The
Western Apache language is a
Southern Athabaskan languageSouthern Athabaskan is a subfamily of Athabaskan languages spoken primarily in the North American Southwest with two outliers in Oklahoma and Texas. These languages are spoken by various groups of Apache and Navajo peoples.Western Apaches call their language Nnee biyáti’ or Ndee biyáti’...
spoken by over 12,000 of the
Western ApacheWestern Apache refers to the similar Apache peoples living primarily in east central Arizona. Most live within reservations. The White Mountain Reservation, Fort Apache Indian Reservation, San Carlos, Yavapai-Apache, Tonto-Apache, and Fort McDowell Mohave-Apache reservations are home to the...
peoples living primarily in east central
ArizonaThe State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...
. Goodwin (1938) claims that Western Apache can be divided into five dialect groupings:
- Cibecue,
- Northern Tonto,
- Southern Tonto,
- San Carlos
- White Mountain
Other researchers do not find any linguistic evidence for five groups, but rather three main varieties with several subgroupings:
- San Carlos
- White Mountain
- Tonto
The Tonto Apache is a one of the groups of Western Apaches and also refers to one of the three dialects of the Western Apache language ....
Western Apache is most closely related to other Southern Athabaskan languages like
NavajoNavajo or Navaho is an Athabaskan language spoken in the southwest United States by the Navajo people...
,
Chiricahua ApacheChiricahua is a Southern Athabaskan language spoken by the Chiricahua tribe in Oklahoma and New Mexico. It is very closely related to the Mescalero and more distantly related to Navajo and Western Apache...
,
Mescalero ApacheMescalero is a Native American tribe of Southern Athabaskan heritage currently living on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in southcentral New Mexico. The Mescaleros opened their doors to other Apache bands, the Chiricahua who were imprisoned at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the Lipan Apaches...
,
Lipan ApacheLipan Apache are Southern Athabascan people who are aboriginal to present-day Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and the northern Mexican states of Chihuahua, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas prior to the 17th century. Present-day Lipans mostly live throughout the U.S...
,
Plains ApacheThe Plains Apache are a Southern Athabaskan group that lived primarily on the plains of North America...
, and
Jicarilla ApacheJicarilla Apache refers to an Apache people currently living in New Mexico and speak a Southern Athabaskan language. The term jicarilla comes from Mexican Spanish meaning 'little basket'.-Geography:...
.
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