Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Chipewyan, Montagnais, Dene Suline, Dëne Súline, Sluacus-tinneh, Dene Soun'line,
CLASSIFICATION		Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit, Athabaskan
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		chp
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “North America” (7-41) . Victor Golla and Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco (2008) , Chris Moseley and Ron Asher · Routledge

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2235?
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Making an accurate estimate of the number of first-language Chipewyan speakers is difficult because many are also speakers of Cree. The Government of Canada estimates a total of 1,865 speakers, the majority in Alberta and Saskatchewan. A recent survey at Cold Lake found only 200 fluent speakers out 1,800-2,000 Band members, but the proportion is much higher in some remote communities such as Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan, where most children are reported to be more fluent in Chipewyan than in English. In the Northwest Territories, where Chipewyan has official language status, there are 370 speakers (185 of whom use the language at home) in the communities of Lutselk’e, Ft. Smith, and Ft. Resolution.

PLACES: Canada

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories
Of the Dene complex spoken in a number of communities scattered across a large area in the forest and tundra of northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the eastern Northwest Territories. Among the principal settlements are Cold Lake and Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, and Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e, NWT.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
9030
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
6000
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Data for the ethnic population comes from Krauss (1995).

PLACES: Canada;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, southeastern Northwest Territories (Snowdrift and Fort Resolution), Fort Smith, Fort Chipewyan, Wolliston Post, Buffalo Narrows, Brochet, and some communities in Reindeer Lake.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
8195
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: Canada

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
4000
Native speakers worldwide

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
1865
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Making an accurate estimate of the number of first-language Chipewyan speakers is difficult because many are also speakers of Cree.

DOMAINS OF USE
TRANSMISSION

PLACES: Canada

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the eastern Northwest Territories

Threatened

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
11,900 (2011 census).
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
11,900 (2011 census).

DATE OF INFO: 2011

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

In La Loche some children still learn Dëne. Proportion of speakers much higher in some remote areas where some children are more fluent in Dëne than English.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English

PLACES: Canada

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, southeastern Northwest Territories (Snowdrift and Fort Resolution), Fort Smith, Fort Chipewyan, Wolliston Post, Buffalo Narrows, Brochet, and some communities in Reindeer Lake.

0199255911			2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer		Oxford University Press	New York			2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.
		16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis		SIL International	Dallas, TX	http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	6000	9030		1000-9999	Data for the ethnic population comes from Krauss (1995).		Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						Canada;	Northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, southeastern Northwest Territories (Snowdrift and Fort Resolution), Fort Smith, Fort Chipewyan, Wolliston Post, Buffalo Narrows, Brochet, and some communities in Reindeer Lake.
			2016	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 19th Edition (2016)			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	online	SIL International	Dallas, Texas	http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2016. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth edition (2016). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.			11,900 (2011 census).	2011	10000-99999	11,900 (2011 census).	English	Threatened (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	11	In La Loche some children still learn Dëne. Proportion of speakers much higher in some remote areas where some children are more fluent in Dëne than English.		12	Northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, southeastern Northwest Territories (Snowdrift and Fort Resolution), Fort Smith, Fort Chipewyan, Wolliston Post, Buffalo Narrows, Brochet, and some communities in Reindeer Lake.	Canada
		3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger					UNESCO Publishing	Paris	http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		8195		1000-9999			Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						Canada		56.4807,-109.4127
			2008	North America	Atlas of the World's Languages	7-41	Chris Moseley and Ron Asher		Routledge	London		Victor Golla and Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco	Victor Golla, Ives Goddard, Lyle Campbell, Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco. 2008. "North America." In Atlas of the World's Languages, edited by Chris Moseley and Ron Asher. 7-41. Routledge.			2235?		1000-9999	Making an accurate estimate of the number of first-language Chipewyan speakers is difficult because many are also speakers of Cree. The Government of Canada estimates a total of 1,865 speakers, the majority in Alberta and Saskatchewan. A recent survey at Cold Lake found only 200 fluent speakers out 1,800-2,000 Band members, but the proportion is much higher in some remote communities such as Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan, where most children are reported to be more fluent in Chipewyan than in English. In the Northwest Territories, where Chipewyan has official language status, there are 370 speakers (185 of whom use the language at home) in the communities of Lutselk’e, Ft. Smith, and Ft. Resolution.		Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						Canada	Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwest Territories Of the Dene complex spoken in a number of communities scattered across a large area in the forest and tundra of northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the eastern Northwest Territories. Among the principal settlements are Cold Lake and Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, and Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e, NWT.
				World Oral Literature Project							http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			4000		1000-9999			Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
070071197X	3	1	2007	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages					Routledge	Abingdon		Christopher Moseley	Moseley, Christopher. 2007. Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, 1 edn. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 070071197X	ll_pub		1865		1000-9999	Making an accurate estimate of the number of first-language Chipewyan speakers is difficult because many are also speakers of Cree.		Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13		14			Canada	Northern Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the eastern Northwest Territories

Dënesųłiné

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2235?

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

9030

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

8195

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

4000

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1865

Threatened

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

11,900 (2011 census).

Discussion

Dënesųłiné

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2235?

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

9030

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

8195

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

4000

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

1865

Threatened

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

11,900 (2011 census).

Discussion

Suggest information or improvement

Download language data

Sources of information

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