← Back to catalogue
Research draft

Na-Dene

vr.tr.na-dene · INF.MED

Let an agent explain Na-Dene, relay classification, languages, history and revitalisation from linguistic and Indigenous community sources with hypotheses attributed, describe the named branches and languages respectfully, and distinguish Na-Dene from Eskimo-Aleut, Algonquian, Salishan and the Dene peoples as communities.

Thing Registry Information and virtual systems

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent explain Na-Dene, relay classification, languages, history and revitalisation from linguistic and Indigenous community sources with hypotheses attributed, describe the named branches and languages respectfully, and distinguish Na-Dene from Eskimo-Aleut, Algonquian, Salishan and the Dene peoples as communities.

A language family of North America comprising the Athabaskan languages, including Navajo, the Apache languages, Dene languages of Canada, Alaskan languages such as Koyukon and Holikachuk and the Pacific Coast Athabaskan languages of Oregon and California, together with Eyak, whose last native speaker died in 2008, forming Athabaskan-Eyak, and Tlingit of southeast Alaska; the Dene-Yeniseian hypothesis proposed by Edward Vajda linking Na-Dene with Siberian Ket is debated. Many Na-Dene languages are endangered and subject to community revitalisation.

What it is for: Communication among its speakers; a language family.

It can be explain classification; relay languages and history; describe named branches; relay revitalisation respectfully.

Distinguishing features

Athabaskan core

Wide geographic spread

Complex verb morphology

Many endangered languages

What it looks like

Not a visible object; languages written in various orthographies.

Physical character

Eyak last native speaker died: 2008 year - Marie Smith Jones

Dene-Yeniseian proposal: 2008 year - Edward Vajda, debated

largest language: Navajo note

How it is recognised

North American language family

Athabaskan-Eyak, Athabaskan, Tlingit, Koyukon, Holikachuk, Pacific Coast Athabaskan

Eskimo-Aleut includes Inuit languages; Algonquian includes Cree; Salishan is a Pacific Northwest family; Dene also names peoples

Related models

is a kind of - in registry terms

indigenous language of North America

includes -

Navajo language

includes -

Tlingit language

is proposed to be related to - Dene-Yeniseian hypothesis

Yeniseian languages

In practice

Families and kinds

Northern Athabaskan

Pacific Coast Athabaskan

Southern Athabaskan or Apachean

Eyak

Tlingit

Standards and regulation

Native American Languages Act 1990

Canadian Indigenous Languages Act 2019

UNDRIP

Failure modes and hazards

Presenting Dene-Yeniseian as settled

Speaking about communities without their perspectives

Stale speaker figures

Also called

Athabaskan-EyakAthabaskanTlingitKoyukonHolikachukPacific Coast AthabaskanNorthern AthabaskanSouthern AthabaskanBabine-Witsuwit'enCalifornia AthabaskanUpper UmpquaTututniGaliceMattoleKatoWailakiNicolaNorth SlaveyKwalhioqua-ClatskanieTsuutʼinaDanezaaTsetsautDena'inaChilcotinSekaniTutchoneTahltanTananaMescalero-ChiricahuaPlains ApacheWestern ApacheLipanJicarillaChiricahuaMountain SlaveyBearlakeNorthern TutchoneSouthern TutchoneCibecue

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Understand What Na-Dene is.

Attribution.

Definition

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is Na-Dene, and how does it differ from Eskimo-Aleut, Algonquian, Salishan and the Dene peoples? definition
  2. Is the question about classification, a specific language or revitalisation? boundary

Branches

Named branches.

Branches

Branches.

  1. What are Athabaskan-Eyak, Athabaskan, Tlingit, Koyukon, Holikachuk and Pacific Coast Athabaskan? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific language? action
Linguistics Classification.

Attribution.

Internal

Internal classification.

Internal

Internal.

  1. How are Na-Dene languages grouped, and why was Haida removed from the family? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Dene-Yeniseian

Dene-Yeniseian.

Dene-Yeniseian

Dene-Yeniseian.

  1. What evidence supports or questions the Dene-Yeniseian hypothesis, with scholars attributed? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Communities Communities and revival.

Attribution.

Revival

Revitalisation.

Revival

Revival.

  1. How are communities revitalising languages such as Tlingit and Navajo? provenance
  2. Is the presentation respectful and community-informed? boundary

Eyak

Eyak.

Eyak

Eyak.

  1. What efforts continue around Eyak after its last native speaker died? provenance
  2. Which entry fits Eyak language? action
Context History and law.

Context.

Code talkers

Navajo Code Talkers.

Code talkers

Code talkers.

  1. What role did Navajo Code Talkers play in the Second World War? provenance
  2. Which entry fits Navajo code talker? action

Law

Language rights.

Law

Law.

  1. How do laws in the US and Canada support Indigenous languages? provenance
  2. Which entry fits Indigenous Languages Act? action

What the second pass must settle

  • Should each named branch be a separate entry?
  • How should community language programmes be linked?
  • How should the Dene-Yeniseian debate be recorded?