Dogrib

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A language of Canada

ISO 639-3
dgr
Population

2,080 (2011 census). 12% monolinguals. Ethnic population: 3,220.

Location

Northwest Territories, between Great Slave lake and Great Bear lake. 6 communities: Bechoko, Whati (formerly Lac la Martre), Gameti, Wekweti, Detah, and Ndilo (a subcommunity of Yellowknife). Rae is center. Detah and Ndilo host the Weledeh dialect.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing). Statutory language of provincial identity in NWT (1988, NWT Official Languages Act, Chapter 56(Supplemented), Section 4), restricted offical use.

Classification
Eyak-Athabaskan, Athabaskan, Northern Athabaskan
Dialects

Central Dogrib, Weledeh. Detah-Ndilo dialect developed from intermarriage between Yellowknife Subdivision of the Dëne [chp] and Dogrib. Lexical similarity: 84% with Southern Slavey [xsl], 82% with Northern Slavey [scs].

Typology

SOV

Language Use

Adults prefer to use Dogrib in most contexts. All ages. 16% speak a little English [eng]; 37% speak both Dogrib [dgr] and English, but speak Dogrib better; 14% speak both languages equally; 9% speak both, but speak English better; 7% speak English and a little Dogrib; 3% are monolingual in English (children).

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. Taught in primary schools. Dictionary. NT: 2005–2008.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Dogrib
Writing
Latin script.