Editing Apache (section)

==Languages==
{{details|Southern Athabascan languages}}
The five Apache languages are [[Apachean languages]], which in turn belong to the [[Athabaskan languages|Athabaskan]] branch of the [[Na-Dene languages|Eyak-Athabaskan language family]].<ref name=ethnologue/> All Apache languages are [[endangered language|endangered]]. Lipan is reported [[extinct language|extinct]].

The Southern Athabascan branch was defined by [[Harry Hoijer]] primarily according to its [[Sound change|merger]] of [[Word stem|stem]]-initial [[consonant]]s of the [[Proto-language|Proto]]-Athabascan series ''{{IPA|*k̯}}'' and ''{{IPA|*c}}'' into ''{{IPA|*c}}'' (in addition to the widespread merger of ''{{IPA|*č}}'' and ''{{IPA|*čʷ}}'' into ''{{IPA|*č}}'' also found in many [[Northern Athabascan]] languages).

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|- style="line-height:1.2em"
! Proto-<br />Athabascan
!
! Navajo
! Western<br />Apache
! Chiricahua
! Mescalero
! Jicarilla
! Lipan
! Plains<br />Apache
|-
| {{IPA|*k̯uʔs}}
| "handle fabric-like object"
| ''-tsooz''
| ''-tsooz''
| ''-tsuuz''
| ''-tsuudz''
| ''-tsoos''
| ''-tsoos''
| ''-tsoos''
|-
| {{IPA|*ce·}}
| "stone"
| ''tsé''
| ''tséé''
| ''tsé''
| ''tsé''
| ''tsé''
| ''tsí''
| ''tséé''
|}

Hoijer (1938) divided the Apache sub-family into an eastern branch consisting of Jicarilla, Lipan, and Plains Apache and a Western branch consisting of Navajo, Western Apache (San Carlos), Chiricahua, and Mescalero based on the merger of Proto-Apachean ''{{IPA|*t}}'' and ''{{IPA|*k}}'' to ''k'' in the Eastern branch. Thus, as can be seen in the example below, when the Western languages have noun or verb stems that start with ''t'', the related forms in the Eastern languages will start with a ''k'':

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
!
! colspan="4" | ''Western''
! colspan="3" | ''Eastern''
|- style="line-height:1.2em"
!
! Navajo
! Western<br />Apache
! Chiricahua
! Mescalero
! Jicarilla
! Lipan
! Plains<br />Apache
|-
| "water"
| ''tó''
| ''tū''
| ''tú''
| ''tú''
| ''kó''
| ''kó''
| ''kóó''
|-
| "fire"
| ''kǫʼ''
| ''kǫʼ''
| ''kųų''
| ''kų''
| ''ko̱ʼ''
| ''kǫǫʼ''
| ''kǫʼ''
|}

He later revised his proposal in 1971 when he found that Plains Apache did not participate in the ''{{IPA|*k̯/*c}}'' merger to consider Plains Apache as a language equidistant from the other languages, now called Southwestern Apachean. Thus, some stems that originally started with ''*k̯'' in Proto-Athabascan start with ''ch'' in Plains Apache while the other languages start with ''ts''.

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|- style="line-height:1.2em"
! Proto-<br />Athabascan
!
! Navajo
! Chiricahua
! Mescalero
! Jicarilla
! Plains<br />Apache
|-
| {{IPA|*k̯aʔx̣ʷ}}
| "big"
| ''-tsaa''
| ''-tsaa''
| ''-tsaa''
| ''-tsaa''
| ''-cha''
|}

Morris Opler (1975) has noted cultural similarities of Jicarilla and Lipan with Eastern Apache language speakers and differences from Western Apache speakers, supporting Hojier's initial classification. Other linguists, particularly [[Michael E. Krauss|Michael Krauss]] (1973), have noted that a classification based only on the initial consonants of noun and verb stems is arbitrary and when other [[sound correspondence]]s are considered the relationships between the languages appear more complex.

Apache languages are [[tonal language|tonal]]. Regarding tonal development, all Apache languages are ''low-marked'', which means that stems with a "constricted" [[syllable rime]] in the proto-language developed low tone while all other rimes developed high tone. Other Northern Athabascan languages are ''high-marked'': their tonal development is the reverse. In the example below, if low-marked Navajo and Chiricahua have a low tone, then the high-marked Northern Athabascan languages, [[Slavey language|Slavey]] and [[Chilcotin language|Chilcotin]], have a high tone, and if Navajo and Chiricahua have a high tone, then Slavey and Chilcotin have a low tone.

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
!
!
! colspan="2" | ''Low-Marked''
! colspan="2" | ''High-Marked''
|- style="line-height:1.2em"
! Proto-<br />Athabascan
!
! Navajo
! Chiricahua
! Slavey
! Chilcotin
|-
| {{IPA|*taʔ}}
| "father"
| ''-taaʼ''
| ''-taa''
| ''-táʼ''
| ''-tá''
|-
| {{IPA|*tu·}}
| "water"
| ''tó''
| ''tú''
| ''tù''
| ''tù''
|}