Tahltan language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tahltan |
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| Tałtan ẕāke, dah dẕāhge, didene keh | ||||
| Native to | Canada | |||
| Ethnicity | 2,460 Tahltan people (2014, FPCC) | |||
| Native speakers | 95 (2016) | |||
| Language family |
Dené–Yeniseian?
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Tahltan is a special language spoken by the Tahltan people. It is also known as Tałtan ẕāke (meaning "Tahltan people language"), dah dẕāhge ("our language"), or didene keh ("this people’s way"). This language comes from the Northern Athabaskan family.
The Tahltan people live in northern British Columbia, Canada. Their communities include Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, and Iskut. Sadly, Tahltan is a critically endangered language. This means very few people still speak it. Some language experts believe Tahltan is closely related to the Tagish and Kaska languages.
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Saving the Tahltan Language
Efforts are being made to keep the Tahltan language alive. In 2013, a language expert named Dr. Judy Thompson found that only about 30 people could speak Tahltan. This showed how important it was to act fast.
New Ways to Learn Tahltan
A new Language and Culture office is working hard to teach Tahltan. They are trying out different ways to help people learn. These include evening "language immersion" classes. In these classes, people learn by only speaking Tahltan.
They also have a "Master-Apprentice" program. Here, experienced speakers teach younger learners one-on-one. Another idea is creating a "language nest." This is a special place where young children can learn Tahltan from a very early age. Scholarships are also planned to help people who want to learn the language part-time.
Cracking the Language Code
For a long time, it was hard to teach Tahltan because there were not many written records. It was difficult to understand how the grammar worked. But a team of researchers, including Oscar Dennis, Reginald Dennis, and Ryan Dennis, made a big breakthrough.
They finally figured out the basic patterns of the Tahltan language. Tahltan is a Dene language, like the Navajo language. This means it uses small pieces added to words to create meaning. Dr. Gregory Anderson, from the Living Tongues Institute, was very impressed with their work. He said he couldn't make it any better!
Digital Language Archive
To help people learn, there is a digital collection of Tahltan recordings. These recordings are stored at the Tahltan Language Revitalization Offices. You can find these offices in Dease Lake, Iskut, and Telegraph Creek. People can even use these recordings on iPods to practice their language skills.
