The Sekani language or Tse’khene is a
Northern Athabaskan language spoken by 135 of the
Sekani
Sekani or Tse’khene are a First Nations people of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group in the northern interior of British Columbia. Their territory includes the Finlay and Parsnip River drainages of the Rocky Mountain Trench. The n ...
people of north-central
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. Most of them are only semispeakers, and it is considered critically endangered.
Phonology
Consonants
Sekani has 33 consonants:
Vowels
Tone
Sekani has two tones: low and high. High tone is the more common tone. Syllables phonologically marked for tone are low. For example, means , while means .
Nasalization
Nasalization of vowels is phonemic. The root means , while the root means .
[ Nasal vowels also contrast with vowels followed by .
]
Orthography
The orthography of the Kwadcha Tsek'ene dictionary uses the following letters.
Vocabulary
These words are from the FirstVoices dictionary for Kwadacha Tsek'ene dialect.
Notes
Bibliography
*
** Original dissertation:
*
Articles
*
**
*
*
** References:
** Journal article:
External links
First Voices Kwadacha Tsek'ene Community Portal
* ttp://www.ydli.org/biblios/sekbib.htm Bibliography of Sekani Linguistics
Map of Northwest Coast First Nations
(including Sekani)
OLAC resources in and about the Sekani language
{{Languages of Canada
Northern Athabaskan languages
Indigenous languages of the North American Subarctic
First Nations languages in Canada
Languages of the United States
Northern Interior of British Columbia
Endangered Athabaskan languages
Sekani