In the Fort Good Hope variety of the Dene (North Slavey) language, Proto-Athabaskan *n generally is realized as [r] in an oral environment and as [n] in a nasal environment. However, in some cases where alternations between [n] and [r] are expected based on closely related varieties, only the [r]… read more
In the past 150 years, the Fort Good Hope variety of Dene (also called Slavey), an Athabaskan language of northern Canada’s Mackenzie River valley, has undergone several phonological shifts. I focus on the change of nasals to r. Not all nasals shift in the appropriate environment. At first, this… read more
Recent years have seen an increased focus of attention on the responsibilities of linguists engaged in fieldwork to the communities of speakers with whom they work. This article focuses on the evolving nature of ethical responsibilities, concentrating on developments in Canada in the past fifteen… read more
Many Athabaskan languages have a construction that I call the activity incorporate construction. Activity incorporates are similar in some ways to circumstantial incorporates, entering into non-core thematic relationships with the verb stem. The languages that allow incorporates divide into two… read more
Writing a grammar is an exhilarating and exhausting experience. All grammars must meet high expectations. This paper reports on a study of qualities sought in grammars based on a survey of reviews of grammars. The study reveals that linguists expect a grammar to be comprehensive, clear, and… read more
Writing a grammar is an exhilarating and exhausting experience. All grammars must meet high expectations. This paper reports on a study of qualities sought in grammars based on a survey of reviews of grammars. The study reveals that linguists expect a grammar to be comprehensive, clear, and… read more