Athabaskan Languages
Athabaskan or Athabascan (also Dene, Athapascan, Athapaskan) is a large group of indigenous peoples of North America, located in two main Southern and Northern groups in western North America, and of their language family. The Athabaskan family is the second largest family in North America in terms of number of languages and the number of speakers, following the Uto-Aztecan family which extends into Mexico. In terms of territory, only the Algic language family covers a larger area. Most Athabaskans prefer to be identified by their specific language and location. Although, the general term Athabascan persists in linguistics and anthropology, in August of 2012 the annual Athabaskan Languages Conference changed its name to the Dene Languages Conference.
Read more about Athabaskan Languages: Etymology, Languages, External Classification of The Family, Internal Classification of The Family, History of Athabaskan Language Studies
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“The very natural tendency to use terms derived from traditional grammar like verb, noun, adjective, passive voice, in describing languages outside of Indo-European is fraught with grave possibilities of misunderstanding.”
—Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897–1934)