This Dene example was taken from a text by the Dene Wodih Society. This story has been transcribed into syllabics and the standard NWT Roman orthography.
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.
Several of the English-tradition /u/ vowel syllabics are not included as distinct characters in Unicode, therefore I have used the non-spacing dot accent to attempt to put the dot above the syllabic. Note that depending on the font you are using, the dot may instead be somewhere in the middle of the syllabic instead of on-top.
Please note that many characters may not display properly, as they are built up of a base letter plus a modifying diacritic mark (a non-spacing accent). If you are using an up-to-date Unicode font (such as those available here at Languagegeek), and your browser is fully OpenType compatible, the accent placements should be correct.
Dene NWT Roman Orthography
Edu łı̨́t’ǫ́h, úh eyı nóghe, nóghe, eyı la ı ehtsée séhwodeh úh yídeéht’ǫ́h úh, edu duh, tǫht’et’ǫ́h. Eyı dene, nóghe ju dene elı̨ úh nóda nechı, nódacho eyı úh. Eyı mbekeeh wots’aɂı̨. Édé yáts’ítse, yáts’ítse úh éé, tǫht’ı̨ ats’edeh úh. Mbeda ats’ı̨t’e édé mbekeeh wots’aɂı̨ xǫ́ht’e édé edawodíh úh t’ahı̨́ andadeh, úh kek’éh, úh kek’éh at’ı̨ úh, dene t’áhge. Édé łíǫ́h dene eghǫ. Dene eghǫ nóda ju úh.
I xáɂat’ı̨ úh, nózíę nechı, nózíę nechı, ju. Mbekeeh wots’aɂı̨ édé, dene yáɂítse úh héé, gáa edu ts’eghedıɂa ıgha kughedı t’áh. Dene tǫht’ı̨ ts’ı̨́ ats’et’ı̨ úh goı̨ níts’ındeh xǫ́ht’e éhsą́ gáa, xéts’ejá éhsą́ yáts’ítse úh. Dene sóǫ netlǫ ı at’ı̨ éhsą́. Tsá ndadeh, tsá ndadeh éhsą́. I, wóhdlı éhsą́ tsá kı̨́ éhsą́, tthı̨h t’áh yagıyı̨́hshú úh, tsá mbedage ehsíı̨ tsá k’ághendetah éhsą́. Nóghe keeh wots’aɂı̨. Sóǫ ats’ejá ı̨́yá, yuhaą́, gáa tǫht’e ǫ́ éé, nechıcho úh kek’éh. Nóghe gáa kets’ı̨́ gheyah. Úh éhsą́ eyıá xǫ́hę́, xǫ́hę́ ajá éhsą́. Éé! ghedı éhsą́. I nóghe éhsą́, Éé! Tlahzé, tsá k’ándetah. Sóǫ nozıą ju yéhdı éhsą́, gáa yets’ı̨́ at’ı̨ ı̨́yá xǫ́hę́ nı̨géd úh éhsą́. Ndadendéhgé úh éhsą́ ketahı̨́ eledzı ts’edı. I éhsą́ xáaje sóǫ mbeyı̨hdleé łíǫ́h dene déhtsı̨. I t’áh dene t’andek’éh úh éhsą́. I éhsą́ ndadendéhge úh sóǫ mbeché xóǫlá, seɂe yaɂı̨́lı ıgha úh éhsą́.
Nóghe éhsą́ t’ǫg wodı ı elé éhsą́, yetsónék’é éhsą́, xǫ́ht’e éhsą́ yígé. Yígé sóǫ seɂe edegha yuge úh sóǫ, úú úú úú, éhdı éhsą́. Dene łínt’ǫh sóǫ mbets’ı̨́ déhya, ı yohanı (tthųh ets’edı) satsóné nedééh, ı beeh ét’ı t’áh, ı úh éht’o t’áh ju úh, téht’o xúle. I sóǫ eyía xáat’ı̨ éhsą́ gáa yedhéhxı̨, nozıęcho. Úh éhsą́ ı nóghe éhsą́ yúgé úh, úú, úú, úú, éhdı éhsą́. Dıı̨́ ndáts’ı̨ ts’ı̨́ goı̨ ts’ı̨́ ı sóǫ. Jǫ xǫ́ht’ı éhsą́ yedaege sóǫ, xáajá jǫ dahé. Nozıę ledzé mbek’eh dahé aja, ı óǫ duh dendítl’édze ts’edı. Úh kuɂę tsıą íı̨ sóǫ tadéhtl’a éhsą́. I dene úh éhsą́, ı dene ehsíı̨, sóǫ, łı̨́t’ǫh nechá úh gáa, łahéı̨dı xáatı̨, xáatı̨. I t’áh dene netlǫ dhéhxe, xódleh ghedı éhsą́. Dene łı̨́t’ǫ́h beeh, beeh t’áh éhsą́, łı̨́t’ǫ́h nozıę nechı sóǫ tagıyendı̨t’á úh, netsédle úh sóǫ, yágıyeleh, łı̨́t’ǫ́h. Nózıę netsédláa gha dı éhsą́ yágıyeleh, łíǫ́h xégı̨lá éhsą́. I, ı gáa úh éhsą́ dene eyı gáa ı wots’ı̨h nózıę nechı xúle ıgha.
Dene Syllabics
ᐁᑑ ᒢᕄᕤ, ᐆ ᐁᔨ ᓄᗀ, ᐁᔨ ᕍ ᐃ ᐁᘛ ᓭᐧᐅᑌ ᐆ ᔨᑌᕤ ᐆ, ᐁᑑ ᑑ ᕤᕞᕤ. ᐁᔨ ᑌᓀ, ᓄᗀ ᐨᣮ ᑌᓀ ᐁᕄ ᐆ ᓄᑕ ᓀᗰ, ᓄᑕᗱ ᐁᔨ ᐆ. ᐁᔨ ᒼᐯᑫ ᐧᐅᘔᐃ. ᐁᑌ ᔭᘚᘛ ᐆ ᐁ, ᕤᕠ ᐊᐣᑕᑌ, ᐆ ᒼᐯᑕ ᐊᘚᕞ ᐁᑌ ᒼᐯᑫ ᐧᐅᘔᐃ ᐆᕞ ᐁᑌ ᐁᑕᐧᐅᑎ ᐆ ᕦᐃ ᐊᐣᑕᑌ, ᐆ ᑫᑫ, ᐆ ᑫᑫ ᐊᕠ ᐆ, ᑌᓀ ᕦᗀ. ᐁᑌ ᒢᕄᐅ ᑌᓀ ᐁᗂ. ᑌᓀ ᐁᗂ ᓄᑕ ᐨᣮ ᐆ.
ᐃ ᑲᐦᐊᕠ ᐆ, ᓄᓯᐁ ᓀᗰ, ᓄᓯᐁ ᓀᗰ, ᐨᣮ. ᒼᐯᑫ ᐧᐅᘔᐃ ᐁᑌ, ᑌᓀ ᔭᐃᘛ ᐆ ᐦᐁ, ᗃ ᐁᑑ ᘛᗀᑎᐊ ᐃᗃ ᑰᗀᑎ ᕦ. ᑌᓀ ᕤᕠ ᘚ ᐊᘛᕠ ᐆ ᗂᐃ ᓂᘚᐣᑌ ᑯᐦᕞ ᐁᓴ ᗃ, ᑫᐦᘛᐨᗴ ᐁᓴ ᔭᘚᘛ ᐆ. ᑌᓀ ᓱ ᓀᖈ ᐃ ᐊᕠ ᐁᓴ. ᘔ ᐣᑕᑌ, ᘔ ᐣᑕᑌ ᐁᓴ. ᐃ, ᐧᐅᐨᕄ ᐁᓴ ᘔ ᑭ ᐁᓴ, ᕬ ᕦ ᔭᗁᔨᣫ ᐆ, ᘔ ᒼᐯᑕᗀ ᐁᓯ ᘔ ᑲᗀᐣᑌᕦ ᐁᓴ. ᓄᗀ ᑫ ᐧᐅᘔᐃ. ᓱ ᐊᘛᐨᗴ ᐃᔭ, ᔫᐦᐊ, ᗃ ᕤᕞ ᐅ ᐁ, ᓀᗰᗱ ᐆ ᑫᑫ. ᓄᗀ ᗃ ᑫᘚ ᗀᔭ. ᐆ ᐁᓴ ᐁᔨᐊ ᑯᐦᐁ, ᑯᐦᐁ ᐊᐨᗴ ᐁᓴ. ᐁ! ᗀᑎ ᐁᓴ. ᐃ ᓄᗀ ᐁᓴ, ᐁ! ᖉᓭ, ᘔ ᑲᐣᑌᕦ. ᓱ ᓄᓯᐊ ᐨᣮ ᔦᑎ ᐁᓴ, ᗃ ᔦᘚ ᐊᕠ ᐃᔭ ᑯᐦᐁ ᓂᗀᐨ ᐆ ᐁᓴ. ᐣᑕᑌᐣᑌᗀ ᐆ ᐁᓴ ᑫᕦᐃ ᐁᕃᐨᓯ ᘛᑎ. ᐃ ᐁᓴ ᑲᐦᐨᗯ ᓱ ᒼᐯᔨᐨᕃ ᒢᕄᐅ ᑌᓀ ᑌᘚ. ᐃ ᕦ ᑌᓀ ᕦᐣᑌᑫ ᐆ ᐁᓴ. ᐃ ᐁᓴ ᐣᑕᑌᐣᑌᗀ ᐆ ᓱ ᒼᐯᗯ ᑯᐦᕍ, ᓭᐁ ᔭᐃᕄ ᐁᗃ ᐆ ᐁᓴ.
ᓄᗀ ᐁᓴ ᕤᑊ ᐧᐅᑎ ᐃ ᐁᕃ ᐁᓴ, ᔦᘕᓀᑫ ᐁᓴ, ᑯᐦᕞ ᐁᓴ ᔨᗀ. ᔨᗀ ᓱ ᓭᐁ ᐁᑌᗃ ᔫᗀ ᐆ ᓱ, ᐆ ᐆ ᐆ, ᐁᑎ ᐁᓴ. ᑌᓀ ᒢᕄᐣᕤ ᓱ ᒼᐯᘚ ᑌᔭ, ᐃ ᔪᐊᓂ (ᣦ ᐁᘛᑎ) ᓴᘕᓀ ᓀᑌ, ᐃ ᐯ ᐁᕠ ᕦ, ᐃ ᐆ ᐁᕤ ᕦ ᐨᣮ ᐆ, ᕞᕤ ᑰᐦᕃ. ᐃ ᓱ ᐁᔨᐊ ᑲᐦᕠ ᐁᓴ ᗃ ᔦᒉᑭᐦ, ᓂᓯᐁᗱ. ᐆ ᐁᓴ ᐃ ᓄᗀ ᐁᓴ ᔫᗀ ᐆ, ᐆ ᐆ ᐆ, ᐁᑎ ᐁᓴ. ᑎ ᐣᑕᘚ ᘚ ᗂᐃ ᘚ ᐃ ᓱ. ᐨᗱ ᑯᐦᕠ ᐁᓴ ᔦᑕᐁᗀ ᓱ, ᑲᐦᐨᗴ ᐨᗱ ᑕᐁ. ᓄᓯᐁ ᕃᐨᓭ ᒼᐸᑫ ᑕᐁ ᐊᐨᗴ, ᐃ ᐅ ᑑ ᑌᐣᑎᖆᐨᓭ ᘛᑎ. ᐆ ᑰᐁ ᘚᐊ ᐃ ᓱ ᕦᑌᖉ ᐁᓴ. ᐃ ᑌᓀ ᐆ ᐁᓴ, ᐃ ᑌᓀ ᐁᓯ, ᓱ, ᒢᕄᕤ ᓀᗴ ᐆ ᗃ, ᒢᕍᐁᐃᑎ ᑲᐦᕠ, ᑲᐦᕠ. ᐃ ᕦ ᑌᓀ ᓀᖈ ᒉᑫᐦ, ᑯᐦᐨᕃ ᗀᑎ ᐁᓴ. ᑌᓀ ᒢᕄᕤ ᐯ, ᐯ ᕦ ᐁᓴ, ᒢᕄᕤ ᓂᓯᐁ ᓀᗰ ᓱ ᒡᕦᗁᔦᐣᑎᕦ ᐆ, ᓀᘛᐨᕃ ᐆ ᓱ, ᔭᗁᔦᕃ, ᒢᕄᕤ. ᓄᓯᐁ ᓀᘛᐨᕍ ᗃ ᑎ ᐁᓴ ᔭᗁᔦᕃ, ᒢᕄᐅ ᑫᐦᗁᕍ ᐁᓴ. ᐃ, ᐃ ᗃ ᐆ ᐁᓴ ᑌᓀ ᐁᔨ ᗃ ᐃ ᐧᐅᘚ ᓄᓯᐁ ᓀᗰ ᑰᐦᕃ ᐃᗃ.
