Sahtu Dene Kǝdǝ́ Example Text
ᓴᑋᕲ ᑌᓀ ᑦᑫᑌ

This Sahtu Dene Kǝdǝ́ example was taken from a text by George Blondin. This story has been transcribed into both the current Roman orthography (left) and a traditional Dene Syllabic orthography (on the right). The story is in the Sahtúgot’ıne dialect.

As the traditional syllabics orthography was designed for the K’áshogot’ıne dialect of Sahtu Dene Kǝdǝ́, I have had to make some small changes here. Following the pattern of sound changes between the dialects would result in ᐟᒐ, ᕮ, ᒐ sounding like /gwa/, both /kwa/ and /kw’a/, and /wha/. These sounds could also easily have been written ᑲᐧ, ᑦᑲᐧ, ᑋᐧᐊ, but as the K’áshogot’ıne syllabics reanalysed the ᕮ and ᒐ series, so I will do the same for Sahtúgot’ıne. I am also being very generous with my use of ᑋ for /h/; K’áshogot’ıne syllabics used this final only quite rarely; I am writing it wherever present in the modern Roman text.

Unicode places all finals at the top-line, where Dene requires some finals to be top-line, some mid-line, and some baseline. The location of the final is vital to correct pronunciation. Please note that your browser may not be able to accomodate the mid-line and baseline finals.

YAMORIA

Dene łíı sı̨ súré beɂı̨́kǫ́ natsę xáhwe weda k’ę́ boréta Yamorıa héredı. Ɂeyı sı̨ ɂareyǫ́né dene nahkw’uwe beɂı̨́kǫ́ ɂnátse lánı k’ę́ beghǫ gots’ede.

Łá łue túébá nákédǝ dene bets’ékwé góhłı̨ hé betúwé nésha ká ts’ékuwe dedáłe. T’á łue túé ghá mı̨́ dakıtl’u t’á dzı̨né taonéht’é mı̨́ ghákeyeda. Gots’ę derı t’ere sı̨ gah goxoe dahętl’ı̨ t’á dzı̨né taonéht’e gah goxoe gháyeda.

Hayı̨lé gah goxóé ts’é t’ere nadéła. Níhts’ı̨ húle déhyǝ́ két’á nayeda yılé, níhts’ı̨ húle t’á ts’u náyedále, hayılé whagek’e ts’ú ładet’e sı̨ náyeda, begha súdı t’á yets’édehła yegháyeda, dáhsó ɂat’ı̨ yenıwę whá yegháyídá tl’ą dekǫ́ę́ ts’énedéhła.

Dekǫ́ę́ nínıła, detá deno hé ɂeká ɂagóhdı ɂeyı ts’u ɂek’áɂat’ı whá begháyídá hadı. Ɂegúhnı yáhnı ɂaóht’e t’á Ɂı̨́k’ó t’á dene hı̨łǫ benázhǝ. Cha ɂagot’ı̨ ɂekúhyǝ́ góɂǫ ɂagóht’e t’á t’áhsı̨ ɂeká ɂagǫht’e ɂekúkadı ɂat’íle ɂeyı t’á betá sı̨ xadahxǫ benázhǝ t’á ɂat’ı̨ sónı. Betá ɂekáɂayéhdı “Sacho xoe ts’é nanıła gots’ę k’ét’á nayı̨łe gots’ę ɂeyı ts’uh ɂehłádet’e ɂat’ı̨ nídé bets’érıła bedo negónehsı̨ ɂeyı gháré kánıdı” hadı “ɂahsí duhsı̨ yenınewe nídé ɂeká hejǫ nedowıda sedá goghǫ godǝ nídé nezǫ gha nıdı,” hanídé ɂedlá ɂagodǝ gha sónı betá yéhdı.

Ɂeká ɂaja hayı̨lé ts’uhya t’adenéhwé. Ɂekagháí sı̨ ɂareyǫ́né nehkáyı̨hdla. Ɂeyı ts’uh náyı̨ɂa sı̨ betl’a sı̨ bebíya nákǝ whela, kehtsǝ dúyé ɂeyı t’á t’ere dehdze dała láí ɂahet’e t’á bebí sí neríwha, deɂǝ́ t’á yeyıwha, yehé najınéhła.