View source for Dogrib language

{{Short description|Northern Athabaskan language}}
{{distinguish|Dogri language}}
{{use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Dogrib
| altname          = Tlicho
| nativename       = {{lang|dgr|Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì}}
| states           = Canada
| region           = [[Northwest Territories]]
| ethnicity        = [[Tłı̨chǫ]]
| speakers         = 1,735, 90% of ethnic population
| date             = 2016 census
| ref              = <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Table.cfm?Lang=E&T=41&Geo=01 |title=Language Highlight Tables, 2016 Census - Aboriginal mother tongue, Aboriginal language spoken most often at home and Other Aboriginal language(s) spoken regularly at home for the population excluding institutional residents of Canada, provinces and territories, 2016 Census – 100% Data |publisher=Government of Canada, Statistics |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca |language=en |access-date=2017-11-23 |date=2017-08-02}}</ref>
| familycolor      = Dené-Yeniseian
| fam2             = [[Na-Dené languages|Na-Dené]]
| fam3             = [[Athabaskan languages|Athabaskan]]
| fam4             = [[Northern Athabaskan languages|Northern Athabaskan]]
| nation           = Northwest Territories<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nwtlanguagescommissioner.ca/pdf/Official_Languages_Map.pdf |title=Official Languages of the Northwest Territories |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323114247/http://www.nwtlanguagescommissioner.ca/pdf/Official_Languages_Map.pdf |archive-date=March 23, 2012}} (map)</ref>
| iso2             = dgr
| iso3             = dgr
| glotto           = dogr1252
| glottorefname    = Dogrib
| dia1             = Wıı̀lıı̀deh Yatıı̀
| script           = [[Latin script|Latin]]
| notice           = IPA
| map2              = Lang Status 80-VU.svg
| mapcaption2       = {{center|{{small|Dogrib is classified as Vulnerable by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''}}}}
}}
{{Infobox ethnonym|root= [[Tłı̨chǫ]]<br/><small>"dog-flank"</small>|person= [[Tłı̨chǫ|Tłı̨chǫ Done]]|people= [[Tłı̨chǫ|Tłı̨chǫ Done Do]]|language= Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì|country= [[Tłı̨chǫ Government|Tłı̨chǫ Ndé]], [[Denendeh]]}}

The '''Tlicho language''', also known as '''Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì''' ({{IPA|dgr|tɬʰĩtʃʰõ jatʰîː|}}) or the '''Dogrib language''', is a [[Northern Athabaskan language]] spoken by the [[Tłı̨chǫ]] (Dogrib people) [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] of the Canadian [[Northwest Territories]]. According to [[Statistics Canada]] in 2011, there were 2,080 people who speak Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=Census in Brief Aboriginal Languages in Canada, Language, 2011 Census of Population|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-314-x/98-314-x2011003_3-eng.pdf|website=Government of Canada|access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref> As of 2016, 1,735 people speak the language.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aboriginal mother tongue, Aboriginal language spoken most often at home and Other Aboriginal language(s) spoken regularly at home for the population excluding institutional residents of Canada, provinces and territories, 2016 Census – 100% Data|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Table.cfm?Lang=E&T=41&Geo=01|website=Statistics Canada|date = 2 August 2017}}</ref>

Tłıchǫ Yatıì is spoken by the Tłıchǫ, a [[Dene]] First Nations people that reside in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Tłı̨chǫ lands lie east of [[Mackenzie River]] (Deh Cho)  between  [[Great Slave Lake]] (Tıdeè) and [[Great Bear Lake]] (Sahtu) in the Northwest Territories. There are four primary communities that speak the language: [[Gamèti]] (formerly Rae Lakes), [[Behchokǫ̀]] (formerly Rae-Edzo), [[Wekweeti|Wekweètì]] (formerly Snare Lakes) and [[Whatì]] (formerly Lac La Martre). From a population number of about 800 during the mid-19th century to about 1,700 by the 1970s, the population has grown to about 2,080 as recorded by the 2011 Census. However, Tłıchǫ Yatıì has seen a decrease in [[mother tongue]] speakers, hence placing it under the list of endangered languages.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dogrib: History |date=2012-01-05 |access-date=2017-03-09 |url=https://www.mpm.edu/research-collections/anthropology/online-collections-research/dogrib/history |website=Milwaukee Public Museum}}</ref><ref name="Dogrib endangered">{{Cite web|url=http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/2159|title=Did you know Dogrib is endangered?|website=Endangered Languages|language=en|access-date=2017-02-10}}</ref>

The Tłıchǫ region covers the northern shore of Great Slave Lake  (Tıdeè), reaching up to Great Bear Lake (Sahtu). Behchokǫ̀, is the largest community in Tłıchǫ territory. According to the [[Endangered Languages Project]], approximately 1,350 people speak the language while at home. Speakers are commonly fluent in English.<ref name="Dogrib endangered" />

==History==

Tłıchǫ Yatıì was traditionally only an oral language. Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì was one of the many Indigenous Canadian languages affected by the [[Canadian Indian residential school system]]. Through the [[British North America Act 1867]] and the [[Indian Act]] of 1876, the Canadian Government formalised its unilateral control over Indigenous people and their lands. By the 1920s these schools became mandatory for all indigenous children to attend. Indigenous languages were not allowed to be spoken at these schools since the late 19th century. The last of the residential schools closed in 1996. These schools contributed heavily to [[language shift]] away from Indigenous languages, including Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì, and towards English.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.3828/bjcs.2017.11|title=Redress for linguicide: Residential schools and assimilation in Canada|year=2017|last1=Fontaine|first1=Lorena Sekwan|journal=British Journal of Canadian Studies|volume=30|issue=2|pages=183–204|s2cid=148990297}}</ref>

In 1992, the first edition of the ''Tłıchǫ Yatıì Enįhtł’è - A Dogrib Dictionary'' was published which provided the Tłıchǫ people with a database of words and spelling. This sparked the interest of community members and became the first step in revitalization efforts.<ref name="Tłıchǫ Dictionary">{{cite web |author=Dogrib Divisional Board of Education |title=Tłıchǫ Yatıì Enįhtł'è - A Dogrib Dictionary |url=https://www.tlicho.ca/sites/default/files/A_Dogrib_Dictionary.pdf |publisher=Tłıchǫ Government |access-date=18 March 2018}}</ref>

== Revitalization efforts ==
In 2005, the Tłıchǫ signed the Tłıchǫ Agreement for Self-Governance.<ref>{{cite web |title=Land Claims and Self-Government Agreement Among the Tłıchǫ |url=https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/DAM/DAM-INTER-HQ/STAGING/texte-text/ccl_fagr_nwts_tliagr_tliagr_1302089608774_eng.pdf |website=Government of Canada |access-date=18 March 2018 |archive-date=22 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322203716/https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/DAM/DAM-INTER-HQ/STAGING/texte-text/ccl_fagr_nwts_tliagr_tliagr_1302089608774_eng.pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref> This allowed the Tłıchǫ people to prioritize the preservation of their language, culture and way of life. Since its implementation, the Tłıchǫ Government has been working hard to help younger generations of Tłıchǫ learn the language by declaring Tłıchǫ Yatıì as one of two official languages of the Tłıchǫ Government. Revitalization efforts include putting up signs in Tłıchǫ Yatıì, creating on the land programs, providing Tłıchǫ Yatıì classes for community members.<ref name="Tłıchǫ Government Policy and Procedures">{{cite web|title=Tłıchǫ Government Administrative Policy and Procedures|url=https://www.tlicho.ca/sites/default/files/documents/government/20180101TEOPolicy.pdf|website=Tłıchǫ Government|access-date=18 March 2018|archive-date=15 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215232318/https://www.tlicho.ca/sites/default/files/documents/government/20180101TEOPolicy.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì is one of the nine official Indigenous languages of the [[Northwest Territories]] (NWT) in Canada. Because of its official status, the NWT's department of Education, Culture, and Employment, has been monitoring the language through the Indigenous Languages and Education Secretariat since 2014. This department is devoted to the revitalization of the official languages in the NWT and has policies that ensure the continued use and growth of Indigenous languages.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indigenous Languages and Education Secretariat|url=https://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/en/services/ILES|last=Education|first=Culture and Employment|website=www.ece.gov.nt.ca|language=en|access-date=2020-05-26}}</ref> According to the 2018 - 2019 Annual Report on Official Languages, multiple revitalization efforts have been made by the Tłı̨chǫ Government.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|title=2018 - 2019 Annual Report on Official Languages|url=https://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/sites/ece/files/resources/3550_gnwt_ece_official-languages-annual-report-english-web.pdf|website=Government of the Northwest Territories}}</ref> Some of which include an Elder Evening Story Telling that occurs weekly, transcribing and translating materials into Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì for classes, setting up a radio station, and having community language classes in the language, now including immersion classes in grades K-7. In addition to local efforts, the Official Languages Act ensures that Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì and the other indigenous languages are used in providing government services.<ref name=":02" />

==Geographic distribution==

The language is mainly spoken in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The four official Tłıchǫ communities are Gamètì, Behchokǫ̀, Wekweètì and Whatì. Both communities of [[Yellowknife]] and [[Dettah]] also have many Tłıchǫ speakers, mostly speaking the Wıı̀lıı̀deh Yatıı̀ dialect.

==Dialects==
The [[Yellowknives]] Dene speak a dialect of Tłı̨chǫ called Wıı̀lıı̀deh Yatıı̀. This dialect came into existence when speakers of [[Chipewyan language|Chipewyan]] began speaking Tłı̨chǫ after 1829 and incorporated some Chipewyan words and grammar.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ykdene.com/about/our-language/ |title=Our Language |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=Yellowknives Dene First Nation |publisher=[[Yellowknives Dene First Nation]] |access-date=2021-04-15 |archive-date=2021-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415150044/https://ykdene.com/about/our-language/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Phonology==

===Consonants===
The consonants of Tłıchǫ Yatıì in the standard orthography are listed below (with IPA notation in brackets){{Clarify|reason=Why, then, are the IPA symbols outside brackets and why is what looks like orthography in brackets?|date=May 2024}}:<ref name="Coleman">{{cite thesis |last=Coleman |first=Phyllis Young |title=Dogrib Phonology |publisher=University of Iowa |type=PhD dissertation |date=1979}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" colspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" | [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="3" | [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br />alveolar]]
! colspan="2" | [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! <small>plain</small> || <small>sibilant</small> || <small>lateral</small>
! <small>plain</small> || <small>labial</small>
|-
! [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
! <small>plain</small>
| {{IPA link|m}} {{angbr|m}}
| {{IPA link|n}} {{angbr|n}}
| || || || || || 
|-
! rowspan="4" |[[Plosive]]
!<small>prenasalized</small>
|{{IPA link|ᵐb}} {{angbr|mb}}
|{{IPA link|ⁿd}} {{angbr|nd}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! <small>tenuis</small>
| ({{IPA link|p}} {{angbr|b}})
| {{IPA link|t}} {{angbr|d}}
| {{IPA link|ts}} {{angbr|dz}}
| {{IPA link|tɬ}} {{angbr|dl}}
| {{IPA link|tʃ}} {{angbr|j}}
| {{IPA link|k}} {{angbr|g}}
| {{IPA link|kʷ}} {{angbr|gw}}
| {{IPA link|ʔ}} {{angbr|’}}
|-
! <small>aspirated</small>
|
| {{IPA link|tʰ}} {{angbr|t}}
| {{IPA link|tsʰ}} {{angbr|ts}}
| {{IPA link|tɬʰ}} {{angbr|tł}}
| {{IPA link|tʃʰ}} {{angbr|ch}}
| {{IPA link|kʰ}} {{angbr|k}}
| {{IPA link|kʷʰ}} {{angbr|kw}}
|
|-
! <small>ejective</small>
|
| {{IPA link|tʼ}} {{angbr|t’}}
| {{IPA link|tsʼ}} {{angbr|ts’}}
| {{IPA link|tɬʼ}} {{angbr|tł’}}
| {{IPA link|tʃʼ}} {{angbr|ch’}}
| {{IPA link|kʼ}} {{angbr|k’}}
| {{IPA link|kʷʼ}} {{angbr|kw’}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
! <small>voiced</small>
|
|
| {{IPA link|z}} {{angbr|z}}
| {{IPA link|ɮ}} {{angbr|l}}
| {{IPA link|ʒ}} {{angbr|zh}}
| {{IPA link|ɣ}} {{angbr|gh}}
|
|
|-
! <small>voiceless</small>
|
|
| {{IPA link|s}} {{angbr|s}}
| {{IPA link|ɬ}} {{angbr|ł}}
| {{IPA link|ʃ}} {{angbr|sh}}
| {{IPA link|x}} {{angbr|x}}
|
| {{IPA link|h}} {{angbr|h}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Approximant]]
! <small>voiced</small>
|
| {{IPA link|ɾ}} ~ {{IPA link|ɹ}} {{angbr|r}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|j}} {{angbr|y}}
|
| {{IPA link|w}} {{angbr|w}}
|
|-
! <small>voiceless</small>
|
|
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|ʍ}} {{angbr|wh}}
|
|}

Tenuis stops may be lightly voiced. Aspirated stops may be fricated {{IPA|[Cˣʰ]}} before back vowels.
{{Location_map+
|Canada Northwest Territories 
| width = 240
| float = right
| caption = Tlicho communities in the Northwest Territories
| places =
  {{Location map~|Canada Northwest Territories | label=[[Dettah]] | lat=62.24 | long=-114.307| label_size=75 | marksize=6|position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Northwest Territories | label=[[Ndilǫ]] | lat=62.411 | long=-114.334 | label_size=75 | marksize=6| position=right}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Northwest Territories | label=[[Behchokǫ̀]] | lat=62.8 | long=-116.04 | label_size=75 | marksize=6| position=right}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Northwest Territories | label=[[Gamèti]] | lat=64.11 | long=-117.35| label_size=75 | marksize=7|position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Northwest Territories | label=[[Wekweètì]] | lat=64.19 | long=-114.1827 | label_size=75 | marksize=7}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Northwest Territories | label=[[Whatì]] | lat=63.14 | long=-117.27 | label_size=75 | marksize=7| position=left}}
 }}

===Vowels===
The language uses long, short and nasal vowels, and distinguishes them in writing, along with low tone:<ref name="Coleman" />

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="2" colspan="2" | &nbsp;
! align="center" colspan="2" | [[Front vowel|Front]]
! align="center" colspan="2" | [[Central vowel|Central]]
! align="center" colspan="2" | [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! <small>short</small>
! <small>long</small>
! <small>short</small>
! <small>long</small>
! <small>short</small>
! <small>long</small>
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Close vowel|Close]]
!<small>oral</small>
|{{IPA link|i}} {{angbr|ı}} 
|{{IPA link|iː}} {{angbr|ıı}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>nasal</small>
|{{IPA link|ĩ}} {{angbr|ı̨}} 
|{{IPA link|ĩː}} {{angbr|ı̨ı̨}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
!<small>oral</small>
|{{IPA link|e}} {{angbr|e}} 
|{{IPA link|eː}} {{angbr|ee}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|o}} {{angbr|o}} 
|{{IPA link|oː}} {{angbr|oo}}
|-
!<small>nasal</small>
|{{IPA link|ẽ}} {{angbr|ę}} 
|{{IPA link|ẽː}} {{angbr|ęę}}
|
|
|{{IPA link|õ}} {{angbr|ǫ}} 
|{{IPA link|õː}} {{angbr|ǫǫ}}
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Open vowel|Open]]
!<small>oral</small>
|
|
|{{IPA link|a}} {{angbr|a}} 
|{{IPA link|aː}} {{angbr|aa}}
|
|
|-
!<small>nasal</small>
|
|
|{{IPA link|ã}} {{angbr|ą}}
|{{IPA link|ãː}} {{angbr|ąą}}
|
|
|}

:* Nasal vowels are marked by an [[ogonek]] (called ''wı̨ghǫą'', 'its little nose', in Tłı̨chǫ Yatıı̀) e.g. '''ą'''.
:* Low tone is marked with a [[grave accent]] (called ''wets'aà'', 'its hat', in Tłı̨chǫ Yatıı̀), e.g. '''à'''.
:* High tone is never marked.
:* The letter 'i' is written without a dot ([[tittle]]).

==Grammar==
[[Linguistic typology|Typologically]], Tłıchǫ Yatıì is an [[Agglutinative language|agglutinating]], [[Polysynthetic language|polysynthetic]] [[head-marking language]], but many of its [[affix]]es combine into contractions more like [[fusional language]]s. The canonical word order of Tłıchǫ Yatıì is [[subject–object–verb|SOV]].<ref name=":0" /> Tłıchǫ Yatıì words are modified primarily by [[Prefix (linguistics)|prefixes]], which is unusual for an SOV language (suffixes are expected).

Like Spanish and Portuguese, Tłıchǫ Yatıì has two verbs similar to English 'be'. One is used for ways of being that are more dynamic or temporary; the other for more permanent and immutable properties. For example, ''nàzèe-dǫǫ̀ ts’ı̨ı̨lı̨'' and ''nàzèe-dǫǫ̀ ats’ı̨ı̨t’e'' both mean 'we are hunters', but the first means that the speakers are ''currently'' hunters (for example, part of a hunting party), while the second implies that hunting is their regular profession.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Welch|first1=Nicholas|title=Copulas are not just inflection: Evidence from Tłı̨chǫ Yatıı̀|journal=Canadian Journal of Linguistics|date=March 29, 2016|volume=61|issue=1|pages=98–106|doi=10.1017/cnj.2016.8|s2cid=231889340}}</ref>

In addition to verbs and nouns, there are [[pronoun]]s, [[clitic]]s of various functions, [[demonstrative]]s, [[Numeral (linguistics)|numerals]], [[postposition]]s, [[adverb]]s, and [[grammatical conjunction|conjunctions]] in Tłıchǫ.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ackroyd|first1=Lynda|title=Dogrib grammar|date=1982|publisher=unpublished|pages=32–58}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Saxon|first1=Leslie|last2=Siemens|first2=Mary|title=A Dogrib dictionary|date=1997|publisher=Dogrib Divisional Board of Education|location=Rae-Edzo, Northwest Territories, Canada|isbn=978-1-896790-00-8|page=vi-xiv}}</ref> The class of [[adjective]]s is very small, probably around two dozen words:  most descriptive words are verbs rather than adjectives.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal|last1=Welch|first1=Nicholas|title=Propping up predicates: Adjectival predication in Tłı̨chǫ Yatıı̀|journal=Glossa|date=April 2016|volume=1|issue=1|pages=1–23|doi=10.5334/gjgl.7|doi-access=free|s2cid=124538391 }}</ref>

== Examples ==
Example words and phrases:<ref name="Saxon & Siemens 1996">{{cite book| last1=Saxon|first1=L.|last2=Siemens |first2=M. |title=Tłıchǫ Yatıì Enįhtł'è – Dogrib Dictionary|location=Rae-Edzo|publisher=Dogrib Divisional Board of Education |year=1996}}</ref><ref name="Saxon & Siemens 2011">{{citation |url= http://tlicho.ling.uvic.ca/ |title=Tlinchon Yatıì Multimedia Dictionary |first1=L.|last1=Saxon|first2=M.|last2=Siemens|location=Victoria|publisher=U. of Victoria Linguistics Dept.|date=2011 |access-date=2014-05-12|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140505221436/http://tlicho.ling.uvic.ca/|archive-date=2014-05-05|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{lang|dgr|Tłı̨chǫ got'ı̨ı̨̀}} – Tłıchǫ people
* {{lang|dgr|tłı̨}} – dog
* {{lang|dgr|tłı̨cho}} – dog rib
* {{lang|dgr|łıwe / łıe}} – fish
* {{lang|dgr|detʼǫ}} – duck
* {{lang|dgr|eyè}} – egg
* {{lang|dgr|ejietʼò}} – milk
* {{lang|dgr|dìga}} – wolf
* {{lang|dgr|tʼooh}} – poplar
* {{lang|dgr|deh}} – river
* {{lang|dgr|elà}} – canoe
* {{lang|dgr|dı}} – island
* {{lang|dgr|kwe}} – rock
* {{lang|dgr|sìh}} or {{lang|dgr|shìh}} – mount
* {{lang|dgr|tı}} – lake
* {{lang|dgr|zhah}} – snow
* {{lang|dgr|chǫ}} or {{lang|dgr|tsǫ}} – rain
* {{lang|dgr|ło}} – smoke
* {{lang|dgr|kǫ̀}} – house
* {{lang|dgr|degoo}} – white
* {{lang|dgr|dezǫ}} – black
* {{lang|dgr|dekʼo}} – red
* {{lang|dgr|dǫ nàke laànì nàtso}} – strong like two people
{{div end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada|Language}}
* [[Languages of Canada]]
* [[Indigenous languages of the Americas]]

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tlicho.htm Alphabet and pronunciation] at ''Omniglot''
* [http://tlicho.ling.uvic.ca/ Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì Multimedia Dictionary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140505221436/http://tlicho.ling.uvic.ca/ |date=2014-05-05 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120528193303/http://www.tlicho.ca/gonaowo/resources Dictionaries and Tłıchǫ language sources] in PDF format
* [http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?root=new100&morpho=0&basename=new100\nde\pca&limit=-1 Dogrib basic lexicon] at the Global Lexicostatistical Database
* {{e18|code=dgr}}

{{Athabaskan languages}}
{{Languages of Canada}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:First Nations in the Northwest Territories]]
[[Category:First Nations languages in Canada]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Subarctic]]
[[Category:Northern Athabaskan languages]]
[[Category:Tłı̨chǫ]]