Deg Xinag language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Deg Xinag |
|
|---|---|
| Deg Hitʼan | |
| Native to | United States |
| Region | Alaska (lower Yukon River, Anvik River, Innoko River) |
| Ethnicity | 280 Deg Hitʼan (2007) |
| Native speakers | 2 (2020) |
| Language family |
Dené–Yeniseian?
|
| Writing system | Latin (Northern Athabaskan alphabet) |
| Official status | |
| Official language in |  Alaska |
Deg Xinag (pronounced Deg Hith-ahn) is a special language spoken by the Deg Hitʼan people. They live in a part of Alaska called the GASH region. This area includes the villages of Grayling, Anvik, Shageluk, and Holy Cross. These villages are found along the lower Yukon River in the middle of Alaska. Sadly, very few people still speak Deg Xinag. Out of about 250 people in the community, only a couple of people still use the language. This means it is a very rare language today.
In the past, this language was sometimes called Ingalik. However, this word is not used anymore because it can be seen as disrespectful. The word "Ingalik" comes from the Yupʼik language and simply means "Indian."
A special book called Engithidong Xugixudhoy (which means Their Stories of Long Ago) was published in 1987. It's a collection of traditional folk tales in Deg Xinag, put together by an elder named Belle Deacon. Later, in 1993, a book to help people learn to read and write the language was also created, along with audio recordings.
Different Ways of Speaking
Deg Xinag has two main ways of speaking, like different accents or versions. These are called the Yukon dialect and the Kuskokwim dialect.
- The Yukon dialect is the traditional way of speaking in the villages along the Lower Yukon River, such as Anvik, Shageluk, and Holy Cross.
- The Kuskokwim dialect is the traditional way of speaking in the settlements along the Middle Kuskokwim River.
As of 2009, there are no longer any speakers living in Anvik and Holy Cross.
How the Language Sounds
Every language has its own unique sounds, and Deg Xinag is no different! It has a variety of consonant and vowel sounds that might be different from what you hear in English. For example, some sounds are made with a puff of air, while others are made with a quick stop and release.
The main vowel sounds in Deg Xinag are similar to the 'a' in "father," the 'e' in "bed," the 'u' in "cut," the 'o' in "go," and the 'oo' in "book."
Words You Can Learn
Here are some interesting words and phrases in Deg Xinag:
- qʼuntʼogh - airplane
- ggagg - animal
- ggagg chux - bear (which means 'big animal')
- sraqay - children
- dran - day
- xikʼugiłʼanh - doctor, nurse
- łegg - fish
- łek - dog
- sileg - my dog
- vileg - her dog
- tso tlʼogh iy - mammoth
- dinaʼ kʼidz - doll (which means 'little person')
- xidondiditey - door
- nganʼ ditʼanh - earthquake
- sitoʼ - my father
- vitoʼ - her father
- yix - house
- tinh - snow
- dangan - iron, metal
- deloy - mountain
- vanhgiq - Indian ice cream
- choghlugguy (in Anvik); niq'asrt'ay (in Shageluk) - fox
- vinixiłyiq - in the morning
- Ade' ndadz dengit'a - Hello, how are you?
- giłiq - one
- teqa - two
- togg - three
- denhchʼe - four
- niłqʼosnal giłiggi viqʼidz iy - eleven
See also
- In Spanish: Idioma deg xinag para niños
