The Storyteller Trilogy (130 page)

IQYAX
(Aleut) A skin-covered, wooden-framed boat. A kayak. (The two vowels are short. The
q
is like a harsh English
k
, the
y
much like an English
y
, and the final
x
a voiceless velar fricative. Accent the first syllable.)

KOLDZE’ NIHWDELNEN
(Ahtna Athabascan) Nothing remained. (The
k
has no English equivalent. It is similar to the Aleut
x
and is pronounced in the back of the throat with a very harsh, guttural sound. The
o
carries a short sound similar to the
o
in the English word
for.
The
l
’s are pronounced like the
l
’s in the English word
call.
The Ahtna
dz
is pronounced like the
ds
in the English word
lads.
The
e
’s in both words carry a short sound like the
e
in the English word
set
, and the apostrophe denotes a glottal stop. The Athabascan
n
is similar to the English
n.
The
i
carries a short sound like the
i
in the English word
sit
. The
hw
is a voiceless labialized glottal fricative like the Athabascan
h
, but the lips should be rounded as in pronouncing the English word
hoe.
The
d
is pronounced with the tongue tip touching the backs of the top front teeth. It carries almost a
t
sound.)

K’OS
(Ahtna Athabascan) Cloud. (The Ahtna
k
has no English equivalent. It is similar to the Aleut
x
and is pronounced in the back of the throat with a very harsh, guttural sound. The apostrophe denotes a glottal stop. The
o
carries a short sound similar to the
o
in the English word
for.
The Ahtna
s
is pronounced almost like an English
sh
.)

LIGIGE’
(Ahtna Athabascan) The soapberry or dog berry,
Shepherdia canadensis.
(See Pharmacognosia.) (The
L
is properly written
Ł
, is voiceless, and has no corresponding sound in English. The tip of the tongue is held on the palate just behind the front teeth and breath released so as to push air off both sides of the tongue. The
i
has a short
i
sound like in the English word
sit.
The single
g
corresponds most closely to the English
k
and is pronounced in the back of the throat, with the final
e
pronounced like the
e
in
set.
The final apostrophe denotes a glottal stop. Accent on the final syllable.)

NAAX
(Ahtna Athabascan) Command given to a dog—“Go!” or “Proceed!” (The Ahtna
n
sounds like the English
n.
The
aa
carries an
aw
sound. The Athabascan
x
is a voiceless velular fricative.)

NAE’
(Ahtna Athabascan) Yes. (The Ahtna
n
sounds like an English
n.
The
ae
acts as a diphthong and takes on the
a
sound in the English word
fad.
The apostrophe represents a glottal stop.)

NUHU’ANH
(Koyukon Athabascan) (The
n
’s sound like the English
n.
The
u
’s carry the sound of the
o
’s in the English word
cook.
The
h
’s are similar to the
h
in the English word
help.
The apostrophe denotes a glottal stop. The
a
sounds like the English vowel
u
in the word
but
.)

QUNG
(Aleut) Hump, humpback. (The initial
q
is like a harsh English
k.
The
u
is short, and the digraph
ng
is nasal, pronounced much like the
ng
in the English word
gong
.)

SAEL
(Ahtna Athabascan) Container made of bark. (The Ahtna s is pronounced almost like an English
sh.
The diphthong
ae
carries a sound similar to the
a
in
bat
or
at
.) The
L
is properly written
Ł
, is voiceless, and has no corresponding sound in English. The tip of the tongue is held on the palate just behind the front teeth and breath released so as to push air off both sides of the tongue.)

SAX
(Aleut) A long, hoodless parka made of feathered birdskins. (The
s
is pronounced like a slightly lisped English
s
;
a
carries a short vowel sound. The
x
is a voiceless velar fricative.)

SOK
(Ahtna Athabascan) Raven call. (The Ahtna s is almost like the English
sh.
The Ahtna
o
is like the
o
in the English word
for.
The
k
is a guttural English
k
.)

TIKAANI
(Ahtna Athabascan) Wolf. (The Ahtna
t
is much like the English
t
, and
i
has a short
i
sound as in the English word
sit
. The Ahtna
k
has no English equivalent. It is similar to the Aleut
x
and is pronounced in the back of the throat with a very harsh, guttural sound. The
aa
carries an
aw
sound, and the
n
is similar to the English
n.
The
kaan
receives the accent.)

TIKIYAASDE
(Ahtna Athabascan) Menstruation hut. (The
t
is much like the English
t
. The
i
has a short
i
sound as in the English word
sit
. The Ahtna
k
has no English equivalent. It is similar to the Aleut
x
and is pronounced in the back of the throat with a very harsh, guttural sound. The Ahtna
y
is pronounced like the
y
in the English word
you.
The
aa
carries an
aw
sound; the Ahtna
s
is pronounced almost like an English
sh.
The Ahtna
d
is pronounced with the tongue tip touching the backs of the top front teeth. It carries almost a
t
sound. The
e
carries a short sound like the
e
in the English word
set
.)

TSAANI
(Ahtna Athabascan) Grizzly bear,
Ursus arctos.
(
T
’s takes a sound similar to the
ts
in
sets
. The double
aa
carries an
aw
sound; the
n
is pronounced like the English
n
and the
i
has a short
i
sound as in the English word
sit.
The first syllable is accented.)

TUXAKUXTXIN HI
(Aleut) Do you hear? (The
t
’s take on a nearly
th
sound (unaspirated postdental stop). The first
u
carries a short
u
sound; the second carries a short
o
sound. The first and third
x
’s are voiceless velar fricatives; the second
x
, properly written as
x
, is a voiceless uvular fricative. The
a
is a short
a.
The
k
is a velar unaspirated stop. Both
i
’s carry the short
i
sound, and the
n
, because of the antecedent
i
, is a strong palatalized nasal. The
h
is nearly a glottal stop, merely an aspiration prior to the pronunciation of the vowel that follows.)

ULAX
(Aleut) A semisubterranean dwelling raftered with driftwood and covered with thatching and sod. (Pronounced “oo-lax,” with the accent on the first syllable. The
a
carries a short vowel sound, and the final x is a voiceless velar fricative. Plural:
ULAS
or
ULAM.)

UNANGAX UTING
(Aleut) I am Aleut. (The initial
u
takes on a
y
sound. The second
u
carries a short
u
sound. The first
n
is quite nasal, and the
ng
’s are voiced velar nasals, slightly stronger than the English
rig.
The
a
’s carry a short
a
sound. The
x
, properly written as
x
, is a voiceless uvular fricative. The
i
carries a short
i
sound.)

XOS COGH
(Ahtna Athabascan) Devil’s club, literally “big thistle” or “big thorn,”
Echinopanax horridum.
(See Pharmacognosia.) (The
x
is a voiceless velar fricative. The Ahtna
o
is like the
o
in the English word
for.
The
s
is similar to the English
sh
, and the
c
sounds like an English
k.
The Ahtna
gh
has no English equivalent. It closely resembles the French
r.
)

YAA
(Ahtna Athabascan) Sky. (The Ahtna
y
is pronounced like the
y
in the English word
you.
The
aa
carries an
aw
sound.)

YAYKAAS
(Ahtna Athabascan) Literally, “flashing sky.” The aurora borealis. (The Ahtna
y
is pronounced like the
y
in the English word
you.
The Ahtna
k
has no English equivalent. It is similar to the Aleut
x
and is pronounced in the back of the throat with a very harsh, guttural sound. The
a
is like the
u
in the English word
but.
The
aa
carries an
aw
sound, and the s is similar to the English
sh.
The last syllable receives the accent.)

YEHL
(Tlingit) Raven. (A similar pronunciation to the English word
yell.
)

The words in this glossary are defined and listed according to their use in
Cry of the Wind.
Spellings, pronunciations and words in the Aleut language are used as per their standardization in the
Aleut Dictionary
,
Unangam Tunudgusii
, compiled by Knut Bergsland. Spellings, pronunciations and words in the Ahtna Athabascan language are used as per their standardization in the
Ahtna Athabascan Dictionary
, compiled and edited by James Kari. Both dictionaries are published by the Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

P
LANTS LISTED IN THIS
pharmacognosia are
not
cited in recommendation for use, but only as a supplement to the novel. Many poisonous plants resemble helpful plants, and even some of the most benign can be harmful if used in excess. The wisest way to harvest wild vegetation for use as medicine, food or dyes is in the company of an expert. Plants are listed in alphabetical order according to the names used in
Cry of the Wind.

ALDER,
Alnus crispa
: A small tree with grayish bark. Medium green leaves have toothed edges, rounded bases and pointed tops. Flower clusters resemble miniature pinecones. The cambium or inner layer of bark is dried (fresh bark will irritate the stomach) and used to make tea said to reduce high fever. It is also used as an astringent and a gargle for sore throats. The bark is used to make brown dye.

AQAMDAX:
See
Cloudberry,
below.

BALSAM POPLAR
(cottonwood),
Populus balsamifera
: A tree of the willow family that grows from the Alaska panhandle region to the Arctic in moist, gravelly soils. It attains heights of up to seventy feet. Leaves are smooth, ovate and slightly toothed, a dark green above and pale underneath. The gray bark becomes thick and ridged as the tree ages. Spring catkins are rich in vitamin C. Like willow, balsam poplar inner bark contains salicin (aspirin), and steeped in hot water is a good gargle for sore throats. The bark, ground and applied to sores, is said to dry seepage. The root—steeped, not boiled—taken as a tea, was used by some Native peoples in an effort to prevent premature birth. The buds are used as an expectorant.

BANEBERRY,
Actaea rubra
: The baneberry is the only deadly toxic berry native to Alaska. It is a vigorous plant that grows in southeastern and coastal Alaska north to the Yukon River area. It attains heights of up to four feet, though two to three feet is normal. Leaves are elongate, dentate and compound; delicate white flowers grow in ball-like clusters. Berries are red or white with a characteristic black dot. Warning: All portions of the baneberry are poisonous, and ingestion will cause pain and bloody diarrhea. Death may result due to paralysis of the respiratory system and/or cardiac arrest. Do not even touch these plants!

BEARBERRY
(ptarmigan berry),
Arctostaphylos alpina
,
Arctostaphylos rubra
: A low, ground-hugging shrub that forms thick mats. Berries are black
(A. al-pina)
or red
(A. rubra)
and edible, but quite tasteless.
A. rubra
grows in lower altitudes. The foliage of both plants turns a brilliant scarlet in autumn.

BEDSTRAW:
See
Goose Grass,
below.