

Example
kingäsaang
adíitsii
áal
sablíi
chíin
dúus
dláamaal
eihl
gawíit
Gantl
ĝámjuu
húugaa
hlgún
inúu
íinaang
jáadaa
kuk
tl’ak’
kats
k’alaax̂an
lagúus
’láanaa
máahl
núu
ngáal
dápjuu
t’áp’at
sáaw
táw
t’ál
tláal
tl’ak’
kats
ts’áng
kúl
dúus
wúl
’wáa.adaa náay
xíl
xants
k’alaaan
yáan
gya’áangw
Translation
will see again
woods
paddle
bread
salmon
cat
licorice fern
because
bead
water
to be round
king crab
skunk cabbage
turnip/rutabaga
herring
woman/girl
firewood
whetstone
hair/head
fence
cedar mat
village
planting seeds
octopus
broad kelp
mound/heap
break/snap
ooligan
grease/oil
yellow seaweed
husband
whetstone
hair
beaver/tooth
forehead
cat
yarn
store
leaf/medicine
namesake
fence
fog/cloud
cloth

Equivalent
no eng. equiv.
u as in "Sun"
a as in "Father"
b as in "Boat"
ch as in "chirp"
d as in "Dog"
d & l combined
ay as in "Day"
g as in "good"
no eng. equiv.
no eng. equiv.
h as in "hurry"
no eng. equiv.
i as in "pin"
ea as in "bean"
j as in "jump"
ck as in "pack"
no eng. equiv.
no eng. equiv.
no eng. equiv.
l as in "land"
no eng. equiv.
m as in "mother"
n as in "nut"
ng as in "sing"
p as in "pipe"
no eng. equiv.
s as in "seat"
t as in "team"
no eng. equiv.
tl as in "turtle"
no eng. equiv.
ts as in "peanuts"
no eng. equiv.
u as in "put"
oo as in "moon"
w as in "win"
no eng. equiv.
no eng. equiv.
no eng. equiv.
no eng. equiv.
y as in "yard"
no eng. equiv.


The alphabet of the Haida Language (Xaayda kíl) is still basically that which was adopted at the first Haida language workshop.



Haida Consonants

b,  ch,  d,  dl,  g, Gĝ,  h,  hl,  j,  k,  k’,  k,  k’,  l,  ’l,  m,
n,  ngp,  p’,  s,  t,  t’,  tl,  tl’,  ts,  ts’,  w,  ’w,  x,  x,  ,  y,  ya

Haida Vowels

ei, a, aa, iíi, ú, uu

The long vowels have a fairly constant value:
aa English ’a’ in father
íi English ’i’ in machine, or ’ee’ in been.
uu English ’u’ in flute
ei English in 'ay' in day
ae (northern Haida, same as ei)

aw almost like the vowel in ’boat’, ’coat’, ’note’
aaw ’cow’, ’out’, ’shout’, ’pout’
ay a shorter, faster version of aay
aay ’lie’, ’guy’, ’fly’, ’sigh’, ’try’, ’thigh’
iw ’ewww!’