Editing Chipewyan language

{{Short description|Athabaskan language spoken in northwestern Canada}}
{{distinguish|Chippewa language}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Chipewyan
| altname          = Dënesųłinë́
| nativename       = {{lang|chp-Cans|ᑌᓀ ᓱᒼᕄᓀ ᔭᕠᐁ}} {{lang|chp-Latn|Dënesųłinë́ yatié}}
| states           = [[Canada]]
| region           = Northern [[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]], [[Manitoba]]; southern [[Northwest Territories]] and [[Nunavut]]
| ethnicity        = 30,910 [[Chipewyan people]] (2016 census)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/dt-td/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=110522&PRID=10&PTYPE=109445&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2017&THEME=122&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=|title=Aboriginal Ancestry Responses (73), Single and Multiple Aboriginal Responses (4), Residence on or off reserve (3), Residence inside or outside Inuit Nunangat (7), Age (8A) and Sex (3) for the Population in Private Households of Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2016 Census – 25% Sample Data|last=Canada|first=Government of Canada, Statistics|website=www12.statcan.gc.ca| date=25 October 2017 |language=en|access-date=2017-11-22}}</ref>
| speakers         = 11,325, 41% of ethnic population
| date             = 2016 census
| ref              = <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Table.cfm?Lang=E&T=41&Geo=01|title=Language Highlight Tables, 2016 Census - Aboriginal mother tongue, Aboriginal language spoken most often at home and Other Aboriginal language(s) spoken regularly at home for the population excluding institutional residents of Canada, provinces and territories, 2016 Census – 100% Data|publisher=Government of Canada, Statistics|website=www12.statcan.gc.ca| date=2 August 2017 |language=en|access-date=2017-11-22}}</ref>
| familycolor      = Dené-Yeniseian
| fam2             = [[Na-Dené languages|Na-Dené]]
| fam3             = [[Athabaskan languages|Athabaskan]]
| fam4             = [[Northern Athabaskan languages|Northern Athabaskan]]
| nation           = Canada ([[Northwest Territories]])<ref name="nwtlanguagescommissioner.ca">{{cite web |publisher=Northwest Territories – Education, Culture and Employment |title=Official Languages of the Northwest Territories|url=http://www.nwtlanguagescommissioner.ca/pdf/Official_Languages_Map.pdf |access-date=2015-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206035354/http://www.nwtlanguagescommissioner.ca/pdf/Official_Languages_Map.pdf |archive-date=2013-12-06 |language=en}} (map)</ref>
| dia1             = Dënesųłinë́ yatié
| dia2             = Dënedédliné yatié
| dia3             = Tthetsánót’iné yatié
| dia4             = Tetsǫ́t’iné yatié
| script           = {{ubl|[[Americanist Phonetic Alphabet|NAPA]]|[[Canadian Aboriginal syllabics#Carrier and other Athabaskan|Dene Syllabics]]}}
| iso2             = chp
| iso3             = chp
| glotto           = chip1261
| glottorefname    = Chipewyan
| notice           = IPA
| map              = Chipewyan map.svg
| image            = Bilingual Sign at La Loche Airport (Saskatchewan) with text “I am proud to be Dënësųłınë́”.jpg
| imagecaption     = Dënesųłinë́ sign at [[La Loche Airport]]
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|[tènɛ̀sũ̀ɬìné jàtʰìɛ́]}}
}}
{{Infobox ethnonym|people=[[Chipewyan|Dënesųłinë́]]|language='''Dënesųłinë́ yatıé'''|country=Dënesųłinë́ nëné,<br />[[Denendeh|Denendeh<br />ᑌᓀᐣᑌᐧ]]}}

'''Chipewyan''' {{IPAc-en|ˌ|tʃ|ɪ|p|ə|ˈ|w|aɪ|ə|n}}<ref>Laurie Bauer, 2007, ''The Linguistics Student's Handbook'', Edinburgh</ref> or '''Dënesųłinë́''' (ethnonym: '''{{Transliteration|chp|Dënesųłinë́ yatié}}'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Languages of the Northwest Territories |url=https://www.pwnhc.ca/official-languages-of-the-northwest-territories/ |website=Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre |access-date=28 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Languages Overview |url=https://olc-nt.ca/languages/overview/ |website=Office of the Northwest Territories Official Languages Commissioner |access-date=28 April 2020}}</ref> {{IPA|chp|tènɛ̀sũ̀ɬìné jàtʰìɛ́|}}), often simply called '''Dëne''', is the language spoken by the [[Chipewyan]] people of northwestern [[Canada]]. It is categorized as part of the [[Northern Athabaskan languages|Northern Athabaskan language family]]. It has nearly 12,000 speakers in Canada, mostly in [[Saskatchewan]], [[Alberta]], [[Manitoba]] and the [[Northwest Territories]].<ref name="census">[http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89189&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=705&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF= Statistics Canada: 2006 Census] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016163022/http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89189&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=705&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=|date=October 16, 2013}} Sum of 'Chipewyan' and 'Dene'.</ref> It has [[official language|official status]] only in the Northwest Territories, alongside eight other [[Indigenous languages of the Americas|aboriginal languages]]: [[Cree language|Cree]], [[Dogrib language|Tlicho]], [[Gwichʼin language|Gwich'in]], [[Inuktitut language|Inuktitut]], [[Inuinnaqtun]], [[Inuvialuktun]], [[Slavey language|North Slavey]] and [[Slavey language|South Slavey]].<ref name="nwtlanguagescommissioner.ca"/><ref name="lang">[http://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/PDF/ACTS/Official_Languages.pdf Northwest Territories Official Languages Act, 1988] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324202430/http://www.justice.gov.nt.ca/PDF/ACTS/Official_Languages.pdf|date=March 24, 2009}} (as amended 1988, 1991–1992, 2003)</ref>

Most Chipewyan people now use Dëne and Dënesųłinë́ to refer to themselves as a people and to their language, respectively. The Saskatchewan communities of Fond-du-Lac,<ref>{{cite web| title =Prince Albert Grand Council (Fond-du-Lac)| url =http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=3| access-date =2013-05-26| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120212123739/http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=3| archive-date =2012-02-12}}</ref> Black Lake,<ref>{{cite web| title =Prince Albert Grand Council (Black Lake)| url =http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=1| access-date =2013-05-26| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140408161847/http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=1| archive-date =2014-04-08}}</ref> Wollaston Lake<ref>{{cite web| title =Prince Albert Grand Council (Wollaston Lake)| url =http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=4| access-date =2013-05-26| url-status =dead| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120212123748/http://www.pagc.sk.ca/pagc.asp?ID=4| archive-date =2012-02-12}}</ref> and La Loche are among these.

== Geographic distribution and speakers ==
{{Location_map+|Canada
|relief=yes
| width = 300
| float = right
| caption = Villages in Canada with a Dënësųłinë́-speaking population
| places =
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=59.32 | long=-107.19 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=59.25 | long=-105.83 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=top}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label=| lat=59.13 | long=-105.6 | label_size=75 | marksize=5|position=bottom}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=58.10 | long=-103.168 | label_size=75 | marksize=5|position=bottom}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=56.48 | long=-109.43 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=56.47 | long=-108.70 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=right}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=55.928 | long=-108.937 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=55.89 | long=-107.7 | label_size=75 | marksize=5|position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada| label= | lat=58.62 | long=-101.48 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=58.71 | long=-98.48 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=54.296 | long=-110.29 | label_size=75 | marksize=5 | position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=55.845 | long=-110.904 |label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=60.0 | long=-111.89 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=bottom}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=58.714 | long=-111.158 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=55.145 | long=-107.61 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=59.6 | long=-109.25 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=57.064 | long=-109.13 | label_size=75 | marksize=5 | position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=56.184 | long=-109.57 |label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=56.366 | long=-109.445 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=bottom}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=55.88 | long=-108.96 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=57.186 | long=-111.636 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=61.17 | long=-113.67 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada | label= | lat=62.405 | long=-110.738 | label_size=75 | marksize=5| position=left}}
 }}

{{Location_map+
|Canada Saskatchewan|relief=yes 
| width = 300
| float = right
| caption = Fifteen communities in Canada with [[Denesuline|Dënesųłinë́]] populations. Larger dots are villages with over 1,000 speakers.
| places =
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Patuanak, Saskatchewan|Patuanak]] | lat=55.89 | long=-107.70 | label_size=75 | marksize=6}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Fond-du-Lac, Saskatchewan|Fond-du-Lac]] | lat=59.32 | long=-107.19 | label_size=75 | marksize=6| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan|Stony Rapids]] | lat=59.25 | long=-105.83 | label_size=75 | marksize=6| position=top}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Black Lake, Saskatchewan|Black Lake]] | lat=59.13 | long=-105.6 | label_size=75 | marksize=9| position=right}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan|Wollaston Lake]] | lat=58.10 | long=-103.168 | label_size=75 | marksize=9}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[La Loche, Saskatchewan|La Loche]] | lat=56.48 | long=-109.43 | label_size=75 | marksize=9| position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Turnor Lake, Saskatchewan|Turnor Lake]] | lat=56.47 | long=-108.70 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=right}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Dillon, Saskatchewan|Dillon]] | lat=55.928 | long=-108.937 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Patuanak, Saskatchewan|Patuanak]] | lat=55.89 | long=-107.7 | label_size=75 | marksize=6}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Lac Brochet, Manitoba|Lac Brochet]] | lat=58.62 | long=-101.48 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Tadoule Lake, Manitoba|Tadoule Lake]] | lat=58.71 | long=-98.48 | label_size=75 | marksize=6}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Cold Lake 149|Cold Lake]] | lat=54.296 | long=-110.29 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Janvier South, Alberta|Janvier]] | lat=55.845 | long=-110.904 |label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith]] | lat=60.0 | long=-111.89 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=bottom}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Fort Chipewyan, Alberta|Fort Chipewyan]] | lat=58.714 | long=-111.158 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
  {{Location map~|Canada Saskatchewan| label=[[Beauval, Saskatchewan|La Plonge]] | lat=55.145 | long=-107.61 | label_size=75 | marksize=6 | position=left}}
 }}
[[File:Signs by the La Loche Airport.jpg|right|thumb|Welcome signs by the La Loche Airport]]
[[File:Bilingual Sign at La Loche Airport (Saskatchewan) with text “I am proud to be Dënësųłınë́”.jpg|right|thumb|Close-up of Dënesųłinë́ and English sign]]

In the 2011 Canada Census 11,860 people chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue. 70.6% were located in Saskatchewan and 15.2% were located in Alberta.<ref>{{cite web |date=2011 |title=Statistics Canada Table 1 (Aboriginal language families) Canada Census 2011 |url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-314-x/2011003/tbl/tbl3_3-1-eng.cfm |access-date=2013-04-14}}</ref>

*7,955 were in [[Saskatchewan]]<ref name="Canada Census 2011">{{cite web |date=2011 |title=Community Profiles (Canada Census 2011) |url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E |access-date=2013-04-14}}</ref> 
*1,680 were in [[Alberta]] (the [[Dene Tha' First Nation]] a Dëne/[[South Slavey language|South Slavey]] group (approximately 1000 people) are included in this total)
*1,005 were in [[Manitoba]]
*450 were in the [[Northwest Territories]]
*70 were in [[British Columbia]] 
*45 were in the [[Yukon]]  
*20 were in [[Ontario]]

Not all were from the historical [[Chipewyan people|Chipewyan]] regions south and east of [[Great Slave Lake]]. 
Approximately 11,000 of those who chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011 are Dëne/Chipewyan with 7,955 (72%) in Saskatchewan, 1,005 (9%) in Manitoba, 510 plus urban dwellers in Alberta and 260 plus urban dwellers in the Northwest Territories. The communities within the Dëne traditional areas are shown below:

===Saskatchewan===

The Dënesųłinë́-speaking communities of Saskatchewan are located in the northern half of the province. The area from the upper [[Churchill River (Hudson Bay)|Churchill River]] west of [[Pinehouse Lake]] all the way north to [[Lake Athabasca]] and from Lake Athabasca east to the north end of [[Reindeer Lake]] is home to 7410 people who chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />

[[Prince Albert, Saskatchewan|Prince Albert]] had 265 residents who chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011, [[Saskatoon]] had 165, the [[La Ronge]] Population Centre had 55 and [[Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan|Meadow Lake]] had 30.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />

'''3,050''' were in the [[Lake Athabasca]]-[[Fond du Lac River (Saskatchewan)|Fond du Lac River]] area including [[Black Lake (Saskatchewan)|Black Lake]] and [[Wollaston Lake]] in the communities of:

*[[Fond-du-Lac, Saskatchewan|Fond-du-Lac]] 705 out of 874 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />
*[[Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan|Stony Rapids]] 140 out of 243 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Black Lake, Saskatchewan|Black Lake (Chicken 224)]] 1040 out of 1070 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Uranium City]] (hamlet)
*[[Camsell Portage, Saskatchewan|Camsell Portage]] (hamlet)
*[[Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan|Wollaston Lake]] 
*[[Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan|Wollaston Post]] (Lac La Hache 220) 1165 out of 1251 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.

'''3,920''' were in the upper [[Churchill River (Hudson Bay)|Churchill River]] area including [[Peter Pond Lake]], [[Churchill Lake]], [[Lac La Loche]], Descharme Lake, Garson Lake and [[Turnor Lake (Saskatchewan)|Turnor Lake]] in the communities of:

*[[La Loche, Saskatchewan|La Loche]] 2,300 out 2,611 chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />
*[[Clearwater River Dene Nation|Clearwater River]] 720 out of 778 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Black Point, Saskatchewan|Black Point]] (hamlet)
*[[Bear Creek, Saskatchewan|Bear Creek]] (hamlet)
*[[Garson Lake, Saskatchewan|Garson Lake]] (hamlet)
*[[Descharme Lake, Saskatchewan|Descharme Lake]] (hamlet)
*[[Turnor Lake, Saskatchewan|Turnor Lake]] 
*[[Turnor Lake, Saskatchewan|Turnor Lake]] ([[Birch Narrows First Nation]]) 70 out of 419 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Dillon, Saskatchewan|Dillon]] ([[Buffalo River Dene Nation]]) 330 out of 764 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />
*[[St. George's Hill, Saskatchewan]] 85 out of 100 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Michel Village, Saskatchewan|Michel Village]] 55 out of 66 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Buffalo Narrows, Saskatchewan|Buffalo Narrows]] 35 out of 1153 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Patuanak, Saskatchewan|Patuanak]] 35 out of 64 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Patuanak, Saskatchewan|Patuanak (Wapachewunak 1920)]] 265 out of 482 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Beauval, Saskatchewan|Beauval (La Plonge 192)]] 25 out of 115 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.

===Manitoba===
Two isolated communities are in northern Manitoba. The two Manitoban communities use [[Carrier syllabics|Dënesųłinë́ syllabics]] to write their language.
 
*[[Lac Brochet, Manitoba|Lac Brochet (197 A)]] '''720''' out of 816 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />
*[[Tadoule Lake, Manitoba|Tadoule Lake (Churchill 1)]] '''170''' out of 321 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.

===Alberta===
The '''Wood Buffalo-Cold Lake Economic Region''' in the north eastern portion of Alberta from Fort Chipewyan to the [[Cold Lake, Alberta|Cold Lake]] area has the following communities. '''510''' residents of this region chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />

*[[Fort Chipewyan]] 45 out of 847 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />
*[[Fort McKay]] 30 out of 562 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Janvier, Alberta|Janvier]] (Janvier 194) 145 out of 295 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Janvier South]] 35 out of 104 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*[[Cold Lake 149]] 105 out of 594 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.
*Cold Lake 149 B, Alberta 25 out of 149 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.

===Northwest Territories===
Three communities are located south of [[Great Slave Lake]] in Region 5. '''260''' residents of [[Region 5, Northwest Territories|Region 5]] chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />

*[[Fort Smith, Northwest Territories|Fort Smith]] 30 out of 2093 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />
*[[Fort Resolution]] 95 out of 474 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />
*[[Lutselk'e]] 120 out of 295 residents chose Dënesųłinë́ as their mother tongue in 2011.<ref name="Canada Census 2011" />

==Phonology==
===Consonants===
The 39 consonants of Dënesųłinë́:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" colspan="2" |
! rowspan="2" | [[Bilabial consonant|Bilabial]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Interdental consonant|Inter-<br />dental]]
! colspan="3" | [[Dental consonant|Dental]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Postalveolar consonant|Post-<br />alveolar]]
! colspan="2" | [[Dorsal consonant|Dorsal]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! <small>plain</small> || <small>sibilant</small> || <small>lateral</small>
! <small>plain</small> || <small>[[Labialization|labial]]</small>
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}} {{angbr|m}}
|
| {{IPA link|n}} {{angbr|n}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="3" | [[Plosive]]/<br>[[Affricate]]
! <small>plain</small>
| {{IPA link|p}} {{angbr|b}}
| {{IPA link|tθ}} {{angbr|ddh}}
| {{IPA link|t}} {{angbr|d}}
| {{IPA link|ts}} {{angbr|dz}}
| {{IPA link|tɬ}} {{angbr|dl}}
| {{IPA link|tʃ}} {{angbr|j}} 
| {{IPA link|k}} {{angbr|g}}
| {{IPA link|kʷ}} {{angbr|gw}}
| {{IPA link|ʔ}} {{angbr|’}}
|-
! <small>[[aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]]</small>
|
| {{IPA link|tθʰ}} {{angbr|tth}}
| {{IPA link|tʰ}} {{angbr|t}}
| {{IPA link|tsʰ}} {{angbr|ts}}
| {{IPA link|tɬʰ}} {{angbr|tł}}
| {{IPA link|tʃʰ}} {{angbr|ch}}
| {{IPA link|kʰ}} {{angbr|k}}
| {{IPA link|kʷʰ}} {{angbr|kw}}
|
|-
! <small>[[ejective consonant|ejective]]</small>
|
| {{IPA link|tθʼ}} {{angbr|tthʼ}}
| {{IPA link|tʼ}} {{angbr|tʼ}}
| {{IPA link|tsʼ}} {{angbr|tsʼ}}
| {{IPA link|tɬʼ}} {{angbr|tłʼ}}
| {{IPA link|tʃʼ}} {{angbr|chʼ}}
| {{IPA link|kʼ}} {{angbr|kʼ}}
| {{IPA link|kʷʼ}} {{angbr|kwʼ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
! <small>voiceless</small>
|
| {{IPA link|θ}} {{angbr|th}}
|
| {{IPA link|s}} {{angbr|s}}
| {{IPA link|ɬ}} {{angbr|ł}}
| {{IPA link|ʃ}} {{angbr|sh}}
| {{IPA link|χ}} {{angbr|hh}}
| {{IPA link|χʷ}} {{angbr|hhw}}
| {{IPA link|h}} {{angbr|h}}
|-
! <small>voiced</small>
|
| {{IPA link|ð}} {{angbr|dh}}
|
| {{IPA link|z}} {{angbr|z}}
| {{IPA link|ɮ}} {{angbr|l}}
| {{IPA link|ʒ}} {{angbr|zh}}
| {{IPA link|ʁ}} {{angbr|gh}}
| {{IPA link|ʁʷ}} {{angbr|ghw}}
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Tap and flap consonants|Tap]]
|
|
| {{IPA link|ɾ}} {{angbr|r}}
|
|
| 
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Approximant]]
| 
|
|
|
| {{IPA link|l}} {{angbr|l}}
| {{IPA link|j}} {{angbr|y}}
|
| {{IPA link|w}} {{angbr|w}}
|
|}
The inter-dental series of {{angbr|ddh}}, {{Angbr|tth}}, {{Angbr|tthʼ}}, {{Angbr|th}}, and {{Angbr|dh}} corresponds to s-like sibilants in other Na-Dené languages.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Goddard |first=Pliny |date=1912 |title=Analysis of Cold Lake Dialect, Chipewyan |journal=Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=67–170}}</ref>

===Vowels===
[[File:Denesuline vowels.png|thumb| Dënesųłinë́ [[vowel diagram]]]]
Dënesųłinë́ has vowels of six differing qualities.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Central vowel|Central]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA link|i}} {{grapheme|i}}
|
| {{IPA link|u}} {{grapheme|u}}
|-
![[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
| {{IPA link|e}} {{grapheme|ë}}
|
| {{IPA link|o}} {{grapheme|o}}
|-
![[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
| {{IPA link|ɛ}} {{grapheme|e}}
|
|
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|
| {{IPA link|a}} {{grapheme|a}}
|
|}

Most vowels can be either

* [[Oral vowel|''oral'']] or [[Nasal vowel|''nasal'']]. Nasals are marked with an [[ogonek]] in the orthography: ⟨ą ę ę̈ į ǫ ų⟩.
* ''short'' or ''long''

As a result, Dënesųłinë́ has 24 [[Phoneme|phonemic]] vowels:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan="2" colspan="2" |
! colspan="2" | [[Front vowel|Front]]
! colspan="2" | [[Central vowel|Central]]
! colspan="2" | [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! <small>short</small> !! <small>long</small>
! <small>short</small> !! <small>long</small>
! <small>short</small> !! <small>long</small>
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Close vowel|Close]]
!<small>oral</small>
| {{IPA link|i}}
| {{IPA link|iː}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|u}}
| {{IPA link|uː}}
|-
!<small>nasal</small>
| {{IPA link|ĩ}}
| {{IPA link|ĩː}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|ũ}}
| {{IPA link|ũː}}
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
!<small>oral</small>
| {{IPA link|e}}
| {{IPA link|eː}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|o}}
| {{IPA link|oː}}
|-
!<small>nasal</small>
| {{IPA link|ẽ}}
| {{IPA link|ẽː}}
|
|
| {{IPA link|õ}}
| {{IPA link|õː}}
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
!<small>oral</small>
| {{IPA link|ɛ}}
| {{IPA link|ɛː}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!<small>nasal</small>
| {{IPA link|ɛ̃}}
| {{IPA link|ɛ̃ː}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!rowspan=2|[[Open vowel|Open]]
!<small>oral</small>
|
|
| {{IPA link|a}}
| {{IPA link|aː}}
|
|
|-
!<small>nasal</small>
|
|
| {{IPA link|ã}}
| {{IPA link|ãː}}
|
|
|}

Dënesųłinë́ also has 9 oral and nasal [[diphthong]]s of the form ''vowel'' + {{IPA|/j/}}.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! rowspan=2|
! colspan=2|[[Front vowel|Front]]
! colspan=2|[[Central vowel|Central]]
! colspan=2|[[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
!<small>oral</small>!!<small>nasal</small>
!<small>oral</small>!!<small>nasal</small>
!<small>oral</small>!!<small>nasal</small>
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|
|
|
|
| {{IPA|uj}}
| {{IPA|ũj}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|  {{IPA|ej}}
|  {{IPA|ẽj}}
|  {{IPA|əj}}
|
|  {{IPA|oj}}
|  {{IPA|õj}}
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|
|
|  {{IPA|aj}}
|  {{IPA|ãj}}
|
|
|}

===Tone===
Dënesųłinë́ has two tones:
* high (marked with acute accents in the orthography: ⟨á é ë́ ı́ ó ú⟩)
* low

==See also==
{{Portal|Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Canada}}
*[[Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics#Carrier and other Athabaskan|Chipewyan syllabics]]
*[[Chipewyan people]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |isbn=0-921064-17-9 |title=A Grammar of Dëne Su̜łiné (Chipewyan) |last1=Cook |first1=Eung-Do |date=2004 |publisher=Algonquian and Iroquoian Linguistics |location=Winnipeg |oclc=54906360}}
* {{cite journal |last=Cook |first=Eung-Do |year=2006 |title=The Patterns of Consonantal Acquisition and Change in Chipewyan (Dëne Sųłiné) |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=72 |issue=2 |page=236|doi=10.1086/507166 |s2cid=143567603 }}
* {{cite journal |last=De Reuse |first=Willem |year=2006 |title=''A Grammar of Dëne Sųłiné (Chipewyan)'' By Eung-Do Cook |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |volume=72 |issue=4 |page=535 |doi=10.1086/513060}}
* {{cite book |last=Elford |first=Leon W. |title=Dene sųłiné yati ditł'ísé = Dene sųłiné reader |location=Prince Albert, SK |publisher=Northern Canada Mission Distributors |year=2001 |isbn=1-896968-28-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Gessner |first=Suzanne |year=2005 |chapter=Properties of Tone in Dëne Sųłiné |title=Athabaskan prosody |editor-first1=Sharon |editor-last1=Hargus |editor-first2=Keren |editor-last2=Rice |series=Amsterdam Studies in the Theory and History of Linguistic Science |publisher=John Benjamins |volume=269 |pages=229–248 |isbn=9789027247834 |doi=10.1075/cilt.269.13ges}}
* {{cite book |last=Li |first=Fang-Kuei |author-link=Li Fang-Kuei |year=1946 |chapter=Chipewyan |editor-first1=C. |editor-last1=Osgood |editor-first2=H. |editor-last2=Hoijer |title=Linguistic Structures of Native America |pages=398–423 |location=New York |publisher=Viking Fund |series=The Viking Fund Publications in Anthropology |volume=6 |oclc=7198204}} (Reprinted 1963, 1965, 1967, & 1971, New York: Johnson Reprint Corp.).
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Incubator|code=chp}}
{{GeoGroup}}
* [https://www.firstvoices.com/dene-suline First Voices Dene Community Portal]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141211115813/http://www.sicc.sk.ca/dene.html Our Languages: Dene] (Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre)
* [http://www.language-archives.org/language/chp OLAC resources in and about the Chipewyan language]
* Kirkby, William West: The New Testament, translated into the Chipewyan language = ᑎᑎ ᗂᒋ ᕞᐢᕞᒣᐣᕠ (Didi gothi testementi). London, 1881 ([http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/986.html Peel 986])

{{Athabaskan languages}}
{{Languages of Canada}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chipewyan Language}}
[[Category:Northern Athabaskan languages]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American eastern woodlands]]
[[Category:Indigenous languages of the North American Subarctic]]
[[Category:First Nations languages in Canada]]
[[Category:American Book Award winners]]