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Glite Dictionary
Na-Dene

Na-Dene

1 9.9
A group of related Native American languages spoken mainly in Alaska, western Canada, and the southwestern United States
  • noun
  • /nɑːˈdeɪni/
  • Specialized
: Na-Dene
  • The Na-Dene languages are fascinating to study.

Examples

  • Athabaskan is one of the best-documented branches of the Na-Dene languages.

  • Linguists have debated the origins of the Na-Dene language family for decades.

  • The Na-Dene peoples have rich oral traditions and histories.

  • Many indigenous groups speak Na-Dene languages.

  • Linguists have debated the origins of the Na-Dene language family for decades.

  • Athabaskan is one of the best-documented branches of the Na-Dene languages.

  • The Na-Dene peoples have rich oral traditions and histories.

Surface Forms

Na-Dene singular
Na-Denes plural

Etymology

Na-Dene comes from native words, especially Dene, which means 'people', and you can see this in the Navajo name Diné, which also means 'the people'. A helpful way to remember it is to think of Na- plus Dene as 'the languages of the people', which is why Na-Dene names this group of North American native languages.