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{{short description|Group of indigenous languages of North America}}
{{Otheruses4|the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] language family|any of the ships called "HMCS Athabaskan"|HMCS Athabaskan}}
{{redirect|Athabaskan|any of the ships named HMCS Athabaskan|HMCS Athabaskan|the ethnic group in Alaska|Alaskan Athabaskans}}
{{Infobox Language family
{{Infobox language family
|name=Athabaskan
| name = Athabaskan
|altname=Athabascan, Athapascan, Athapaskan
| altname = Dene
|region=Western [[North America]]
| region = Western [[North America]]
|familycolor=Na-Dené
| protoname |fam2= [[Proto-Athabaskan language|Proto-EyakAthabaskan]]
| familycolor = Na-Dene
|child1=[[Northern Athabaskan languages|Northern Athabaskan]]
| fam1 |child2= [[Pacific Coast AthabaskanNa-Dene languages|Pacific Coast AthabaskanNa-Dene]]
| child1 |child3= [[SouthernNorthern Athabaskan languages|SouthernNorthern Athabaskan]]
| child2 = [[Pacific Coast Athabaskan languages|Pacific Coast Athabaskan]]
|map=[[Image:Na-Dene langs.png|center|300px]]<center>Pre-contact distribution of [[Na-Dené languages]] (Athabaskan + Eyak + Tlingit)</center>
| child3 = [[Southern Athabaskan languages|Southern Athabaskan]]
| map = Athabaskan languages.svg
| mapcaption = Geographic distribution of the Athabaskan languages
| iso2 = ath
| iso5 = ath
| glotto = atha1247
| glottorefname = Athabaskan
| ancestor =
| glottoname =
| notes =
| fam3 =
| fam2 = Athabaskan–[[Eyak language|Eyak]]
}}
{{IPA notice}}
'''Athabaskan''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|æ|θ|ə|ˈ|b|æ|s|k|ən}} {{respell|ATH|ə|BASK|ən}}; also spelled ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'' or ''Athapascan''), also known as '''Dene''' ({{IPAc-en|'|d|ei|n|ei}} {{respell|DAY|nay}}; also spelled ''Dené''), is a large branch of the [[Na-Dene languages|Na-Dene language family]] of [[North America]], located in western North America in three areal language groups: Northern, Pacific Coast and Southern (or [[Apachean]]). Kari and Potter (2010:10) place the total territory of the 53 Athabaskan languages at {{convert|4022000|km2|sqmi}}.
 
[[Chipewyan language|Chipewyan]] is spoken over the largest area of any North American native language, while [[Navajo language|Navajo]] is spoken by the largest number of people of any native language north of Mexico.
'''Athabaskan''' or '''Athabascan''' (also '''Athapascan''' or '''Athapaskan''') is the name of a large group of closely related [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] peoples, also known as the '''Athabasca Indians''' or '''Athapaskes''', located in two main Southern and Northern groups in western North America, and of their language family. The Athabaskan family is the largest family in North America in terms of number of languages and the number of speakers (the [[Uto-Aztecan languages|Uto-Aztecan]] family which extends into Mexico has many more speakers). In terms of territory, only the [[Algic languages|Algic language family]] covers a larger area.
 
The word ''Athabaskan'' is an [[AngloAnglicisation|anglicized]] version of thea [[Cree language]] name for [[Lake Athabasca]] (''āthap-āsk-ā-w'' {{IPAlangx|/a:θapa:ska:w/crm-Latn|Āðapāskāw}} “grass'[where] orthere are reeds hereone andafter there”another') in [[Canada]]. Cree is one of the [[Algonquian languages]] and therefore not itself an Athabaskan language.<ref>Bright, William (2004). ''Native American Place Names of the United States''. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, pg. 52</ref> The name was assigned by [[Albert Gallatin]] in his 1836 (written 1826) classification of the languages of North America. He acknowledged that theit was his choice to use this name for thesethe relatedlanguage languagesfamily wasand entirelythe hisassociated ownethnic individualgroups: preference"I have designated them by the arbitrary denomination of Athabascas, writingwhich derived from the original name of the lake."<ref>Albert Gallatin, 1836:116–17.</ref>{{full citation needed|date=March 2023}}
 
The four spellings—''Athabaskan'', ''Athabascan'', ''Athapaskan'', and ''Athapascan''—are in approximately equal use. Particular communities may prefer one spelling over another (Krauss 1987). For example, the [[Tanana Chiefs Conference]] and [[Alaska Native Language Center]] prefer the spelling ''Athabascan''.<ref>[http://www.uaf.edu/anlc Alaska Native Language Center]: [http://www.uaf.edu/anlc/athabascan.html "The Name Athabascan"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625131149/http://www.uaf.edu/anlc/athabascan.html |date=June 25, 2010 }}</ref> ''[[Ethnologue]]'' uses ''Athapaskan'' in naming the language family and individual languages.<ref>[http://www.ethnologue.com Ethnologue]: [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_family.asp?subid=611-16 Language Family Trees – Athapaskan]</ref>
:"I have designated them by the arbitrary denomination of Athabascas, which derived from the original name of the lake." (1836:116-7)
 
Although the term ''Athabaskan'' is prevalent in linguistics and anthropology, there is an increasing trend among scholars to use the terms {{lang|ath|Dené}} and ''Dené languages'', which is how many of their native speakers identify it. They are applying these terms to the entire language family. For example, following a motion by attendees in 2012, the annual Athabaskan Languages Conference changed its name to the Dené Languages Conference.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dené (Athabaskan) Languages Conference |url=https://www.uaf.edu/alc/about |access-date=18 March 2020}}</ref>
==Languages==
 
== Languages ==
The 31 Northern Athabaskan languages are spoken throughout the interior of [[Alaska]] and the interior of northwestern [[Canada]] in the [[Yukon]] and [[Northwest Territories]] as well as in the provinces of [[British Columbia]], [[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]] and [[Manitoba]]. Several Athabaskan languages are [[official language]]s in the Northwest Territories, including [[Dene Suline]], [[Dogrib]] or [[Tlicho]], [[Gwichʼin language|Gwich’in]], and [[Slavey]].
Linguists conventionally divide the Athabaskan family into three groups, based on geographic distribution:
 
# [[Northern Athabaskan languages]]
The seven Pacific Coastal Athabaskan languages are spoken in southern [[Oregon]] and northern [[California]]. Isolated from the northern and coastal languages, the six Southern Athabaskan languages, including the different [[Apache]] peoples and [[Navajo language|Navajo]], are spoken in the American Southwest and the northwestern part of [[Mexico]].
# [[Pacific Coast Athabaskan languages]]
# [[Southern Athabaskan languages]] or "Apachean"
 
The 38 Northern Athabaskan languages are spoken throughout the interior of [[Alaska]] and the interior of northwestern [[Canada]] in the [[Yukon]] and [[Northwest Territories]], as well as in the provinces of [[British Columbia]], [[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]] and [[Manitoba]]. Five Athabaskan languages are [[official language]]s in the Northwest Territories, including [[Chipewyan language|Chipewyan]] ({{lang|chp-Latn|Dënesųłıné}}), [[Dogrib language|Dogrib]] or {{lang|dgr|Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì}}, [[Gwich'in language|Gwich'in]] (Kutchin, Loucheux), and the Northern and Southern variants of [[Slavey language|Slavey]].
[[Eyak]] and Athabaskan together form a genetic grouping called ''Athabaskan-Eyak''. [[Tlingit language|Tlingit]] is distantly related to this group to form the [[Na-Dené languages|Na-Dené]] stock (also known as Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit).
 
The seven or more Pacific Coast Athabaskan languages are spoken in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. These include Applegate, Galice, several Rogue River area languages, Upper Coquille, Tolowa, and Upper Umpqua in [[Oregon]]; Eel River, Hupa, Mattole–Bear River, and Tolowa in northern [[California]]; and possibly Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie in [[Washington (state)|Washington]].
===Family division===
====Overview====
 
The seven Southern Athabaskan languages are isolated by considerable distance from both the Pacific Coast languages and the Northern languages. Reflecting an ancient migration of peoples, they are spoken by Native Americans in the American Southwest and the northwestern part of [[Mexico]]. This group comprises the six Southern Athabaskan languages and Navajo.
The Athabaskan language family has three main geographic groupings: Northern, Pacific Coast, and Southern. There is discussion of whether the Pacific Coast languages actually forms a valid genetic grouping. The Northern group is particularly problematic. Due to the failure of the usual criteria of shared innovation and systematic phonetic correspondences to provide well-defined subgroupings, the Athabaskan family (especially the Northern languages) has been called a "cohesive complex" by [[Michael Krauss]] (1973, 1982). Therefore, the ''Stammbaumtheorie'' model (family tree) of genetic classification may be inappropriate. The languages of the Southern branch are much more homogeneous and are the only clearly genetic subgrouping.
 
The following list gives the Athabaskan languages organized by their geographic ___location in various North American states, provinces and territories (including some languages that are now extinct). Several languages, such as Navajo and Gwich'in, span the boundaries: these languages are repeated by ___location in this list. For alternative names for the languages, see the classifications given later in this article.
Below is an outline of the family showing only the major branches of the family. This outline follows mostly the classification of Keren Rice as seen in Goddard (1996) and Mithun (1999).
* Alaska: Ahtna, Deg Hit'an, Dena'ina/Tanaina, Gwich'in/Kutchin, Hän, Holikachuk, Koyukon, Lower Tanana, Middle Tanana, Tanacross, Upper Tanana, Upper Kuskokwim
* Yukon: Gwich'in/Kutchin, Hän, Kaska, Mountain, Tagish, Northern Tutchone, Southern Tutchone, Upper Tanana
* Northwest Territories: Bearlake, Dëne Sųłiné/Chipewyan, Gwich'in, Hare, Mountain, Slavey, Tłįchǫ Yatiì/Dogrib
* Nunavut: Dëne Sųłiné
* British Columbia: Babine–Witsuwit'en, Bearlake, Beaver, Chilcotin, Dakelh/Carrier, Hare, Kaska, Mountain, Nicola Athapaskan, Sekani/Tsek'ene, Slavey, Tagish, Tahltan, Tsetsaut
* Alberta: Beaver, Dëne Sųłiné, Slavey, Tsuut'ina/Sarcee
* Saskatchewan: Dëne Sųłiné
* Washington: Kwalhioqua-Clatskanai (Willapa, Suwal)
* Oregon: Applegate, Clatskanie, Galice, Rogue River (Chasta Costa, Euchre Creek, Tututni, Upper Coquille), Tolowa, Upper Umpqua
* California: Eel River, Hupa, Mattole–Bear River, Kato, Tolowa
* Utah: Navajo
* Colorado: Jicarilla, Navajo
* Arizona: Chiricahua, Navajo, Western Apache
* New Mexico: Chiricahua, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Lipan, Navajo
* Texas: Mescalero, Lipan
* Oklahoma: Chiricahua, Plains Apache
* Sonora: Chiricahua
* Chihuahua: Chiricahua
 
===Alaskan Athabaskan languages===
# Southern Alaska
{| class="wikitable sortable"
# Central Alaska-Yukon
!Language||Population||Speakers||Percent Speakers
# Northwestern Canada
|-
# Tsetsaut
|[[Ahtna language|Ahtna]] || align=right|{{nts|500}} || align=right|{{nts|80}} || align=right | {{nts|16.0}}%
# Central British Columbia
|-class="sortbottom"
# Sarsi
|[[Dena'ina language|Dena'ina]] || align=right|{{nts|900}} || align=right|{{nts|<50}} || align=right|{{nts|<10}}%<ref>[[Dena'ina#Language]]</ref>{{Circular reference|date=May 2017}}
# Kwalhioqua-Tlatskanai
|-
# Pacific Coast Athabaskan
|[[Deg Xinag language|Deg Xinag]] ||align=right|{{nts|275}} || align=right|{{nts|40}} || align=right|{{nts|14.6}}%
# Apachean
|-
|[[Eyak language|Eyak]] ||align=right|{{nts|50}} || align=right|{{nts|0}} ||align=right|{{nts|0.0}}%
|-
|[[Gwich'in language|Gwich'in]] || align=right|{{nts|1,100}} || align=right|{{nts|300}} ||align=right|{{nts|27.3}}%
|-
|[[Hän language|Hän]] || align=right|{{nts|50}} || align=right|{{nts|12}} || align=right|{{nts|24.0}}%
|-
|[[Holikachuk language|Holikachuk]] || align=right|{{nts|200}} || align=right|{{nts|12}} || align=right|{{nts|6.0}}%
|-
|[[Koyukon language|Koyukon]] || align=right|{{nts|2,300}} || align=right|{{nts|300}} || align=right|{{nts|13.0}}%
|-
|[[Tanana Athabaskans|Tanana]] || align=right|{{nts|380}} || align=right|{{nts|30}} || align=right|{{nts|7.9}}%
|-
|[[Tanacross language|Tanacross]] || align=right|{{nts|220}} || align=right|{{nts|65}} || align=right|{{nts|29.6}}%
|-
|[[Upper Kuskokwim language|Upper Kuskokwim]] || align=right|{{nts|160}} || align=right|{{nts|40}} ||align=right|{{nts|25.0}}%
|-class="sortbottom"
|[[Upper Tanana language|Upper Tanana]] || align=right|x || align=right|x || align=right|x
|-
| colspan="4" style="text-align: center;" | '''Source:''' Information in this table was retrieved from the [[Alaska Native Language Center]].<ref>[http://www.uaf.edu/anlc/languages/ Alaska Native Language Center] (ANLC). [[University of Alaska Fairbanks]].</ref>
|}
 
==External classification==
Branches 1-7 are the Northern Athabaskan (areal) grouping. Kwalhioqua-Tlatskanai (#7) has often been considered part of the Pacific Coast grouping, but a recent consideration by Krauss does not find it very similar to these languages.
 
[[Eyak language|Eyak]] and Athabaskan together form a genealogical linguistic grouping called ''Athabaskan–Eyak'' (AE) – well-[[historical linguistics|demonstrated]] through consistent [[comparative method (linguistics)|sound correspondences]], extensive shared vocabulary, and cross-linguistically unique homologies in both verb and noun [[morphology (linguistics)|morphology]].
A different classification by Jeff Leer is the following (Tuttle & Hargus 2004:72-74):
 
[[Tlingit language|Tlingit]] is distantly related to the Athabaskan–Eyak group to form the [[Na-Dene languages|Na-Dene family]], also known as ''Athabaskan–Eyak–Tlingit'' (AET). With [[Jeff Leer]]'s 2010 advances, the reconstructions of Na-Dene (or Athabascan–Eyak–Tlingit) consonants, this latter grouping is considered by Alaskan linguists to be a well-demonstrated family. Because both Tlingit and Eyak are fairly remote from the Athabaskan languages in terms of their sound systems, comparison is usually done between them and the [[linguistic reconstruction|reconstructed]] Proto-Athabaskan language. This resembles both Tlingit and Eyak much more than most of the daughter languages in the Athabaskan family.
# Alaskan <small>(Ahtna, Dena’ina, Deg Hit’an, Koyukon, Kolchan, Lower Tanana, Tanacross, Upper Tanana, Gwich’in, Han)</small>
# Yukon <small>(Tsetsaut, N. Tutchone, S. Tutchone, Tagish, Tahltan, Kaska, Sekani, Dunneza)</small>
# British Columbia <small>(Babine-Witsuwit’en, Dakelh, Chilcotin)</small>
# Eastern <small>(Dene Suline, Slavey, Dogrib)</small>
# Southernly <small>(Tsuut’ina, Apachean, Pacific Coast Athabaskan)</small>
 
Although ''[[Ethnologue]]'' still gives the Athabaskan family as a relative of [[Haida language|Haida]] in their definition of the Na-Dene family, linguists who work actively on Athabaskan languages discount this position. The [[Alaska Native Language Center]], for example, takes the position that recent improved data on Haida have served to conclusively disprove the Haida-inclusion hypothesis. Haida has been determined to be unrelated to Athabaskan languages.
At this time, the details of the Athabaskan family tree should be regarded as tentative.
 
A symposium in Alaska in February 2008 included papers on the [[Yeniseian languages|Yeniseian]] and Na-Dené families. [[Edward Vajda]] of Western Washington University summarized ten years of research, based on verbal morphology and reconstructions of the proto-languages, indicating that these languages might be related.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kari|first1=James M.|last2=Potter|first2=Ben Austin|title=The Dene-Yeniseian Connection: Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UaI-YgEACAAJ|year=2011|publisher=Alaska Native Language Center|isbn=978-1-55500-112-4}}
For detailed lists including languages, dialects, and subdialects, see the respective articles on the 3 major groups (that is, [[Northern Athabaskan]], [[Pacific Coast Athabaskan]], [[Southern Athabaskan]]).
</ref>
 
==Internal classification==
====[[Northern Athabaskan]]====
The internal structure of the Athabaskan language family is complex, and its exact shape is still a hotly debated issue among experts. The conventional three-way split into Northern, Pacific Coast, and Southern is essentially based on geography and the physical distribution of Athabaskan peoples rather than sound linguistic comparisons. Despite this inadequacy, current comparative Athabaskan literature demonstrates that most Athabaskanists still use the three-way geographic grouping rather than any of the proposed linguistic groupings given below, because none of them has been widely accepted. This situation will presumably change as both documentation and analysis of the languages improves.
 
===Overview===
* ''Southern Alaskan subgroup''
Besides the traditional geographic grouping described previously, there are a few comparatively based subgroupings of the Athabaskan languages. Below the two most current viewpoints are presented.
: 1. '''[[Ahtna language|Ahtna]]'''
: 2. '''[[Dena’ina language|Dena’ina]]''' (also known as Tanaina)
 
The following is an outline of the classification according to [[Keren Rice]], based on those published in [[Ives Goddard|Goddard]] (1996) and [[Marianne Mithun|Mithun]] (1999). It represents what is generously called the "Rice–Goddard–Mithun" classification (Tuttle & Hargus 2004:73), although it is almost entirely due to Keren Rice.
* ''Central Alaska – Yukon subgroup''
: 3. '''[[Deg Hit’an]]''' (also known as Ingalik, Deg Xinag)
: 4. '''[[Holikachuk]]''' (also known as Innoko)
: 5. '''[[Koyukon language|Koyukon]]'''
: 6. '''[[Kolchan]]''' (also known as Upper Kuskokwim)
: 7. '''[[Lower Tanana language|Lower Tanana]]''' (also known as Tanana)
: 8. '''[[Tanacross]]'''
: 9. '''[[Upper Tanana]]'''
: 10. '''[[Southern Tutchone]]'''
: 11. '''[[Northern Tutchone]]'''
: 12. '''[[Gwich’in language|Gwich’in]]''' (also known as Kutchin)
: 13. '''[[Hän language|Hän]]''' (also known as Han)
 
{{tree list}}
* ''Northwestern Canada subgroup''
* '''Athabaskan'''
: A. Tahltan-Tagish-Kaska
** Southern Alaska <small>(Dena'ina, Ahtna)</small>
:: 14. '''[[Tagish]]'''
** Central Alaska–Yukon <small>(Deg Hit'an, Holikachuk/Kolchan, Koyukon, Upper Kuskokwim, Lower Tanana, Tanacross, Upper Tanana, N. Tutchone, S. Tutchone, Gwich'in, Hän)</small>
:: 15. '''[[Tahltan]]'''
** Northwestern Canada <small>(Tagish, Tahltan, Kaska, Sekani, Dunneza/Beaver, Slavey, Mountain, Bearlake, Hare, Tłįchǫ Yat'iì/Dogrib, Dëne Sųłiné/Chipewyan)</small>
:: 16. '''[[Kaska]]'''
** Tsetsaut
: 17. '''[[Sekani]]'''
** Central British Columbia <small>(Babine–Witsuwit'en, Dakelh/Carrier, Chilcotin, Nicola?)</small>
: 18. '''[[Dunneza]]''' (also known as Beaver)
** Tsuut'ina/Sarsi
: B. Slave-Hare (Southern and Northern Slavey)
** Kwalhioqua–Clatskanai
:: 19. '''[[Slavey language|Slavey]]''' (also known as Slave)
** Pacific Coast Athabaskan <small>(Upper Umpqua, Tututni, Galice–Applegate, Tolowa, Hupa, Mattole, Eel River, Kato)</small>
:: 20. '''[[Mountain]]'''
** Apachean <small>([[Navajo language|Navajo]], [[White Mountain Apache]], [[Tonto Apache]], [[San Carlos Apache]], Mescalero–Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Plains)</small>
:: 21. '''[[Bearlake]]'''
{{tree list/end}}
:: 22. '''[[Hare]]'''
: 23. '''[[Dogrib language|Dogrib]]'''
: 24. '''[[Dene Suline language|Dene Suline]]''' (also known as Chipewyan, Dëne Sųłiné, Dene Soun’liné)
 
Branches 1–7 are the Northern Athabaskan (areal) grouping. Kwalhioqua–Clatskanai (#7) was normally placed inside the Pacific Coast grouping, but a recent consideration by Krauss (2005) does not find it very similar to these languages.
* ''Tsetsaut subgroup''
: 25. '''[[Tsetsaut]]'''
 
A different classification by Jeff Leer is the following, usually called the "Leer classification" (Tuttle & Hargus 2004:72–74):
* ''Central British Columbia subgroup''
: 26. '''[[Babine]]''' (also known as North Carrier)
: 27. '''[[Carrier language|Dakelh]]''' (also known as Carrier)
: 28. '''[[Chilcotin language|Chilcotin]]''' (also known as Tsilhqot’in)
: 29. '''[[Stuwix|Nicola]]''' (also known as Stuwix)
 
{{tree list}}
* ''Sarsi subgroup''
* '''Athabaskan'''
: 30. '''[[Tsuut’ina language|Tsuut’ina]]''' (also known as Sarcee, Sarsi, Tsuu T’ina)
** Alaskan <small>(Ahtna, Dena'ina, Deg Hit'an, Koyukon, Holikachuk/Kolchan, Lower Tanana, Tanacross, Upper Tanana, Gwich'in, Hän)</small>
** Yukon <small>(Tsetsaut, N. Tutchone, S. Tutchone, Tagish, Tahltan, Kaska, Sekani, Dunneza/Beaver)</small>
** British Columbia <small>(Babine–Witsuwit'en, Dakelh/Carrier, Chilcotin)</small>
** Eastern <small>(Dëne Sųłiné/Chipewyan, Slavey, Mountain, Bearlake, Hare, Tłįchǫ Yat'iì/Dogrib)</small>
** Southerly Outlying <small>(Tsuut'ina/Sarsi, Apachean, Pacific Coast Athabaskan, Kwalhioqua–Tlatskanai)</small>
{{tree list/end}}
 
Neither subgrouping has found any significant support among other Athabaskanists. Details of the Athabaskan family tree should be regarded as tentative. As Tuttle and Hargus put it, "we do not consider the points of difference between the two models ... to be decisively settled and in fact expect them to be debated for some time to come." (Tuttle & Hargus 2004:74)
* ''Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie subgroup''
: 31. '''[[Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie]]''' (also known as Kwalhioqua-Tlatskanie)
 
The Northern group is particularly problematic in its internal organization. Due to the failure of the usual criteria of shared innovation and systematic phonetic correspondences to provide well-defined subgroupings, the Athabaskan family – especially the Northern group – has been called a "cohesive complex" by [[Michael E. Krauss|Michael Krauss]] (1973, 1982). Therefore, the ''Stammbaumtheorie'' or family tree model of genetic classification may be inappropriate. The languages of the Southern branch are much more homogeneous and are the only clearly genealogical subgrouping.
====[[Pacific Coast Athabaskan]]====
 
Debate continues as to whether the Pacific Coast languages form a valid genealogical grouping, or whether this group may instead have internal branches that are tied to different subgroups in Northern Athabaskan. The position of [[Kwalhioqua–Clatskanai]] is also debated, since it may fall in either the Pacific Coast group – if that exists – or into the Northern group. The records of [[Nicola Athapaskans|Nicola]] are so poor – Krauss describes them as "too few and too wretched" (Krauss 2005) – that it is difficult to make any reliable conclusions about it. Nicola may be intermediate between Kwalhioqua–Tlatskanai and [[Chilcotin language|Chilcotin]].
* ''California Athabaskan subgroup''
: 32. '''[[Hupa]]''' (also known as Hoopa-Chilula)
: 33. '''[[Mattole-Bear River]]'''
: 34. '''[[Eel River (California)|Eel River]]'''
 
Similarly to Nicola, there is very limited documentation on [[Tsetsaut language|Tsetsaut]]. Consequently, it is difficult to place it in the family with much certainty. Athabaskanists have concluded that it is a Northern Athabaskan language consistent with its geographical occurrence, and that it might have some relation to its distant neighbor Tahltan. Tsetsaut, however, shares its primary hydronymic suffix ("river, stream") with Sekani, Beaver, and Tsuut'ina – PA *-ɢah – rather than with that of Tahltan, Tagish, Kaska, and North and South Tutchone – PA *-tuʼ (Kari 1996; Kari, Fall, & Pete 2003:39). The ambiguity surrounding Tsetsaut is why it is placed in its own subgroup in the Rice–Goddard–Mithun classification.
* ''Oregon Athabaskan subgroup''
: 35. '''[[Upper Umpqua]]'''
: 36. '''[[Rogue River (tribe)|Rogue River]]''' (also known as Tututni)
: 37. '''[[Galice-Applegate]]'''
: 38. '''[[Tolowa]]'''
 
For detailed lists including languages, dialects, and subdialects, see the respective articles on the three major groups: [[Northern Athabaskan]], [[Pacific Coast Athabaskan]], [[Southern Athabaskan]]. For the remainder of this article, the conventional three-way geographic grouping will be followed except as noted.
====[[Southern Athabaskan]] (also known as Apachean)====
 
===Northern Athabaskan===
* ''Plains Apache subgroup''
The Northern Athabaskan languages are the largest group in the Athabaskan family, although this group varies internally about as much as do languages in the entire family. The [[urheimat]] of the Athabaskan family is most likely in the [[Tanana Valley]] of east-central Alaska. There are many homologies between Proto-Athabaskan vocabulary and patterns reflected in archaeological sites such as Upward Sun, Swan Point and Broken Mammoth (Kari 2010). The Northern Athabaskan group also contains the most linguistically conservative languages, particularly Koyukon, Ahtna, Dena'ina, and Dakelh/Carrier (Leer 2008).
 
{{tree list}}
: 39. '''[[Plains Apache]]''' (also known as Kiowa-Apache)
* '''Northern Athabaskan'''
** ''Southern Alaskan subgroup''
*** '''[[Ahtna language|Ahtna]]'''
*** '''[[Dena'ina language|Dena'ina]]''' (also known as Tanaina, Kenaitze)
** ''Central Alaska–Yukon subgroup''
*** '''[[Deg Xinag language|Deg Xinag]]''' (also known as Deg Hitʼan, Ingalik (deprecated))
*** '''[[Holikachuk language|Holikachuk]]''' (also known as Innoko)
*** '''[[Koyukon language|Koyukon]]''' (also known as Denaakkʼe, Tenʼa)
*** '''[[Upper Kuskokwim language|Upper Kuskokwim]]''' (also known as Kolchan)
*** '''[[Lower Tanana language|Lower Tanana]] and Middle Tanana''' (also known as Tanana)
*** '''[[Tanacross language|Tanacross]]'''
*** '''[[Upper Tanana]]'''
*** '''[[Tutchone language|Southern Tutchone]]'''
*** '''[[Tutchone language|Northern Tutchone]]'''
*** '''[[Gwich'in language|Gwich'in]]''' (also known as Kutchin, Loucheux, Tukudh)
*** '''[[Hän language|Hän]]''' (also known as Han)
** ''Northwestern Canada subgroup''
*** Tahltan–Tagish–Kaska (also known as "Cordilleran")
**** '''[[Tagish language|Tagish]]'''
**** '''[[Tahltan language|Tahltan]]''' (also known as Nahanni)
**** '''[[Kaska language|Kaska]]''' (also known as Nahanni)
*** '''[[Sekani language|Sekani]]''' (also known as Tsekʼehne)
*** '''[[Dane-zaa language|Dane-zaa]]''' (also known as Beaver)
*** '''[[Slavey language|Slave–Hare]]'''
**** Slavey (also known as Southern Slavey)
**** Mountain (Northern Slavey)
**** Bearlake (Northern Slavey)
**** Hare (Northern Slavey)
*** '''[[Dogrib language|Dogrib]]''' (also known as Tłįchǫ Yatiì)
*** '''[[Dene Suline language|Dene Suline]]''' (also known as Chipewyan, Dëne Sųłiné, Dene Soun'liné)
{{tree list/end}}
 
Very little is known about Tsetsaut, and for this reason it is routinely placed in its own tentative subgroup.
* ''Western Apachean subgroup''
: A. Chiricahua-Mescalero
:: 40. '''[[Chiricahua language|Chiricahua]]'''
:: 41. '''[[Mescalero language|Mescalero]]'''
: 42. '''[[Navajo language|Navajo]]''' (also known as Navaho)
: 43. '''[[Western Apache]]''' (also known as Coyotero Apache)
 
{{tree list}}
* ''Eastern Apachean subgroup''
** ''Tsetsaut subgroup''
: 44. '''[[Jicarilla Apache|Jicarilla]]'''
*** '''[[Tsetsaut language|Tsetsaut]]''' (also known as Tsʼetsʼaut, Wetalh)
: 45. '''[[Lipan Apache|Lipan]]'''
** ''Central British Columbia subgroup'' (also known as "British Columbian" in contrast with "Cordilleran" = Tahltan–Tagish–Kaska)
*** '''[[Babine-Witsuwit'en language|Babine–Witsuwit'en]]''' (also known as Northern Carrier, Bulkley Valley/Lakes District)
*** '''[[Carrier language|Dakelh]]''' (also known as Carrier)
*** '''[[Chilcotin language|Chilcotin]]''' (also known as Tsilhqot'in)
{{tree list/end}}
 
The Nicola language is so poorly attested that it is impossible to determine its position within the family. It has been proposed by some to be an isolated branch of Chilcotin.
===Areal list===
 
{{tree list}}
Below is a list of all of the Athabaskan languages and their geographic locations.
** '''[[Nicola language|Nicola]]''' (also known as Stuwix, Similkameen)
** ''Sarsi subgroup''
*** '''[[Tsuut'ina language|Tsuut'ina]]''' (also known as Sarcee, Sarsi, Tsuu T'ina)
{{tree list/end}}
 
The Kwalhioqua–Clatskanie language is debatably part of the Pacific Coast subgroup, but has marginally more in common with the Northern Athabaskan languages than it does with the Pacific Coast languages (Leer 2005). It thus forms a notional sort of bridge between the Northern Athabaskan languages and the Pacific Coast languages, along with Nicola (Krauss 1979/2004).
* [[Alaska]]: Ahtna, Deg Hit’an, Dena’ina, Gwich’in, Hän, Holikachuk, Kolchan, Koyukon, Lower Tanana, Tanacross, Tsetsaut, Upper Tanana
 
* [[Yukon Territory]]: Gwich'in, Hän, Kaska, Mountain, Tagish, Northern Tutchone, Southern Tutchone, Upper Tanana
{{tree list}}
* [[Northwest Territories]]: Bearlake, Dene Suline, Dogrib, Gwich’in, Hare, Mountain, Slavey
** ''Kwalhioqua–Clatskanie subgroup'' (also called ''Lower Columbia Athapaskan'')
* [[Nunavut]]: Dene Suline
*** '''[[Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie language|Kwalhioqua–Clatskanie]]''' (also known as [[Willapa people|Kwalhioqua]]–Tlatskanie or Kwalhioqua-Tlatskanai)
* [[British Columbia]]: Babine, Bearlake, Beaver, Chilcotin, Dakelh, Hare, Kaska, Mountain, Nicola, Sekani, Slavey, Tagish, Tahltan, Tsetsaut
{{tree list/end}}
* [[Alberta]]: Beaver, Dene Suline, Slavey, Tsuut’ina
 
* [[Saskatchewan]]: Dene Suline
===Pacific Coast Athabaskan===
* [[Washington]]: Chilcotin, Kwalhioqua-Clatskanie (Willapa, Suwal), Nicola
{{tree list}}
* [[Oregon]]: Applegate, Clatskanie, Galice, Rogue River (Chasta Costa, Euchre Creek, Tututni, Upper Coquille), Tolowa, Upper Umpqua
* '''Pacific Coast Athabaskan'''
* [[Northern California]]: Eel River, Hupa, Mattole-Bear River, Tolowa
** ''California Athabaskan subgroup''
* [[Utah]]: Navajo
*** '''[[Hupa language|Hupa]]''' (also known as Hupa-Chilula, Chilula, Whilkut)
* [[Colorado]]: Jicarilla, Navajo
*** '''[[Mattole language|Mattole–Bear River]]'''
* [[Arizona]]: Chiricahua, Navajo, Western Apache
*** '''[[Eel River language|Eel River]]''' (also known as Wailaki, Lassik, Nongatl, Sinkyone)
* [[New Mexico]]: Chiricahua, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Lipan, Navajo
*** '''[[Cahto language|Kato]]''' (also known as Cahto)
* [[Texas]]: Mescalero, Lipan
** ''Oregon Athabaskan subgroup''
* [[Oklahoma]]: Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Plains Apache
*** '''[[Upper Umpqua]]''' (also known as Etnemitane)
* Northwestern [[Mexico]]: Chiricahua
*** {{tree list/branching}}
**** '''[[Lower Rogue River language|Lower Rogue River and Upper Coquille]]''' (also known as Tututni, Chasta Costa, Euchre Creek and Coquille)
**** '''[[Galice–Applegate|Upper Rogue River]]''' (also known as Galice/Taltushtuntede, Applegate/Dakubetede)
*** '''[[Tolowa language|Tolowa]]''' (also known as Smith River, Chetco, Siletz Dee-ni)
{{tree list/end}}
 
=== Southern Athabaskan ===
{{tree list}}
* '''Southern Athabaskan'''
** ''Plains Apache subgroup''
*** '''[[Plains Apache language|Plains Apache]]''' (also known as Kiowa-Apache)
** ''Western Apachean subgroup''
*** Chiricahua–Mescalero
**** '''[[Chiricahua language|Chiricahua]]'''
**** '''[[Mescalero language|Mescalero]]'''
*** '''[[Navajo language|Navajo]]''' (also known as Navaho)
*** '''[[Western Apache language|Western Apache]]''' (also known as Coyotero Apache)
** ''Eastern Apachean subgroup''
*** '''[[Jicarilla language|Jicarilla]]'''
*** '''[[Lipan language|Lipan]]'''
{{tree list/end}}
 
===Sicoli & Holton (2014)===
Using [[computational phylogenetic]] methods, Sicoli & Holton (2014)<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0091722|pmid=24621925|pmc=3951421|title=Linguistic Phylogenies Support Back-Migration from Beringia to Asia|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=9|issue=3|pages=e91722|year=2014|last1=Sicoli|first1=Mark A.|last2=Holton|first2=Gary|bibcode=2014PLoSO...991722S|doi-access=free}}</ref> proposed the following classification for the Athabaskan languages based exclusively on typological (non-lexical) data. However, this phylogenetic study was criticized as methodologically flawed by Yanovich (2020), since it did not employ sufficient input data to generate a robust tree that does not depend on the initial choice of the "tree prior", i.e. the model for the tree generation.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Yanovich |first=Igor |year=2020 |title=Phylogenetic linguistic evidence and the Dene-Yeniseian homeland |journal=Diachronica |volume=37 |issue=3 |pages=410–46 |doi=10.1075/dia.17038.yan|s2cid=209542004 }}</ref>
 
{{tree list}}
* '''Athabaskan'''
** ([[Yeniseian languages|Yeniseian]])
** ([[Tlingit language|Tlingit]]–[[Eyak language|Eyak]])
** [[Pacific Coast Athabaskan languages#California Athabaskan|South Pacific Coast Athabaskan]] (California)
** (unnamed clade)
*** ''[[Tsetsaut language|Tsetsaut]]''
*** ''[[Upper Kuskokwim language|Upper Kuskokwim]]''
*** ''[[Ahtna language|Ahtna]]''
*** ''[[Dena'ina language|Dena'ina]]''
*** West Alaska (Koyukon)
**** ''[[Deg Xinag]]''
**** ''[[Holikachuk language|Holikachuk]]'', ''[[Koyukon language|Koyukon]]''
*** [[Pacific Coast Athabaskan languages#Oregon Athabaskan|North Pacific Coast]] (Oregon)
*** Alaska-Canada-2
**** ''[[Gwich’in language|Gwich’in]]''
**** ''[[Dogrib language|Dogrib]]''
**** ''North [[Slavey language|Slavey]]''
**** ''[[Carrier language|Carrier]]'', ''[[Dane-zaa language|Dane-zaa]]'' (''Beaver'')
*** Plains-Apachean
**** ''[[Sarsi language|Sarsi]]''
**** [[Southern Athabaskan languages|Southern Athabaskan]]
*** Alaska-Canada-1
**** [[Tanana languages|Tanana]]
***** ''[[Upper Tanana language|Upper Tanana]]''
***** ''[[Lower Tanana language|Lower Tanana]]'', ''[[Tanacross language|Tanacross]]''
**** Northwestern Canada
***** ''[[Hän language|Hän]]''
***** ''South [[Slavey language|Slavey]]'', ''[[Kaska language|Kaska]]''
***** ''[[Dene Suline language|Dene]]'', ''[[Northern Tutchone language|Northern Tutchone]]'', ''[[Southern Tutchone language|Southern Tutchone]]''
{{tree list/end}}
 
==Proto-Athabaskan==
{{main|Proto-Athabaskan}}
===Phonology===
 
[[Proto-Athabaskan]] is the [[proto-language|reconstructed ancestor]] of the Athabaskan languages.
{{sectstub}}
 
==See also==
A recent reconstruction of proto-Athabaskan consists of 40 consonants (Cook 1981; Krauss & Golla 1981; Krauss & Leer 1981; Cook & Rice 1989), as detailed below:
* [[Broken Slavey]], a [[trade language]] based on Slavey, French, and Cree.
* [[Dené–Yeniseian languages]]
* [[Loucheux Pidgin]], another trade language based on at least Dëne Sųłiné (Chipewyan) and Gwich'in (Loucheux).
 
==References==
{| border="2" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; line-height: 1.2em; border-collapse: collapse; text-align: center; font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode, Doulos SIL, GentiumAlt, Gentium, Code2000, Chrysanthi Unicode, TITUS Cyberbit Basic, Bitstream Cyberbit, Bitstream Vera, Arial Unicode MS, Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro, Lucida Grande; font-size: 110%; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid;"
{{reflist}}
|-
| colspan="11" | ''Obstruents''
|- style="font-size: 80%;"
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | &nbsp;
! rowspan="2" | [[Bilabial]]
! colspan="2" | [[Alveolar]]
! colspan="2" | [[Palatal]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Velar]]
! colspan="2" | [[Uvular]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|- style="font-size: x-small;"
| [[Central consonant|central]]
| [[Lateral consonant|lateral]]
| plain
| [[Labialisation|labial]]
| plain
| [[Labialisation|labial]]
|-
! style="font-size: 80%; text-align: left;" rowspan="3" | [[Plosive|Stop]]
| style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;" | [[unaspirated]]
| &nbsp;
| t
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| k
| q
| qʷ
| &nbsp;
|-
| style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;" | [[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]]
| &nbsp;
| tʰ
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| kʰ
| qʰ
| qʷʰ
| &nbsp;
|-
| style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;" | [[ejective|glottalized]]
| &nbsp;
| t’
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| k’
| q’
| q’ʷ
| ʔ
|-
! style="font-size: 80%; text-align: left;" rowspan="3" | [[Affricate]]
| style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;" | [[unaspirated]]
| &nbsp;
| ʦ
| t&#620;
| ʧ
| ʧʷ
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
|-
| style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;" | [[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]]
| &nbsp;
| ʦʰ
| t&#620;ʰ
| ʧʰ
| ʧʷʰ
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
|-
| style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;" | [[ejective|glottalized]]
| &nbsp;
| ʦ’
| t&#620;’
| ʧ’
| ʧ’ʷ
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
|-
! style="font-size: 80%; text-align: left;" rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
| style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;" | [[Voiceless consonant|voiceless]]
| &nbsp;
| s
| &#620;
| ʃ
| ʃʷ
| x
| χ
| χʷ
| h
|-
| style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;" | [[Voiced consonant|voiced]]
| &nbsp;
| z
| ɮ
| ʒ
| ʒʷ
| ɣ
| ʁ
| ʁʷ
| &nbsp;
|-
| colspan="11" | ''Sonorants''
|-
! style="font-size: 80%; text-align: left;" colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| m
| n
| &nbsp;
| ɲ
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
|-
! style="font-size: 80%; text-align: left;" colspan="2" | [[Approximant]]
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| j
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| &nbsp;
| w
| &nbsp;
|-
! style="font-size: 80%; text-align: left;" colspan="2" | [[Vowel]]
| colspan="10" |
 
==Bibliography==
{|
{{refbegin}}
|-
* {{cite web |url=http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/cilc/bibs/athapascan.html |title=Athapaskan Bibliography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141010074303/http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/cilc/bibs/athapascan.html |archive-date=2014-10-10 |publisher=University of California, Berkeley}}
|
* {{cite book |last=Boas |first=Franz |year=1917 |title=Grammatical notes on the language of the Tlingit Indians |series=University Museum Anthropological Publications |volume=8 |number=1 |___location=Philadelphia |publisher=University of Pennsylvania |ol=24180632M |oclc=1678979 |ol-access=free |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924027108970/}}
|-
* {{cite web |url=https://eslibrary.berkeley.edu/NASsites/california-indian-library-collections |title=California Indian Library Collections Project |website=Native American Studies Collection, Ethnic Studies Library, UC Berkeley}}
|
* {{cite book |last=Campbell |first=Lyle |year=1997 |title=American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America |___location=New York |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-509427-1}}
|}
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* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Cook |first=Eung-Do |year=1992 |title=Athabaskan languages |editor-first=William |editor-last=Bright |encyclopedia=International encyclopedia of linguistics |pages=122–128 |___location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-505196-3}}
* {{cite book |last1=Cook |first1=Eung-Do |last2=Rice |first2=Keren |year=1989 |chapter=Introduction |editor-first1=Eung-Do |editor-last1=Cook |editor-first2=Keren |editor-last2=Rice |title=Athapaskan linguistics: Current perspectives on a language family |pages=1–61 |series=Trends in Linguistics |volume=15 |___location=Berlin |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter |isbn=0-89925-282-6}}
* {{Cite book |last=Golla |first=Victor |url=https://archive.org/details/californiaindian0000goll/ |title=California Indian languages |date=2011 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=978-0-520-94952-2 |___location=Berkeley |oclc=755008853}}
* {{cite journal |last=Hoijer |first=Harry |year=1938 |title=The southern Athapaskan languages |journal=American Anthropologist |volume=40 |issue=1 |pages=75–87|doi=10.1525/aa.1938.40.1.02a00080 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Hoijer |first=Harry |year=1956 |doi=10.1086/464374 |title=The Chronology of the Athapaskan languages |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=219–232|s2cid=144276480 }}
* {{cite book |last=Hoijer |first=Harry |year=1963 |chapter=The Athapaskan languages |editor-first1=Harry |editor-last1=Hoijer |title=Studies in the Athapaskan languages |pages=1–29 |___location=Berkeley |publisher=University of California Press}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Hoijer |editor-first=Harry |year=1963 |title=Studies in the Athapaskan languages |series=University of California publications in linguistics |volume=29 |___location=Berkeley |publisher=University of California Press}}
* {{cite book |last=Hoijer |first=Harry |year=1971 |chapter=The position of the Apachean languages in the Athpaskan stock |editor-first1=Keith H. |editor-last1=Basso |editor-first2=M. E. |editor-last2=Opler |title=Apachean culture history and ethnology |pages=3–6 |series=Anthropological papers of the University of Arizona |volume=21 |___location=Tucson |publisher=University of Arizona Press}}
* {{cite journal |last=Hymes |first=Dell H. |year=1957 |title=A note on Athapaskan glottochronology |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=23 |issue=4 |pages=291–297|doi=10.1086/464422 |s2cid=143745953 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Kari |first=James |year=1989 |title=Affix positions and zones in the Athapaskan verb complex: Ahtna and Navajo |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=55 |issue=4 |pages=424–454|doi=10.1086/466129 |s2cid=143799443 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Kari |first=James |date=December 1996 |title=A Preliminary View of Hydronymic Districts in Northern Athabaskan Prehistory |journal=Names |volume=44 |issue=4 |pages=253–271 |doi=10.1179/nam.1996.44.4.253 |doi-access=free|url=http://ans-names.pitt.edu/ans/article/download/1470/1469 }}
* {{cite book |last=Kari |first=James |year=2010 |chapter=The concept of geolinguistic conservatism in Na-Dene prehistory |title=The Dene–Yeniseian Connection |series=Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska, new series |volume=5 |pages=194–222 |chapter-url=https://www.uaf.edu/alc/history/2016/papers/2010-geolingconservNDprehistory_2011.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523212629/https://uaf.edu/alc/history/2016/papers/2010-geolingconservNDprehistory_2011.pdf |archive-date=2022-05-23 |editor-first1=James |editor-last1=Kari |editor-first2=Ben A. |editor-last2=Potter |___location=Fairbanks |publisher=University of Alaska}}
* {{cite book |last1=Kari |first1=James |last2=Fall |first2=James A. |author3=Shem Pete |year=2003 |title=Shem Pete's Alaska: The territory of the Upper Cook Inlet Denaʼina |___location=Fairbanks, AK |publisher=University of Alaska Press |isbn=1-889963-56-9}}
* {{cite book |last1=Kari |first1=James |first2=Ben A. |last2=Potter |year=2010 |chapter=The Dene-Yeniseian Connection: Bridging Asian and North America. |title=The Dene–Yeniseian Connection |editor-first1=James |editor-last1=Kari |editor-first2=Ben A. |editor-last2=Potter |pages=1–24 |series=Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska, new series |volume=5 |___location=Fairbanks |publisher=University of Alaska}}
* {{cite book |last=Kibrik |first=Andrej A. |year=1993 |chapter=Transitivity increase in Athabaskan languages |editor-first1=Bernard |editor-last1=Comrie |editor-first2=Maria |editor-last2=Polinsky |title=Causatives and Transitivity |pages=47–68 |series=Studies in Language Comparison Series |volume=23 |___location=Philadelphia |publisher=John Benjamins |isbn=978-1-55619-375-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Kibrik |first=Andrej A. |year=1996 |chapter=Transitivity decrease in Navajo and Athabaskan: Actor-affecting propositional derivations |editor-first1=Eloise |editor-last1=Jelinek |editor-link1=Eloise Jelinek |editor-first2=Sally |editor-last2=Midgette |editor-first3=Keren |editor-last3=Rice |authorlink3=Keren Rice |editor-first4=Leslie |editor-last4=Saxon |title=Athabaskan language studies: Essays in honor of Robert W. Young |pages=259–304 |___location=Albuquerque |publisher=University of New Mexico |isbn=0-8263-1705-7}}
* {{cite conference |last=Kibrik |first=Andrej A. |year=2001 |title=A typologically oriented portrait of the Athabaskan language family |conference=ALT-IV |___location=Santa Barbara, CA |url=https://iling-ran.ru/kibrik/Typological_Athabaskan@ALT_2001.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701104330/http://iling-ran.ru/kibrik/Typological_Athabaskan@ALT_2001.pdf |archive-date=2016-07-01}}
* {{cite journal |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1964 |title=The proto-Athapaskan–Eyak and the problem of Na-Dene, I: The phonology |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=118–131|doi=10.1086/464766 |s2cid=144615266 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1965 |title=The proto-Athapaskan–Eyak and the problem of Na-Dene, II: The morphology |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=18–28|doi=10.1086/464810 |s2cid=144404147 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1968 |title=Noun-classification systems in the Athapaskan, Eyak, Tlingit and Haida verbs |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=34 |issue=3 |pages=194–203|doi=10.1086/465014 |s2cid=143582680 }}
* {{cite book |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1969 |title=On the classification in the Athapascan, Eyak, and the Tlingit verb |___location=Baltimore |publisher=Waverly Press by Indiana University}}
* {{cite book |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1973 |chapter=Na-Dene |editor-first=Thomas A. |editor-last=Sebeok |title=Linguistics in North America |pages=903–978 |series=Current trends in linguistics |volume=1 |___location=The Hague |publisher=Mouton}} (Reprinted as Krauss 1976.)
* {{cite book |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1976 |chapter=Na-Dene |editor-first=Thomas A. |editor-last=Sebeok |title=Native languages of the Americas |pages=283–358 |___location=New York |publisher=Plenum}} (Reprint of Krauss 1973)
* {{cite web |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1977 |title=Proto-Athabaskan–Eyak fricatives and the first person singular |url=https://www.uaf.edu/anla/record.php?identifier=CA961K1977a |id=CA961K1977a |website=Alaska Native Language Archive}}
* {{cite book |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1979a |chapter=Na-Dene and Eskimo |editor-first1=Lyle |editor-last1=Campbell |editor-first2=Marianne |editor-last2=Mithun |title=The languages of native America: Historical and comparative assessment |___location=Austin |publisher=University of Texas Press}}
* {{cite web |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1979 |title=Athabaskan tone |url=https://www.uaf.edu/anla/record.php?identifier=CA961K1978 |id=CA961K1978}} (Published with revisions as Krauss 2005)
* {{cite web |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |date=November 1981 |title=On the history and use of comparative Athapaskan linguistics |url=https://www.uaf.edu/anla/record.php?identifier=CA961K1981 |id=CA961K1981 |website=Alaska Native Language Archive}}
* {{cite book |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1986 |chapter=Edward Sapir and Athabaskan Linguistics, with Preliminary Annotated Bibliography of Sapir's Work on Athabaskan and Na-Dene |editor-first1=William |editor-last1=Cowan |editor-first2=Michael |editor-last2=Foster |editor-first3=K. |editor-last3=Koerner |title=New Perspectives in Language, Culture, and Personality: Proceedings of the Edward Sapir Centenary Conference (Ottawa, 1–3 October 1984) |series=Studies in the History of the Language Sciences |volume=41 |pages=147–190 |___location=Amsterdam |publisher=Benjamins |doi=10.1075/sihols.41.08kra|isbn=978-90-272-4522-9 }}
* {{cite book |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=1987 |chapter=The name Athabaskan |editor-first=Peter L. |editor-last=Corey |title=Faces, Voices & Dreams: A celebration of the centennial of the Sheldon Jackson Museum, Sitka, Alaska, 1888–1988 |pages=105–108 |___location=Sitka, AK |publisher=Division of Alaska State Museums and the Friends of the Alaska State Museum |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723190252/http://www.uaf.edu/anlc/docs/krauss_name_athabaskan.pdf |url=http://www.uaf.edu/anlc/docs/krauss_name_athabaskan.pdf |archive-date=2008-07-23}}
* {{cite book |last=Krauss |first=Michael E. |year=2005 |chapter=Athabaskan tone |editor-first1=Sharon |editor-last1=Hargus |editor-first2=Keren |editor-last2=Rice |title=Athabaskan Prosody |pages=51–136 |___location=Amsterdam |publisher=John Benjamins}} Revision of unpublished manuscript dated 1979.
* {{cite book |last1=Krauss |first1=Michael E. |last2=Golla |first2=Victor |year=1981 |chapter=Northern Athapaskan languages |editor-first1=J. |editor-last1=Helm |pages=67–85 |title=Handbook of North American Indians |volume=6: Subarctic |___location=Washington, DC |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}
* {{cite book |last1=Krauss |first1=Michael E. |last2=Leer |first2=Jeff |year=1981 |title=Athabaskan, Eyak, and Tlingit sonorants |series=Alaska Native Language Center research papers |volume=5 |___location=Fairbanks, AK |publisher=University of Alaska, Alaska Native Language Center |url=https://www.uaf.edu/anla/record.php?identifier=CA962KL1981 |id=CA962KL1981}}
* {{cite book |last=Leer |first=Jeff |year=1979 |title=Proto-Athabaskan verb stem variation I: Phonology |series=Alaska Native Language Center research papers |volume=1 |___location=Fairbanks, AK |publisher=Alaska Native Language Center |url=https://www.uaf.edu/anla/record.php?identifier=CA965L1979b |id=CA965L1979b}}
* {{cite web |last=Leer |first=Jeff |year=1982 |title=Navajo and comparative Athabaskan stem list |url=https://www.uaf.edu/anla/record.php?identifier=CA965L1982 |id=CA965L1982 |website=Alaska Native Language Center}}
* {{cite book |last=Leer |first=Jeff |year=1990 |chapter=Tlingit: A portmanteau language family? |editor-first=Philip |editor-last=Baldi |editor-link=Philip Baldi |title=Linguistic change and reconstruction methodology |pages=73–98 |series=Trends in Linguistics: Studies and monographs |volume=45 |___location=Berlin |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-011908-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Leer |first=Jeff |year=2005 |chapter=How stress shapes the stem-suffix complex in Athabaskan |editor-first1=Sharon |editor-last1=Hargus |editor-first2=Keren |editor-last2=Rice |title=Athabaskan Prosody |pages=278–318 |___location=Amsterdam |publisher=John Benjamins}}
* {{cite web |last=Leer |first=Jeff |year=2008 |title=Recent advances in AET comparison |id=CA965L2008b |url=https://www.uaf.edu/anla/record.php?identifier=CA965L2008b |website=Alaska Native Language Archive}}
* {{cite book |last=Leer |first=Jeff |year=2010 |chapter=The Palatal Series in Athabascan-Eyak-Tlingit, with an Overview of the Basic Sound Correspondences |title=The Dene–Yeniseian Connection |editor-first1=J. |editor-last1=Kari |editor-first2=B. |editor-last2=Potter |pages=168–193 |series=Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska, new series |volume=5 |___location=Fairbanks |publisher=University of Alaska}}
* {{cite book |isbn=0-521-23228-7 |title=The Languages of Native North America |last1=Mithun |first1=Marianne |date=4 November 1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press }}
* {{cite book |isbn=0-933769-25-3 |title=Tlingit Verb Dictionary |date=1973 |publisher=Summer Institute of Linguistics }}
* {{cite journal |last=Rice |first=Keren |year=1997 |title=A reexamination of Proto-Athabaskan y |journal=Anthropological Linguistics |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=423–26}}
* {{cite book |isbn=978-0-521-58354-1 |title=Morpheme Order and Semantic Scope: Word Formation in the Athapaskan Verb |last1=Rice |first1=Keren |date=18 May 2000 |publisher=Cambridge University Press }}
* {{cite journal |last=Sapir |first=Edward |year=1915 |title=The Na-Dene languages, a preliminary report |journal=American Anthropologist |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=534–558|doi=10.1525/aa.1915.17.3.02a00080 }}
* {{cite book |last=Sapir |first=Edward |year=1916 |title=Time perspective in aboriginal American culture: A study in method |series=Memoirs of the Canadian Geological Survey |volume=90 |___location=Ottawa |publisher=Government Printing Bureau |oclc=1085619259 |url=https://archive.org/details/timeperspectivei00sapirich/ |ol=7099707M |lccn=gs17000020}}
* {{cite book |last=Sapir |first=Edward |year=1931 |chapter=The concept of phonetic law as tested in primitive languages by Leonard Bloomfield |editor-first=S. A. |editor-last=Rice |title=Methods in social science: A case book |pages=297–306 |___location=Chicago |publisher=University of Chicago Press}}
* {{cite journal |last=Sapir |first=Edward |year=1936 |title=Linguistic evidence suggestive of the northern origin of the Navaho |journal=American Anthropologist |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=224–235|doi=10.1525/aa.1936.38.2.02a00040 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Sapir |first1=Edward |first2=Victor |last2=Golla |year=2001 |chapter=Hupa Texts, with Notes and Lexicon |editor-first1=Victor |editor-last1=Golla |editor-first2=Sean |editor-last2=O'Neill |title=Collected Works of Edward Sapir |volume=14: Northwest California Linguistics |___location=Berlin |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter}}
* {{cite journal |last=Saville-Troike |first=Muriel |year=1985 |title=On variable data and phonetic law: A case from Sapir's Athabaskan correspondences |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=51 |issue=4 |pages=572–574|doi=10.1086/465977 |s2cid=144286904 }}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Sturtevant |editor-first=William C. |date=1978 |title=Handbook of North American Indians |volume=1–20 |___location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}} ({{as of|January 2024}}, vols. 18–20 not yet published)
* {{cite book |last=Vajda |first=Edward |year=2010 |chapter=A Siberian Link with Na-Dene Languages |title=The Dene–Yeniseian Connection |editor-first1=J. |editor-last1=Kari |editor-first2=B. |editor-last2=Potter |pages=33–99 |series=Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska, new series |volume=5 |___location=Fairbanks |publisher=University of Alaska}}
* {{Cite book|last=Vajda |first=Edward J. |title=Linguistics |chapter=The Dené-Yeniseian Hypothesis |date=2023-01-12 |doi=10.1093/obo/9780199772810-0064 |isbn=978-0-19-977281-0 |chapter-url=https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199772810/obo-9780199772810-0064.xml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240115022507/https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199772810/obo-9780199772810-0064.xml |archive-date=2024-01-15}}
{{refend}}
 
==Further reading==
|}
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web |last=Leer |first=Jeff |title=Na-La-Dene cognate sets |url=https://www.uaf.edu/anla/record.php?identifier=CA965L1992b |id=CA965L1992b |date=1992-03-17 |website=Alaska Native Language Archive}}
* {{cite web |last=Leer |first=Jeff |year=1996 |url=http://www.uaf.edu/anla/collections/ca/cal/ |title=Comparative Athabaskan Lexicon |id=CA965L1996 |website=Alaska Native Language Archive}}
* {{cite web |last=Leer |first=Jeff |year=2008 |url=https://www.uaf.edu/anla/record.php?identifier=CA965L2008b |title=Recent advances in AET comparison: Paper prepared for the Dene-Yeniseian Symposium. Fairbanks, Feb. 26, 2008 |id=CA965L2008b |website=Alaska Native Language Archive}}
* {{cite book |last=Saxon |first=Leslie |chapter=Dene – Athabaskan |title=The Languages and Linguistics of Indigenous North America: A Comprehensive Guide |volume=2 |editor1=Carmen Dagostino |editor2=Marianne Mithun |editor3=Keren Rice |pages=875–930 |___location=Berlin, Boston |publisher=De Gruyter Mouton |date=2024 |doi=10.1515/9783110712742-039|isbn=978-3-11-071274-2 }}
* {{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Chad |year=1984 |title=Athabaskan Languages and the Schools: A Handbook for Teachers |place=Juneau |publisher=Alaska Native Language Center |url=http://www.alaskool.org/language/Athabaskan/Athabas_Prelim.htm |access-date=2 July 2020}}
{{refend}}
 
==External links==
{{EB1911 poster|Athapascan}}
 
{{sister project |project=wiktionary |text=[[Wiktionary]] has a list of reconstructed forms at '''''[[Wiktionary:Appendix:Proto-Athabaskan reconstructions|Appendix:Proto-Athabaskan reconstructions]]'''''}}
* [https://pan-dlc.herokuapp.com/ Pan-Dene Comparative Lexicon] (PanDeneComPlex; formerly the [https://ldrc.artsrn.ualberta.ca/?page_id=305 Pan-Athapaskan Comparative Lexicon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620123440/https://ldrc.artsrn.ualberta.ca/?page_id=305 |date=2021-06-20 }})
* [http://www.uaf.edu/anlc/ Alaska Native Language Center]
* [https://www.uaf.edu/anla/collections/ca/ Comparative Athabaskan Lexicon] (University of Alaska Fairbanks)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110827113819/http://ling.ucsc.edu/Jorge/fernald.html Athabaskan Satellites & ASL Ion-Morphs]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050602090721/http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/ynlc/ Yukon Native Language Center]
* [http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/cilc/bibs/athapascan.html Athapascan Bibliography]
* {{Cite web|last=Don Macnaughtan|title=Oregon Athapaskan Languages: Bibliography of the Athapaskan Languages of Oregon|date=10 February 2014|access-date=2018-05-30|url=https://waikowhai2.wordpress.com/oregon-athapaskan-languages/}}
* [http://ling.ucsc.edu/Jorge/fernald.html Athabaskan Satellites & ASL Ion-Morphs]
* [http://billabbie.com/calath/index.html California Athapascan]
* [http://www.uaf.edu/anlc/ Alaska Native Language Center]
* [https://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/athapbasckan-l/ ATHAPBASCKAN-L mailing list for Athabaskan linguistics] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601065750/http://listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/athapbasckan-l.html |date=2010-06-01}}
* [http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/ynlc/ Yukon Native Language Center]
 
{{First Nations in Alberta}}
==Bibliography==
{{Athabaskan languages}}
{{North American languages}}
 
{{authority control}}
* Campbell, Lyle. (1997). ''American Indian languages: The historical linguistics of Native America''. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-509427-1.
* Cook, Eung-Do. (1981). Athabaskan linguistics: Proto-Athapaskan phonology. ''Annual Review of Anthropology'', ''10'', 253&ndash;273.
* Cook, Eung-Do. (1992). Athabaskan languages. In W. Bright (Eds.), ''International encyclopedia of linguistics'' (pp. 122&ndash;128). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-505196-3.
* Cook, Eung-Do; & Rice, Keren. (1989). Introduction. In E.-D. Cook & K. Rice (Eds.), ''Athapaskan linguistics: Current perspectives on a language family'' (pp. 1&ndash;61). rends in linguistics, State-of-the-art reports (No. 15). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 0-89925-282-6.
* Hoijer, Harry. (1938). The southern Athapaskan languages. ''American Anthropologist'', ''40'' (1), 75&ndash;87.
* Hoijer, Harry. (1956). The Chronology of the Athapaskan languages. ''International Journal of American Linguistics'', ''22'' (4), 219&ndash;232.
* Hoijer, Harry. (1963). The Athapaskan languages. In H. Hoijer (Ed.), ''Studies in the Athapaskan languages'' (pp. 1&ndash;29). Berkeley: University of California Press.
* Hoijer, Harry (Ed.). (1963). ''Studies in the Athapaskan languages''. University of California publications in linguistics (No. 29). Berkeley: University of California Press.
* Hoijer, Harry. (1971). The position of the Apachean languages in the Athpaskan stock. In K. H. Basso & M. E. Opler (Eds.), ''Apachean culture history and ethnology'' (pp. 3&ndash;6). Anthropological papers of the University of Arizona (No. 21). Tucson: University of Arizona Press.
* Hymes, Dell H. (1957). A note on Athapaskan glottochronology. ''International Journal of American Linguistics'', ''23'' (4), 291&ndash;297.
* Krauss, Michael E. (1964). The proto-Athapaskan-Eyak and the problem of Na-Dene, I: The phonology. ''International Journal of American Linguistics'', ''30'' (2), 118&ndash;131.
* Krauss, Michael E. (1965). The proto-Athapaskan-Eyak and the problem of Na-Dene, II: The morphology. ''International Journal of American Linguistics'', ''31'' (1), 18&ndash;28.
* Krauss, Michael E. (1968). Noun-classification systems in the Athapaskan, Eyak, Tlingit and Haida verbs. ''International Journal of American Linguistics'', ''34'' (3), 194&ndash;203.
* Krauss, Michael E. (1969). ''On the classification in the Athapascan, Eyak, and the Tlingit verb''. Baltimore: Waverly Press, Indiana University.
* Krauss, Michael E. (1973). Na-Dene. In T. A. Sebeok (Ed.), ''Linguistics in North America'' (pp. 903&ndash;978). Current trends in linguistics (Vol. 10). The Hague: Mouton. (Reprinted as Krauss 1976).
* Krauss, Michael E. (1976). Na-Dene. In T. A. Sebeok (Ed.), ''Native languages of the Americas'' (pp. 283&ndash;358). New York: Plenum. (Reprint of Krauss 1973).
* Krauss, Michael E. (1979). Na-Dene and Eskimo. In L. Campbell & M. Mithun (Eds.), ''The languages of native America: Historical and comparative assessment''. Austin: University of Texas Press.
* Krauss, Michael E. (1980). ''On the history and use comparative Athapaskan linguistics''. Fairbanks, AL: University of Alaska, Native Language Center.
* Krauss, Michael E. (1986). Edward Sapir and Athabaskan linguistics. In W. Cowan, M. Foster, & K. Koerner (Eds.), ''New perspectives in language, culture, and personality'' (pp. 147&ndash;190). Amsterdam: Benjamins.
* Krauss, Micahel E. (1987). ''The name Athabaskan''. In Peter L. Corey, ed, Faces, Voices & Dreams: A celebration of the centennial of the Sheldon Jackson Museum, Sitka, Alaska, 1888-1988, 105-08. Sitka, Alaska: Division of Alaska State Museums and the Friends of the Alaska State Museum.
* Krauss, Michael E.; & Golla, Victor. (1981). Northern Athapaskan languages. In J. Helm (Ed.), ''Subarctic'' (pp. 67&ndash;85). Handbook of North American Indians (Vol. 6). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
* Krauss, Michael E.; & Leer, Jeff. (1981). ''Athabaskan, Eyak, and Tlingit sonorants''. Alaska Native Language Center research papers (No. 5). Fairbanks, AK: University of Alaska, Alaska Native Language Center.
* Leer, Jeff. (1979). ''Proto-Athabaskan verb stem variation I: Phonology''. Alaska Native Language Center research papers (No. 1). Fairbanks, AK: Alaska Native Language Center.
* Leer, Jeff. (1982). ''Navajo and comparative Athabaskan stem list''. Fairbanks, AK: University of Alaska, Alaska Native Language Center.
* Mithun, Marianne. (1999). ''The languages of Native North America''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23228-7 (hbk); ISBN 0-521-29875-X.
* Rice, Keren. (200). ''Morpheme order and semantic scope: Word formation in the Athapaskan verb''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
* Sapir, Edward. (1915). The Na-Dene languages, a preliminary report. ''American Anthropologist'', ''17'' (3), 534&ndash;558.
* Sapir, Edward. (1916). ''Time perspective in aboriginal American culture: A study in method''. Anthropology series (No. 13), memoirs of the Canadian Geological Survey 90. Ottawa: Government Printing Bureau.
* Sapir, Edward. (1931). The concept of phonetic law as tested in primitive languages by Leonard Bloomfield. In S. A. Rice (Ed.), ''Methods in social science: A case book'' (pp. 297&ndash;306). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
* Sapir, Edward. (1936). Linguistic evidence suggestive of the northern origin of the Navaho. ''American Anthropologist'', ''38'' (2), 224&ndash;235.
* Saville-Troike, Muriel. (1985). On variable data and phonetic law: A case from Sapir's Athabaskan correspondences. ''International Journal of American Linguistics'', ''51'' (4), 572&ndash;574.
* Sturtevant, William C. (Ed.). (1978&ndash;present). ''Handbook of North American Indians'' (Vol. 1-20). Washington, D. C.: Smithsonian Institution. (Vols. 1&ndash;3, 16, 18&ndash;20 not yet published).
 
{{Indigenous peoples in Washington}}
[[Category:Athabaskan languages|*]]
[[Category:Na-Dené languages]]
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Athabaskan Languages}}
[[an:Luengas atapascas]]
[[Category:Athabaskan languages| ]]
[[de:Athapaskische Sprachen]]
[[Category:First Nations languages in Canada]]
[[eo:Atapaska lingvaro]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of North America]]
[[fr:Langues athapascanes]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Plains]]
[[hr:Athapaskan]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Southwest]]
[[it:Lingue athabaska]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Subarctic]]
[[nl:Athabasken]]
[[Category:Languages of the United States]]
[[pl:Języki atapaskańskie]]
[[Category:Na-Dene languages]]
[[fi:Athabasca-kielet]]