Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics.pdf

A-Z 781NNa-DenéLanguage group in North America with over twenty languages in the northwest and southof the continent; the largest language is Navajo (approx. 140,000 speakers). The Na-Dené languages are divided into Haida (approx. 300 speakers), Tlingit (approx. 2000speakers), and the large Athabaskan language family (including the Navajo and Apachelanguages).Characteristics: tonal languages (usually two tones), often with complex consonantsystems; many nouns derived from verbs, distinction between active and stative verbs;rich aspect and voice systems, tendency towards polysynthesis and descriptivity.ReferencesCook, E. and K.Rice (eds) 1988. Athapaskan Linguistics. Berlin.Enrico, J. 1989. The Haida language. In G.G.E. Scudder and N.Gessler (eds), The outer shores.Victoria. 223–47.Golla, V.K. 1964. An etymological study of Hupa noun stems. IJAL 30. 108–17.Hymes, D.H. 1956. Na-Dené and positional analysis of categories. AA 58. 623–8.Krauss, M.E. 1979. Na-Dené and Eskimo-Aleut. In L.Campbell and M.Mithun (eds), Thelanguages of native America: Historical and comparative assessment. Austin, TX. 803–901.Liedtke, S. 1994. Na-Dene and other language groups. LDDS 8.Narsh, C.M. and G.L.Story. 1973. Tlingit verb dictionary. Fairbanks.Pinnow, H.-J. 1976. Geschichte der Na-Dené- Forschung. Berlin.——1990. Die Na-Dené-Sprachen im Lichte der Greenberg-Klassifikation. Nortorf.Rice, K. 1988. A Grammar of Slave. Berlin.North and Central American languages