Lower Tanana (also Tanana and/or Middle Tanana) is an endangered language spoken in Interior Alaska in the lower Tanana River villages of Minto and Nenana. Of about 380 Tanana people in the two villages, about 30 still speak the language. As of 2010, “Speakers who grew up with Lower Tanana as their first language can be found only in the 250-person village of Minto.”[3] It is one of the large family of Athabaskan languages, also known as Dené.
The Athabaskan (or Dené) bands who formerly occupied a territory between the Salcha and the Goodpaster rivers spoke a distinct dialect that linguists term the Middle Tanana language.
In a 2008–2009 project, linguist Siri Tuttle of the University of Alaska's Native Language Center “worked with elders to translate and document song lyrics, some on file at the language center and some recorded during the project.”[4]
“The Minto dialect of Tanana ... allows speakers to occasionally change the number of syllables in longer words.”[4]
^Chappell, Bill (April 21, 2014). "Alaska OKs Bill Making Native Languages Official". NPR. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
^Christopher Eshleman (November 9, 2010). "Neal Charlie dies at 91. Minto elder, former chief kept language culture alive". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
^ ab Christopher Eshleman (September 13, 2010). . Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Archived from the original on December 3, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
Bibliography
Charlie, Teddy. 1992. Ode Setl'oghwnh Da': Long After I Am Gone, Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center. ISBN1-55500-045-2
Kari, James, Isabel Charlie, Peter John & Evelyn Alexander. 1991. Lower Tanana Athabaskan Listening and Writing Exercises, Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center.
Tuttle, Siri. 1998. Metrical and Tonal Structures in Tanana Athabaskan, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Washington.
Tuttle, Siri. 2003. Archival Phonetics: Tone and Stress in Tanana Athabaskan. University of Alaska Fairbanks.
External links
Lower Tanana basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database
March 29, 2023
lower, tanana, language, lower, tanana, also, tanana, middle, tanana, endangered, language, spoken, interior, alaska, lower, tanana, river, villages, minto, nenana, about, tanana, people, villages, about, still, speak, language, 2010, speakers, grew, with, low. Lower Tanana also Tanana and or Middle Tanana is an endangered language spoken in Interior Alaska in the lower Tanana River villages of Minto and Nenana Of about 380 Tanana people in the two villages about 30 still speak the language As of 2010 Speakers who grew up with Lower Tanana as their first language can be found only in the 250 person village of Minto 3 It is one of the large family of Athabaskan languages also known as Dene Lower TananaMenhti KenagaNative toUnited StatesRegionAlaska middle Yukon River Koyukuk River Ethnicity400 Tanana 2007 1 Native speakers1 2020 1 Language familyDene Yeniseian Na DeneAthabaskanNorthern AthabaskanLower TananaWriting systemLatin Northern Athabaskan alphabet Official statusOfficial language in Alaska 2 Language codesISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code taa class extiw title iso639 3 taa taa a Glottologlowe1425ELP Lower TananaThe Athabaskan or Dene bands who formerly occupied a territory between the Salcha and the Goodpaster rivers spoke a distinct dialect that linguists term the Middle Tanana language Contents 1 Dialects 2 Vocabulary samples 3 Phonology 3 1 Consonants 3 2 Vowels 4 Songs 5 Notes 6 Bibliography 7 External linksDialects EditToklat area dialect Tutlʼot Minto Flats Nenana River dialect Minto Menhti and Nenana Nina Noʼ Chena River dialect Chena Village Chʼenoʼ Salcha River dialect Salcha Sol Chaget Vocabulary samples Editdena man trʼaxa woman setseya my grandfather setsu my grandmother xwtʼana clan ddhel mountain tu black bear tsonee brown bear bedzeyh caribou liga dog beligaʼ his her dog kʼwyʼ willow katreth moccasin trʼiyh canoe yoyekoyh Northern Lights tena trail khwnʼa river t eede gaay girl Middle Tanana Phonology EditConsonants Edit Labial Dental Alveolar Post alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottalplain sibilant lateralPlosive plain p t8 t ts tɬ tʃ tʂ k ʔaspirated t8ʰ tʰ tsʰ tɬʰ tʃʰ tʂʰ kʰejective t8ʼ tʼ tsʼ tɬʼ tʃʼ tʂʼ kʼFricative voiceless 8 s ɬ ʃ x hvoiced d z ɣSonorant w n l jVowels Edit Vowel sounds in Tanana are a ae ɪ i ʊ u e Front Central BackClose ɪ i ʊ uMid eOpen ae aSongs EditIn a 2008 2009 project linguist Siri Tuttle of the University of Alaska s Native Language Center worked with elders to translate and document song lyrics some on file at the language center and some recorded during the project 4 The Minto dialect of Tanana allows speakers to occasionally change the number of syllables in longer words 4 Notes Edit a b https www commerce alaska gov web Portals 4 pub ANLPAC ANLPAC 202020 20Report 20to 20the 20Governor 20and 20Legislature pdf bare URL PDF Chappell Bill April 21 2014 Alaska OKs Bill Making Native Languages Official NPR Archived from the original on January 16 2021 Retrieved July 8 2021 Christopher Eshleman November 9 2010 Neal Charlie dies at 91 Minto elder former chief kept language culture alive Fairbanks Daily News Miner Archived from the original on January 29 2013 Retrieved September 15 2012 a b Christopher Eshleman September 13 2010 Fairbanks Daily News Miner Alaska Native Language Center linguist helps document dialects Fairbanks Daily News Miner Archived from the original on December 3 2010 Retrieved September 15 2012 Bibliography EditCharlie Teddy 1992 Ode Setl oghwnh Da Long After I Am Gone Fairbanks Alaska Native Language Center ISBN 1 55500 045 2 Kari James Isabel Charlie Peter John amp Evelyn Alexander 1991 Lower Tanana Athabaskan Listening and Writing Exercises Fairbanks Alaska Native Language Center Tuttle Siri 1998 Metrical and Tonal Structures in Tanana Athabaskan Ph D Dissertation University of Washington Tuttle Siri 2003 Archival Phonetics Tone and Stress in Tanana Athabaskan University of Alaska Fairbanks External links EditLower Tanana basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lower Tanana language amp oldid 1092812879, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
