Na-Dene Language Family
The Na-Dene Language Family is a significant linguistic group in North America, comprising one major language family, Athapaskan-Eyak, along with two potentially related language isolates: Haida and Tlingit. This family spans across six cultural areas, making it one of the largest linguistic units in the region. Predominantly, Na-Dene languages are spoken in the Western Subarctic, where various Indigenous groups, including the Beaver, Carrier, and Navajo, use them. The languages extend to the northern Plains and the Southwest, with Apachean languages also classified under this family.
Haida and Tlingit, found in British Columbia and southeastern Alaska, are sometimes considered related to Athapaskan languages due to shared phonological and grammatical features. However, many linguists debate their classification, suggesting that they differ significantly in terms of morphology and basic vocabulary. This ongoing controversy highlights the complexities of language classification within the Na-Dene family, reflecting both the diversity of Indigenous languages and the challenges of linguistic analysis. Overall, the Na-Dene Language Family represents a rich cultural and linguistic heritage within North America.
Subject Terms
Na-Dene Language Family
Culture areas: California, Northwest Coast, Plains, Plateau, Southwest, Subarctic
Tribes affected: Ahtna, Apache, Beaver, Carrier, Chipe-wyan, Dogrib, Eyak, Galice-Applegate, Haida, Hare, Hupa, Ingalik, Kaska, Kolchan, Koyukon, Kutchin, Mountain, Navajo (Dine), Sarcee, Sekani, Slave, Tagish, Tahltan, Tanaina, Tanacross, Tanana, Tlingit, Tolowa, Tutchone, Tututni, Umpqua
Na-Dene, considered to be a language phylum by some comparative linguists, is composed of one large language family (Athapaskan-Eyak) and two possibly related language isolates (Haida and Tlingit). The distribution of Na-Dene languages extends through six culture areas, making it one of the largest linguistic units in North America.
The Western Subarctic is dominated by groups speaking Na-Dene-related languages (all Athapaskan). These include such groups as the Beaver, Carrier, Chipewyan, Dogrib, Hare, Ingalik, Kaska, Koyukon, Kutchin, Mountain, Slave, Tahltan, Tanaina, and Tanana. In the northern Plains, the Sarcee speak a language which has been subsumed under the Na-Dene phylum. In the Southwest cultural area, languages closely related to Plains and Subarctic Athapaskan are represented by Navajo (Dine) and Apache (Apachean stock). In the Northwest Coast culture area and extending partially into the Plateau, Na-Dene languages can be found in central Oregon. These are represented by Galice-Applegate, Tututni, and Upper Umpqua. Farther north, in British Columbia and southeastern Alaska, are Haida and Tlingit, both classified as possible relatives of Athapaskan. In California, the Hupa and Tolowa are known to speak Athapaskan languages closely related to those of the Oregonean groups.
The designation of Na-Dene as a linguistic entity has been called into question by many comparative linguists. In 1915, Edward Sapir, a linguist who specialized in classifying and analyzing North American languages, established Na-Dene as a possible phylum composed of, as he saw it, remotely related languages. Problems arose, however, over the supposed relationship of Haida and Tlingit to Athapaskan. Many comparative linguists now believe that Haida and Tlingit are not members of the Athapaskan language family; they recognize that Haida and Tlingit share phonological and grammatical structures with Athapaskan but argue that they are significantly different in morphology and lexicon (basic semantics). This controversy has not been adequately resolved.