ʔəsǰuʔil čəɫ txʷəl ti səslabdubuɫəd – We Are Joyful To See You Folks

ʔəshəliʔil tiʔiɫ – This is Healthy

ʔuʔušəbicid čəd - I Have Compassion/Love For You

ʔu siʔab ti yəl’yəlab – Oh Honorable Ancestors

siʔab slagʷac – Honorable Inner Cedar Bark

haʔɫ kʷi səslabcəbut – Watch Over Yourself Well

ʔayahus – The Hunting Monster

č’it. č’it. č’it. – Close. Close. Close.

wələx̌ʷil st’ilib - Strengthening Song

pədtayil ʔə tiiɫ sčədadxʷ - Salmon Homecoming

swələx̌ʷ st’ilib - Power Song

sxʷayuk’ʷ q’əyuq’ – The Basket Ogress has an Appetite

ʔiɫšxʷ st’ilib – Paddle Song

x̌ikʷiƛ' - Red

ʔəsqʷidᶻil - Brown

x̌ituc' - Black

Pronunciation for the Twulshootseed honorary street signs on the East Side of Tacoma Washingotn

Mountain Goat

Inner Cedar Bark

Phalarope

Red Eyed Star

Stick

Salmon

Rope

Moon

Blue Heron

Rock

Greetings and Departures in the Lushootseed Language.

haʔł sləx̌̌il. ------------------------------ Good day. 
ʔəsx̌̌id čəxʷ. ---------------------------- How are you?
ʔəsƛ’ubil čəd. -------------------------- I am fine.
ʔəsǰuʔil čəd. ---------------------------- I am joyful.
ʔəsǰuʔil čəd ʔə ti 
dsəslabdubicid. ----------------------- I am joyful to see you.
gʷat kʷ(i) adsdaʔ. -------------------- What is your name?
tul’al čəd Tacoma, WA. -------------- I am from Tacoma, WA.
čad kʷ(i) adsəsłałlil. ------------------ Where do you live?
ʔəsłałlil čəd ʔal tə Tacoma, WA. -- I live in Tacoma, WA.
ʔəsx̌̌id kʷ(i) adsyayayəʔ. ------------ How is your family?
kʷədačic. ------------------------------- Shake my hand.
ʔabšic ʔə tə cəlac. -------------------- Give me five.
qʷuluc. ---------------------------------- Give me a hug.
lək’ʷucidic. ----------------------------- Give me a kiss. 
hədiw’. ---------------------------------- Come inside.
ǰuʔilabcut čəxʷ ʔal kʷi sləx̌̌il. ------- Enjoy yourself today.
łux̌̌udx̌̌udbicid čəd laqil. ------------- I will talk to you later.
łulabdubicidəxʷ čəd. ----------------- I will see you later.
haʔł kʷ(i) adsəslabcəbut. ----------- Watch over yourself well.
tix̌̌ix̌̌dubut čəxʷ. ----------------------- Take care of yourself. 
huy’. -------------------------------------- Until we meet again.

Twulshootseed Greetings and Departures

Pleasantries  in the Lushootseed Language.

hišəbəʔ.------------------------ Thank you (to a male).
hisk’ʷuʔ.----------------------- Thank you (to a female).
hawadubš čələp.------------ Thank you folks. (Plural)
baliic čəxʷ.-------------------- You forget it. ‘You’re welcome.’
ʔəsk’ʷədiicid čəd.----------- I am grateful to you. (Singular)
ʔəsk’ʷədiitubułəd čəd.----- I am grateful to you folks. (Plural)
ʔuʔušəbicid čəd.------------- I have compassion/unconditional 
                                                love for you. (Non-romantic love)
ʔušəbicut.--------------------- Have compassion/unconditional 
                                                love for yourself.
cay čəxʷ dsx̌̌aƛ’.-------------- I very much desire you. ‘I love you.’ 
                                                (Romantic love)
dsx̌̌aƛ’ čəxʷ. /                      
x̌̌aƛ’dubicid čəd. ------------- You are my desire. ‘I like you.’
		                         (Romantic love)
ʔəsx̌̌ik’ʷabicid čəd.---------- I miss you.
gʷəʔušəbic čəxʷ ʔu.-------- Would you have compassion 
                                                for me? ‘Please.’
hasəb čəxʷ.------------------- You sneezed.
ʔitut čəxʷ ʔə kʷi haʔł.------ Have good sleep.
qəl’qəlalitut čəxʷ 
ʔə kʷi haʔł.------------------- Have good dreams.

ƛ’ububƛ’ub. ------------------ Be kind.
kʷaxʷalikʷ.  ------------------ Be helpful.
ʔabalikʷ.  ------------------ Be sharing.

Twulshootseed Pleasantries

People and Kinship terms in the Twulshootseed language.

bad ----------------- Father
sk’ʷuy -------------- Mother
qəsiʔ --------------- Uncle
pus ----------------- Aunt
scapaʔ ------------- Grandfather
kayəʔ -------------- Grandmother
bədəʔ -------------- Son, Daughter
staləł --------------- Nephew, Niece
ʔibac --------------- Grandchild
sč’istxʷ ------------ Husband
čəgʷəš ------------ Wife
čəłbadəb --------- Step-father
čəłtadəb ---------- Step-mother
syayəʔ ------------- Family, friend
syayayəʔ ---------- Family, friend Plural
ʔiišəd -------------- Friend, friends, Tribal people
sq’ʷuʔ ------------- Companion/boyfriend/girlfriend
sqa ----------------- Older brother/sister/cousin
suq’ʷaʔ ----------- Younger brother/sister/cousin
ʔaʔšəd ------------- Friend, close relationship to someone of the same sex/age
stuʔtubš ---------------- Little man, ‘boy’
słałədayʔ --------------- Little woman, ‘girl’
ləgʷəb ------------------ Teenage boy
q’abayʔ ----------------- Teenage girl
stubš -------------------- Man
sładayʔ ----------------- Woman
luƛ’ ---------------------- Elder
ʔaciłtalbixʷ ------------ Native American, People
ləliʔaʔkʷbixʷ --------- Different people ‘Foreigner’
pastəd ----------------- Caucasian person

Twulshootseed People and Kinship Terms

Months of the Year in the Lushootseed language.

słali ------------------- January ‘Good month’
swaq’waq’ ---------- February ‘Frog’
pupuhigʷəd -------- March ‘Gust of blowing wind’
pədx̌̌ʷiwaac -------- April ‘Time of whistling’
pədč’aʔab ---------- May ‘Time of digging’
pədstəgʷəd -------- June ‘Time of salmonberries’
pədgʷədbixʷ ------ July ‘Time of blackberries’
pədt’aqa ----------- August ‘Time of salalberries’
pədkʷəxʷic -------- September ‘Time of silver salmon’
pədxʷič’ib --------- October ‘Time of elk mating call’
pədƛ’xʷayʔ -------- November ‘Time of dog salmon/chum’
səxʷšic’əlwaʔs ---- December ‘Sheath your paddles’
sdᶻaladub ---------- Year
hiił x̌̌əƛ’gʷəs. ------ Happy birthday.

Twulshootseed Months of the Year

Numbers in the Lushootseed language.

p’aƛ’ -------------------------- Zero
dəč’uʔ ----------------------- One
saliʔ -------------------------- Two
łixʷ --------------------------- Three
buus ------------------------- Four
cəlac ------------------------- Five
dᶻəlačiʔ ---------------------- Six
c’ukʷs ------------------------ Seven
təqačiʔ ---------------------- Eight
x̌̌ʷəl -------------------------- Nine
padac ------------------------ Ten
padac yəxʷ kʷi dəč’uʔ --- Eleven
padac yəxʷ kʷi saliʔ ------ Twelve
padac yəxʷ kʷi łixʷ ------- Thirteen
padac yəxʷ kʷi buus ----- Fourteen
padac yəxʷ kʷi cəlac ----- Fifteen
padac yəxʷ kʷi dᶻəlačiʔ -- Sixteen
padac yəxʷ kʷi c’ukʷs ---- Seventeen
padac yəxʷ kʷi təqačiʔ -- Eighteen
padac yəxʷ kʷi x̌̌ʷəl ------ Nineteen
saliʔačiʔ -------------------- Twenty
słixʷačiʔ -------------------- Thirty
sbuusačiʔ ------------------ Forty
cəlacačiʔ ------------------- Fifty
dᶻəlačiʔačiʔ ---------------- Sixty
c’ukʷsačiʔ ------------------ Seventy
təqačiʔačiʔ ------------------ Eighty
x̌̌ʷəlačiʔ --------------------- Ninety
dəč’uʔ sbək’ʷačiʔ -------- One Hundred

Twulshootseed Numbers

Phrases in the Twulshootseed language.

ʔi.
Yes.

xʷiʔ.
No.

xʷuʔələʔ.
Maybe.

haʔł.
Good.

qələb.
Bad.

ʔačəda.
That’s unfortunate/
Oh my goodness.

ʔəshaydxʷ čəd.
I know.

xʷiʔ gʷədsəshaydxʷ.
I don’t know.

ʔəslax̌̌dxʷəxʷ čəd. 
I remember. 

xʷiʔ gʷədsəslax̌̌dxʷ.
I don’t remember.

ʔubaliic čəd.
I forgot.

ʔəsƛ’əlabut čəd.
I understand.

xʷiʔ gʷədsəsƛ’əlabut.
I don’t understand.

day’ haʔł.
Exceptionally good.

ƛ’ub.
Okay/fine.

huyəxʷ čəd.
I am finished. 

hilaʔ.
Look.

haʔł ti syayus.
Good work.

Twulshootseed Phrases

What Did You Eat?

The Puyallup Tribal Language Program has produced txʷəlšucid literacy books for our community with the hope of bring more language into the home. 

“We are eating - ʔuʔəłəd čəł” 
Written by David Turnipseed
Lushootseed by David Turnipseed & Zalmai ʔəswəli Zahir
Photos by Jennifer Squally 
Narrated by Amber Hayward & Chris Duenas

To learn more check out http://www.puyalluptriballanguage.org

ʔuʔəɫəd čəɫ - We Are Eating | txʷəlšucid literacy

Introductions Phrases

How Are You Phrases

The Puyallup Tribal Language Program's goal is to revitalize our ancestral language - txʷəlšucid in the Puyallup Tribal community. Our hope is to share as many resources to assist and grow the language.
The voices on these txʷəlšucid audio tracks belong to Christopher Duenas and Amber Hayward, unless otherwise stated.
To learn more check out http://www.puyalluptriballanguage.org
© Puyallup Tribe of Indians

Puyallup Tribal Language Program

Popular tracks