Athabaskan
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Ath·a·bas·kan
or Ath·a·bas·can (ăth′ə-băs′kən) also Ath·a·pas·can (-păs′-)n.
1. A group of related North American Indian languages including the Apachean languages and languages of Alaska, northwest Canada, and coastal Oregon and California.
2. A member of an Athabaskan-speaking people.
[After Lake Athabasca from Cree athapaskaaw, there is scattered grass.]
Ath′a·bas′kan adj.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Ath•a•bas•kan
or Ath•a•bas•can
(ˌæθ əˈbæs kən)also Athapaskan
n.
1. a family of American Indian languages spoken or formerly spoken in inland Alaska and NW Canada, and by peoples of W Oregon and NW California, as the Hupa, and the U.S. Southwest, as the Apache and Navajo.
2. a member of an Athabaskan-speaking people.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Noun | 1. | Athabaskan - a member of any of the North American Indian groups speaking an Athapaskan language and living in the subarctic regions of western Canada and central Alaska American Indian, Indian, Red Indian - a member of the race of people living in America when Europeans arrived Apache - any member of Athapaskan tribes that migrated to the southwestern desert (from Arizona to Texas and south into Mexico); fought a losing battle from 1861 to 1886 with the United States and were resettled in Oklahoma Chipewyan - a member of the Athapaskan people living in western Canada between Great Slave Lake and Hudson Bay Hupa - a member of the Athapaskan people of the Trinity River valley in California Mattole - a member of the Athapaskan people living in northwestern California |
2. | Athabaskan - a group of Amerindian languages (the name coined by an American anthropologist, Edward Sapir) American-Indian language, Amerind, Amerindian language, American Indian, Indian - any of the languages spoken by Amerindians Apache - the language of the Apache Hupa - the Athapaskan language spoken by the Hupa Mattole - the Athapaskan language spoken by the Mattole U.S.A., United States, United States of America, US, USA, America, the States, U.S. - North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776 |
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