athabascan
|a-tha-bas-can|
/ˌæθəˈbæskən/
connected to Athabasca (peoples/languages)
Etymology
'athabascan' originates from the place name 'Athabasca', ultimately from an Algonquian (Cree) word such as 'áðapaskāw' (often recorded as 'athapaskaw'), where the root meant 'where there are reeds' or 'grass/reeds here and there'.
'áðapaskāw' (Cree) became the place name 'Athabasca' in European maps and writings; from that geographic name the English adjectival/ethnic form 'athabascan' (also spelled 'athabaskan') was formed to describe the peoples and languages associated with the region.
Initially the element referred to a geographic feature ('place of reeds'); over time it was extended to name the region and then the peoples and languages associated with that region, giving the modern ethnic/linguistic sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
any one of the languages of the Athabaskan (Athabaskan–Eyak–Tlingit) family of indigenous North American languages.
Many field researchers focus on documenting an athabascan language before it is lost.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a person who belongs to one of the Athabascan (Athabaskan) indigenous peoples of North America.
She is an athabascan who traces her family to communities in Alaska.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
relating to the Athabascan peoples, their cultures, or their languages.
Researchers published a study on athabascan phonology.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/10 09:08