Tlingit Myths and Texts · Tlingit storytellers of Sitka and Wrangell, recorded by John R. Swanton

Chapter 18: Origin of a Low-caste Name

ᴀǃēqǃ ān ayuˊ ᴀt natīˊ. Hᴀs ᴀkᵘcîtᴀˊn yūˊān qa-ūˊwu. Wananīˊsayu nᴀsǃginᴀˊx qā hᴀs wuqoˊx ᴀt nᴀtīˊ. Wananīˊsayu adeˊỵa hᴀs naqoˊx yū-hᴀs-aʟǃūˊnutc-ītcqǃ xō. Atxaˊyu āt hᴀs uwaqoˊx yuīˊtcqǃ xō daˊsayu ᴀqǃ hᴀs aosîtīˊn ᴀtkǃᴀˊtskǃᵘ. adᴀˊx yāx hᴀs aosîgūˊt tcǃa g̣oˊna-ᴀt hᴀs uwadjīˊ. Adᴀˊxayu djag̣êˊg̣a ᴀx hᴀs qǃᴀtāˊn. ʟēł hᴀsduīˊx qēˊcgu. Adᴀˊx nēł hᴀs uwaqoˊx. Hᴀsduxōˊnî sᴀkᵘ hᴀs aosînēˊx. Adᴀˊxayu ᴀqǃēˊx hᴀs ᴀt tēˊxnutc. ʟēł hᴀˊsdudjīqǃ ᴀt kūctᴀˊn. Adᴀˊx tsaˊtsǃᴀ ᴀng̣axēˊqǃun tsa hᴀˊsduyatǃēˊqǃ ᴀt xāˊnutc. Adᴀˊx tcǃa-dāˊsᴀ ᴀt ūwacīˊ tcǃuʟeˊ yᴀx kᴀcxêˊnx. Adᴀˊx tuūˊs ᴀkucitᴀˊn ʟᴀkᵘ ʟēł tūcqēˊnutc. ʟēł yūkduᴀˊqukᵘ. Udzikāˊ. Adᴀˊx gᴀn axōˊtǃ g̣anuguˊn, tcǃuʟeˊ taỵīˊs yūaỵaʟǃīˊqǃk. Yūˊtaỵīs qǃᴀłitsīˊn. Adᴀˊx yu-ᴀˊc-wusînēˊxe-qoūˊ wāˊsᴀ hᴀsdutūˊwu nīˊknutc. Adᴀˊx yu-ᴀt-ỵᴀˊtqǃî tîn ᴀckułỵᴀˊdî tcǃuʟeˊ yuqoỵᴀłisǃêˊʟǃk. Adᴀˊx yu-ᴀˊc-wusînēˊxe-qoūˊtc tcǃuʟeˊ koỵᴀsᴀgēˊx. Tcǃū łîtāˊ ān ᴀt łayēˊxe tcǃuʟeˊ yūˊaỵaʟīqǃk. Adᴀˊx tcǃayeˊsu dunāˊqǃ yen duēˊtc ᴀt dūguˊ kǃudᴀˊsǃ tcǃuʟeˊ ᴀˊqg̣asǃêˊʟǃtc. Adᴀˊx tīł duqǃōˊsî yen duēˊtc tcǃuʟeˊ ᴀˊqg̣asǃêˊʟǃtc. Hīn ᴀˊłitsǃêx. Qa ʟᴀx yaʟᴀˊqᵘku. Dunāˊ ᴀt łīˊtcǃêqᵘkᵘ. Kᴀdîgᴀˊxkᵘ. Yaᴀˊnᴀtîn ᴀt tcǃuʟeˊ qot ke ᴀg̣îˊqǃtc. Adᴀˊx kaxīˊʟǃ qadjiˊ ye aỵaūˊ.

Adᴀˊx ye dūˊwasa, “Itckᴀqāˊwo.” Adᴀˊx djîłdakᴀˊt yūˊāntqenî yē qǃaỵaqaˊ āˊqox yêx duxaˊ. Tcǃu wudusnēˊxe dᴀx tcaʟᴀˊkᵘ īłdjaˊ qᴀsīˊwu yēˊỵati. Adᴀˊx yūˊqoū ᴀc wusînēˊxe djîłdakᴀˊt hᴀs tsǃu yūˊyakᵘỵîkx hᴀs wuāˊt āˊqox hᴀs aỵāˊwaxa. Yūīˊtc tsǃaqōˊnᴀx ᴀkāˊx hᴀs āˊwusnuguītc tsǃu ᴀkaˊ yên hᴀs aosinuˊk. Adᴀˊx ᴀnᴀˊq qox hᴀs wudiqoˊx. Adᴀˊx nēł hᴀs uwaqoˊx. Yūˊłīngîtanî kᴀnduwayēˊʟǃ. Yū’siu tsǃu kāwatā’n. Adᴀˊx adaˊ yuqǃᴀˊduʟ̣iᴀtk yūˊan qoū’wutc. Ye qoqǃāˊỵaqa, “Dasa’yu,” ʟēł wuduskuˊ. Adᴀˊx yuan-qoū’wu ye hᴀs qǃāˊỵaqᴀ, “ʟēˊgîł ỵīˊ-sᴀku îtckᴀqāˊwu ỵᴀˊdî ayuˊ.”

The end.