39 Dene – Athabaskan
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Leslie Saxon
Abstract
The Dene language family includes some 40 distinct languages, and varieties of these languages. The family is large both in the number of languages and in the broadly distributed geographical areas of western North America which sustain Dene peoples. The Dene world takes in Dine and Apache language-speaking communities extending across a wide area including the American Southwest; communities of the Pacific Coast area stretching from present-day NW California to southern Washington state; and communities both west and east of the Rocky Mountains north of the present-day Canada-US border and extending from Cook Inlet at the west as far as Hudson Bay at the east. Because of their size, the Dene territories cover many types of terrain and take in many river systems, and the people have many linguistic and cultural neighbours. This chapter sketches phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic properties of Dene languages, chosen with reference to what is happening in Dene language communities driving forward language maintenance, revitalization, and reclamation. The syntactic descriptions are more in depth than other areas of grammar. The goals of this chapter are (1) to provide discussions of linguistic topics potentially useful in revitalization work, (2) to share descriptions and terminology with language learners, instructors, and scholars to support their work, (3) to support access to the range of linguistic resources developed over the past 150-200 years, and (4) to provide some current references.
Abstract
The Dene language family includes some 40 distinct languages, and varieties of these languages. The family is large both in the number of languages and in the broadly distributed geographical areas of western North America which sustain Dene peoples. The Dene world takes in Dine and Apache language-speaking communities extending across a wide area including the American Southwest; communities of the Pacific Coast area stretching from present-day NW California to southern Washington state; and communities both west and east of the Rocky Mountains north of the present-day Canada-US border and extending from Cook Inlet at the west as far as Hudson Bay at the east. Because of their size, the Dene territories cover many types of terrain and take in many river systems, and the people have many linguistic and cultural neighbours. This chapter sketches phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic properties of Dene languages, chosen with reference to what is happening in Dene language communities driving forward language maintenance, revitalization, and reclamation. The syntactic descriptions are more in depth than other areas of grammar. The goals of this chapter are (1) to provide discussions of linguistic topics potentially useful in revitalization work, (2) to share descriptions and terminology with language learners, instructors, and scholars to support their work, (3) to support access to the range of linguistic resources developed over the past 150-200 years, and (4) to provide some current references.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Table of contents VII
-
VII Language revitalization
- 32 Reviving languages: Outcomes of a Mentor-Apprentice style learning study 717
- 33 Child and child-directed speech in North American languages 741
- 34 Decolonizing Indigenous language pedagogies: Additional language learning and teaching 767
- 35 Digital tools for language revitalization 789
- 36 Using archival materials for language reclamation 807
- 37 Changing notions of fieldwork 823
-
VIII Language families and isolates
- 38 Inuit-Yupik-Unangan: An overview of the language family 843
- 39 Dene – Athabaskan 875
- 40 Algonquian 931
- 41 Michif 951
- 42 Tsimshianic 985
- 43 Wakashan Languages 1013
- 44 Salish 1053
- 45 Chinookan family, with special reference to Kiksht and notes on Chinuk Wawa 1115
- 46 Sahaptian 1139
- 47 Karuk 1169
- 48 Wáˑšiw 1201
- 49 Pomoan 1223
- 50 California languages: Isolates and other languages 1247
- 51 Chumashan 1275
- 52 Yuman 1303
- 53 Uto-Aztecan 1333
- 54 Kiowa-Tanoan 1361
- 55 Caddoan 1407
- 56 Sketch of the Siouan Language Family 1447
- 57 Chitimacha 1519
- 58 Tunica 1545
- 59 Muskogean 1577
- 60 Iroquoian 1601
- 61 Unclassified languages 1627
- List of Authors 1649
- Index of languages 1673
- Index of names 1685
- Index of subjects 1695
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Table of contents VII
-
VII Language revitalization
- 32 Reviving languages: Outcomes of a Mentor-Apprentice style learning study 717
- 33 Child and child-directed speech in North American languages 741
- 34 Decolonizing Indigenous language pedagogies: Additional language learning and teaching 767
- 35 Digital tools for language revitalization 789
- 36 Using archival materials for language reclamation 807
- 37 Changing notions of fieldwork 823
-
VIII Language families and isolates
- 38 Inuit-Yupik-Unangan: An overview of the language family 843
- 39 Dene – Athabaskan 875
- 40 Algonquian 931
- 41 Michif 951
- 42 Tsimshianic 985
- 43 Wakashan Languages 1013
- 44 Salish 1053
- 45 Chinookan family, with special reference to Kiksht and notes on Chinuk Wawa 1115
- 46 Sahaptian 1139
- 47 Karuk 1169
- 48 Wáˑšiw 1201
- 49 Pomoan 1223
- 50 California languages: Isolates and other languages 1247
- 51 Chumashan 1275
- 52 Yuman 1303
- 53 Uto-Aztecan 1333
- 54 Kiowa-Tanoan 1361
- 55 Caddoan 1407
- 56 Sketch of the Siouan Language Family 1447
- 57 Chitimacha 1519
- 58 Tunica 1545
- 59 Muskogean 1577
- 60 Iroquoian 1601
- 61 Unclassified languages 1627
- List of Authors 1649
- Index of languages 1673
- Index of names 1685
- Index of subjects 1695
