Greetings and Responses

Are you Ready to learn some different greetings in Xaad Kil? Add these useful phrases to your Xaad Kil language survival kit.

Greetings like “hello, (hey it's me!)” or “good bye (see you later)” are incredibly important in Xaad Kil. Going through the ritual of greeting another person is an important way of showing respect. 

Learn how to ask people how they are and what they’ve been up to. Just as importantly, begin practicing some ways to reply when people ask you!

Listen carefully to the audio, and the way the native Xaad Kil speakers pronounce each Xaad Kil word or phrase. Practice these aloud until you feel confident, and then try them out on your friends!

Audio used from recordings by Ḵáawan Sangáa, Woodrow (Woody) Morrison, JD, BA

Here are some of the most basic Xaad Kil greetings to get you started. 

Greetings
  • Dagwáang.  Dear one
  • Gunáa  Dear boy/young man
  • Áang Dagwáang.  Yes dear one
  • Gei Dagwáang.  No dear one

  • Gwa, Hlaa uu iijang! Hey, It's me! or Hi
  • Dangkw ’alaa (pronounced: dunkw ’ah laa) How are you?
  • Sán uu dáng G̱íidang?  What is the state of your spirit? (or How are you?)
  • Sán uu dángs G̱íidang? And how are you doing?
  • Díi ’láagang. (pronounced: de ’laah guun)  I am fine. or my spirit has goodness.
  • Isgan, dangkw ’alaa?  And how are you?
  • Gasán uu dáng gíi dang.  How are you? or What is the state of your spirit?
  • Dáng sán?  And how are you?
  • Dakuu is?  Is that you?
  • K'áax.ngáa dakúu is?  Poor thing, is that you?

Responses
  1. Díi sán ’láagang.  I am also fine or my spirit also has goodness.
  2. Díi x̱áwlaang.  I am sweet.
  3. Gam díi ’láa’an gang. I am not fine.
  4. Díi st’i gang.  I am sick.
  5. Xíit díi íijang.  I am feeling low.
  6. Huu ’láa gang.  That’s fine or that’s good.
  7. Dáng da díi kuyáadaang.  I have strong feelings of love for you.
  • I'll see you again.  Háws dáng hl kíng saang.
  • Dámaan agang hl kíng gang.  Take good care of yourself.
  • Dámaan agang hl kíng wang.  Take good care of yourselves.
  • Adáahl dáng hl kíng saang.  I will see you tomorrow.
  • Adáahl dláng hl kíng saang.  I will see all of you tomorrow
  • Háws dáng hl kíng saang.  I will see you again.
  • Áang, háws dáng hl kíng saang.  Yes, I will see you again
  • Díi gwíi hl stíihl. Come see me again. 
  1. Háw’aa.  Thank you.
  2. Ja háw’aa.  Thank you very much.
  3. Dáng an hl kíl ’láagang.  I thank you
  4. Dálang an hl kíl ’láagang.  I thank you folks
  5. Dáng an hl kíl ’láa áwyaagang.  I thank you very much.
  6. Dálang an hl kíl ’láa áwyaagang.  I thank you folks very much.


AnkiWeb Decks to download and practice with printable PDF
https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/655595941
https://www.dropbox.com/s/r3pzo041ekb2ltb/Greetings.pdf?dl=0


Note: Make it a point to use these phrases in your everyday communication. This can be done in a number of ways. For beginners, use sticky notes, or pieces of masking tape, and write the Haida words for things in your house. When you need to talk about that thing, always use the Haida word for it. If you are unsure of pronounciation and if you cannot find speakers, the recordings on this website and others found in the Resources page, can help. The important part is, if you don’t know a Haida speaker, this website can assist you to fix that part now instead of later when you see an Haida speaker. The audio clips and lessons in this website can only take you so far. You need to put yourself in places where the language is everywhere or create that place. What’s also important is that you use it everyday, in your home, communities, with friends.