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The 'Gwich’in language' is the Athabaskan language of the Gwich’in indigenous people. In the Northwest Territories and Yukon Territory of Canada, it is used principally in the towns of Inuvik, Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Old Crow, and Tsiigehtchic (formerly Arctic Red River). There are about 430 Gwich’in speakers in Canada out of a total Gwi’chin population of 1,900.
In Alaska, Gwich’in is spoken in Beaver, Circle, Fort Yukon, Chalkyitsik, Birch Creek, Arctic Village, Eagle, and Venetie, Alaska. About 300 out of a total Alaska Gwich’in population of 1,100 speak the language.
It is an official language of the Northwest Territories.
The glottal stop in the name ''Gwich’in'' is written with symbol 'U+2019 RIGHT SINGLE QUOTATION MARK'.

Contents

Classification

Dialects

Phonology

Consonants

Vowels

External link

Classification

Gwich'in is a member of the 'Canadian' sub-group of the Athabaskan languages, of the Na-Dene family of languages. It shares the 'Han-Kutchin' subgroup with the Han language.

Dialects

There are several dialects of Gwich'in, including Fort Yukon Gwich'in, Arctic Village Gwich'in, Western Canada Gwich'in (Takudh, Tukudh, Loucheux), and Arctic Red River.

Phonology

Consonants

The consonants of Gwich'in in the standard orthography are listed below (with IPA notation in brackets):

		Labial	Interdental	Alveolar		Retroflex	Palatal	Velar		Glottal
				Central	Lateral			Plain	Labialized
Nasal	Voiced	'm'		'n'
	Voiceless			'nh'
Plosive	Voiced	'b'		'd'		'dr'		'g'	'gw'
	Voiceless			't'		'tr'		'k'	'kw'	'’'
	Ejective			't’'		'tr’'		'k’'
	Nasal release			'nd'
Affricate	Voiced	'v'	'ddh'	'dz'	'dl'		'dj'
	Voiceless		'tth'	'ts'	'tl'		'ch'
	Ejective		'tth’'	'ts’'	'tl’'		'ch’'
	Nasal release						'nj'
Fricative	Voiced		'dh'	'z'		'zhr'	'zh'	'gh'	'ghw'
	Voiceless		'th'	's'	'ł'	'shr'	'sh'	'kh'		'h'
Approxi- mant	Voiced				'l'	'r'	'y'		'w'
	Voiceless					'rh'

Vowels

:
★ ''short''
:
★
★ 'a'
:
★
★ 'e'
:
★
★ 'i'
:
★
★ 'o'
:
★
★ 'u'
:
★ ''long''
:
★
★ 'aa'
:
★
★ 'ee'
:
★
★ 'ii'
:
★
★ 'oo'
:
★
★ 'uu'
:
★ nasal vowels are marked by an ogonek accent, e.g., 'ą'
:
★ low tone is optionally marked with a grave accent, e.g., 'à'
:
★ high tone is never marked

External link

★ Gwich’in language info

★ Yukon Native Language Centre: Gwich’in

★ Alaska Native Language Center: Gwich’in