Slavey, North

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A language of Canada

ISO 639-3
scs
Alternate Names
Dene, Dené, Mackenzian, “Slave” , “Slavi”
Population

230 (2011 census). Bearlake dialect: L1 population: 580, ethnic population: 1,070. Hare dialect: L1 population: 145, ethnic population: 710. Mountain dialect: L1 population: 100, ethnic population: 170 (Golla 2007). Ethnic population: 1,940 (Golla 2007).

Location

Northwest Territories, Mackenzie District, middle Mackenzie River from Fort Norman north, around Great Bear Lake; Mackenzie Mountains in Deline, Fort Good Hope, Tulita, Colville Lake, Norman Wells; Yellowknife.

Language Maps
Language Status

7 (Shifting). Statutory language of provincial identity in NWT (1988, NWT Official Languages Act, Chapter 56(Supplemented), Section 4).

Classification
Eyak-Athabaskan, Athabaskan, Northern Athabaskan, Slavey-Hare
Dialects

Bearlake, Hare, Mountain Slavey. North and South Slavey [xsl] form a chain of related varieties.

Language Use

Deline still has strong language use including young people. Decreasing use in other communities. Over half actively use it in the home. Speakers 60 and older.

Language Development
Dictionary. Grammar.
Writing
Latin script. Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics script, no longer in use.