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Northern Tutchone language

Northern Tutchone is an Athabaskan language of southern Yukon in Canada. About a little part of the Northern Tutchone people speak the language. Although they are sometimes considered separate languages, Northern and Southern Tutchone speakers are generally able to understand each other in conversation, albeit with moderate difficulty.

Northern Tutchone is spoken in the Yukon communities of Mayo, Pelly Crossing, Stewart Crossing, Carmacks, and Beaver Creek.

The Northern Tutchone language is threatened. In the 2011 census, Northern Tutchone was reported to have 210 speakers.

Dialects

  • Big Salmon dialect
  • Pelly Crossing dialect
  • Mayo dialect
  • White River dialect

Phonology

The consonants and vowels of Northern Tutchone and their orthography are as follows:

Consonants

Vowels

Vowels are differentiated for nasalization and high, mid, and low tone.

  • Nasalized: į, ų, ę, ą̈, Ç«, ÄÂ
  • High tone: í, ú, é, ä́ , ó, á
  • Mid tone: Ä«, Å«, ē, ǟ, ō, ā
  • Low tone: unmarked

In popular culture

Jerry Alfred's "" (Grandfather song), sung in Northern Tuchone, won a Juno Award in the Best Aboriginal Album category in 1996.

References

External links