Upper Tanana language
Encyclopedia
Upper Tanana is an endangered
Athabaskan language spoken in eastern Interior Alaska, mainly in the villages of Northway
, Tetlin
, and Tok
, and adjacent areas of Canada's
Yukon Territory. In 2000 there were fewer than 100 speakers, and the language was no longer being actively acquired by children.
but differs in several phonological features. In particular, Upper Tanana has low tone as a reflex of Proto-Athabaskan constriction, where Tanacross has high tone. Upper Tanana also has an extra vowel phoneme and has developed diphthong
s through loss of final consonants.
Traditionally, four main dialects have been recognized.
The main Upper Tanana speaking communities today are located in the Alaskan communities of Northway and Tetlin, and in the Canadian community of Beaver Creek
.
Endangered language
An endangered language is a language that is at risk of falling out of use. If it loses all its native speakers, it becomes a dead language. If eventually no one speaks the language at all it becomes an "extinct language"....
Athabaskan language spoken in eastern Interior Alaska, mainly in the villages of Northway
Northway, Alaska
Northway is a census-designated place in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 95 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Northway is located at ....
, Tetlin
Tetlin, Alaska
Tetlin is a census-designated place in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 117.-Geography:Tetlin is located at ....
, and Tok
Tok, Alaska
Tok is a census-designated place in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 1,393 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, and adjacent areas of Canada's
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Yukon Territory. In 2000 there were fewer than 100 speakers, and the language was no longer being actively acquired by children.
Overview
Upper Tanana shows near mutual-intelligibility with neighboring TanacrossTanacross language
Tanacross is an endangered Athabaskan language spoken by fewer than 60 persons in eastern Interior Alaska.- Overview :The word Tanacross Tanacross (also Transitional Tanana) is an endangered Athabaskan language spoken by fewer than 60 persons in eastern Interior Alaska.- Overview :The word...
but differs in several phonological features. In particular, Upper Tanana has low tone as a reflex of Proto-Athabaskan constriction, where Tanacross has high tone. Upper Tanana also has an extra vowel phoneme and has developed diphthong
Diphthong
A diphthong , also known as a gliding vowel, refers to two adjacent vowel sounds occurring within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: That is, the tongue moves during the pronunciation of the vowel...
s through loss of final consonants.
Traditionally, four main dialects have been recognized.
The main Upper Tanana speaking communities today are located in the Alaskan communities of Northway and Tetlin, and in the Canadian community of Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek, Yukon
- External links :* *...
.