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Northern Athabaskan is a geographic sub-grouping of the Athabaskan language family spoken by indigenous peoples in the northern part of North America, particularly in Alaska (Alaskan Athabaskans), Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. The sprachraum of Northern Athabaskan languages spans the interior of Alaska to the Hudson Bay in Canada and from the Arctic Circle to the Canadian-US border.[1] Languages in the group include Dane-zaa, Chipewyan, Babine-Witsuwitʼen, Carrier, and Slavey;.[1] The Northern Athabaskan languages consist of 31 languages that can be divided into seven geographic subgroups.
| Northern Athabaskan | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Alaska, Yukon |
| Ethnicity | Dene |
| Linguistic classification | Dené–Yeniseian?
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | None |
 | |
Classification
edit- Northern Athabaskan
- Southern Alaskan
- Central Alaska–Yukon
- Koyukon
- Deg Xinag (also known as Deg Hit'an, Kaiyuhkhotana, Ingalik)
- Lower Yukon River
- Middle Kuskokwin
- Holikachuk (also known as Innoko, Innoka-khotana, Tlëgon-khotana)
- Koyukon (also known as Ten’a, Co-Youkon, Co-yukon)
- Lower Koyukon (also known as Lower Yukon Koyukon)
- Central Koyukon (also known as Dinaakkanaaga Ts’inh Huyoza, Koyukuk River Koyukon)
- Upper Koyukon (also known as Upper Yukon Koyukon)
- Deg Xinag (also known as Deg Hit'an, Kaiyuhkhotana, Ingalik)
- Tanana–Tutchone
- Upper Kuskokwim (also known as Kolchan, Goltsan)
- Tanana
- Lower Tanana (also known as Tanana, Minto, Dandey in, Dineh su, Tananatana)
- Minto-Tolovana-Toklat-Nenana-Wood River
- Minto-Tolovana
- Toklat
- Nenana
- Wood River
- Chena
- Salcha-Goodpastor
- Minto-Tolovana-Toklat-Nenana-Wood River
- Tanacross (also known as Tanana, Dandey in, Dineh su, Tananatana)
- Upper Tanana (also known as Tanana, Dandey in, Dineh su, Tananatana)
- Nabesna
- Tetlin
- Northway
- Scottie Creek
- Canadian Upper Tanana
- Lower Tanana (also known as Tanana, Minto, Dandey in, Dineh su, Tananatana)
- Tutchone (also known as Gens de Bois, Gunana, Nahane, Nahani, Tutchonekutchin)
- Southern Tutchone (sometimes considered to be just a dialect)
- Northern Tutchone (also known as Mayo) (sometimes considered to be just a dialect)
- Tanana
- Upper Kuskokwim (also known as Kolchan, Goltsan)
- Kutchin–Han
- Gwich’in (also known as Gwitch’in, Kutchin, Kootchin, Loucheux, Loucheaux, Takudh, Tukudh, "Quarrelers")
- Alaskan Gwich’in (also known as Western Gwich’in)
- Canadian Gwich’in (also known as Eastern Gwich’in)
- Hän (also known as Han, Moosehide, Dawson, Gens du Fou, Han Gwich-in, Han-Kootchin, Hankutchin)
- Gwich’in (also known as Gwitch’in, Kutchin, Kootchin, Loucheux, Loucheaux, Takudh, Tukudh, "Quarrelers")
- Koyukon
- Northwestern Canada
- Cordillera
- Central Cordillera (also known as Tahltan-Tagish-Kaska)
- Southeastern Cordillera
- Mackenzie
- Slavey–Hare (v Slave)
- Slavey (also known as Slavey proper, South Slavey, Southern Slavey, Dene Tha, Esclave, Nahane, Nahani, Slave)
- Mountain (also known as Montagnards, Nahane, Nahani, Sih gotine, Sihta gotine)
- Bearlake (also known as Satudine, Sahtu gotine, Bear Lake)
- Hare (also known as Kawchottine, Ka so gotine, Kancho, Kawchodinneh, Rabbitskins, Ta-na-tin-ne)
- Dogrib (also known as Tli Cho, Tłįchǫ or Thlingchadine)
- Slavey–Hare (v Slave)
- Chipewyan
- Dene Suline (also known as Chipewyan, Dëne Sųłiné, Dene, Yellowknife, Montagnais, "Northern Indians", Copper Indians, Coppermine Indians, Mithcocoman, Red Knife, T’atsan ottine, Tatsotine, Yellow Knife)
- Cordillera
- Tsetsaut (also known as Ts’ets’aut, Nahane, Nahani, Portland Canal, Wetalth)
- Central British Columbia
- Babine-Witsuwit'en (also known as North Carrier, Babine Carrier, Northern Carrier, Bulkley Valley, Lakes District, Western Carrier)
- Babine (also known as Nadot’en, Nedut’en, Nat’oot’en)
- Takla
- Witsuwit’en (also known as Wetsuwet’en, Wets’uwet’en, Wet’suwet’en)
- Moricetown
- Francois Lake
- Dakelh (also known as Carrier, Dakelhne, Takelne, Takulli, Taculli, Takulie, Porteur, Nagailer)
- Central Carrier (also known as Upper Carrier)
- Southern Carrier (also known as Lower Carrier)
- Chilcotin (also known as Tsilhqot’in, Tinneh, Chilkhodins, Tsilkotin)
- Nicola (also known as Stuwix, Nicola-Similkameen) (†)
- Babine-Witsuwit'en (also known as North Carrier, Babine Carrier, Northern Carrier, Bulkley Valley, Lakes District, Western Carrier)
- Sarsi (also known as Sarcee, Tsuu T’ina, or Tsuut’ina)
- Kwalhioqua–Tlatskanai
- Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie (also known as Kwalhioqua-Tlatskanie)
- Willapa (also known as Willoopah)
- Suwal-Clatskanie
- Suwal
- Clatskanie (also known as Tlatskanie)
- Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie (also known as Kwalhioqua-Tlatskanie)
Phonology
editIn at least one Northern Athabaskan language, Slavey, a shift has occurred in the fricative θ to f; this is the same sound change found in the Cockney dialect of English.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b McDonough, Joyce; Wood, Valerie (July 2008). "The stop contrasts of the Athabaskan languages". Journal of Phonetics. 36 (3): 427–449. doi:10.1016/j.wocn.2007.11.001.
- ^ Heltoft, Lars; Igartua, Iván; Joseph, Brian D.; Kragh, Kirsten Jeppesen; Schøsler, Lene (2019-06-15). Perspectives on Language Structure and Language Change: Studies in honor of Henning Andersen. John Benjamins Publishing Company. p. 109. ISBN 978-90-272-6263-9.
Further reading
edit- Meek, Barbra A. (2012-02-01). We Are Our Language: An Ethnography of Language Revitalization in a Northern Athabaskan Community. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 978-0-8165-0448-0.