Holikachuk language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holikachuk |
|
|---|---|
| Doogh Qinag | |
| Native to | United States |
| Region | Alaska (lower Yukon River, Innoko River) |
| Ethnicity | Holikachuk people |
| Extinct | 2012, with the death of Wilson Deacon |
| Language family |
Dené–Yeniseian?
|
| Writing system | Latin (Northern Athabaskan alphabet) |
| Official status | |
| Official language in |  Alaska |
Holikachuk (pronounced: HO-li-ka-chuk) was a special language spoken by the Holikachuk people. They lived in a village called Holikachuk in central Alaska, near the Innoko River. The people later moved to Grayling, a village on the Yukon River, in 1962.
This language, also known as Doogh Qinag by its speakers, was part of the Athabaskan language family. It was somewhat similar to the Deg Xinag and Koyukon languages. Experts first noticed it as a unique language in the 1840s. However, it was not fully identified until the 1970s.
The Holikachuk Language Today
Sadly, the Holikachuk language is now extinct. This means no one speaks it anymore. In 2007, only about 5 out of 180 Holikachuk people could still speak it. The very last person who spoke Holikachuk fluently passed away in March 2012. His name was Wilson Deacon.
A short dictionary of Holikachuk was put together by James Kari in 1978. But even with this, Holikachuk is one of the least documented languages from Alaska Native groups. This means not much information was written down about it.
Words and Phrases
Here are a few examples of words from the Holikachuk language:
- łoogg fish
- łoogg dood mininh iligh November (This literally means 'month when the eels come [swim]')
- giggootth scales
- q’oon’ fish eggs
- nathdlod Indian ice cream
See also
In Spanish: Idioma holikachuk para niños
