Chipewyan

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Plains Cree ᒌᐘᔮᐣ (Cīpwayān, “pointed skin”), from ᒌᐚᐤ (cīpwāw, “to be pointed”) + ᐘᔮᐣ (wayān, “skin, hide”) — a reference to the cut and style of Chipewyan parkas.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /t͡ʃɪp.əˈwaɪ.ən/

Noun

Chipewyan (plural Chipewyans or Chipewyan)

  1. A member of a Native American tribe of Central Canada, in the regions of Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, and Saskatchewan.
    • 2006, Carl Waldman, Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, page 65:
      In addition to their leatherwork, woodwork, stonework, and bonework, the Chipewyan also worked in metal.
    • 2015 March 12, Rachel Browne, “What’s in a name? A Chipewyan’s battle over her native tongue”, in Maclean's‎[1], archived from the original on 13 March 2015:
      One of the big challenges, it turns out, is the government itself. Last week, Shene Catholique-Valpy, an Aboriginal woman born and raised in the Northwest Territories, spoke out publicly about her year-long fight to have the the[sic] traditional Chipewyan spelling of her daughter’s name, Sahaiʔa May Talbot, on her birth certificate. Sahaiʔa roughly translates to: “As the sun breaks through the clouds or over the horizon.” And the symbol, which resembles a question mark without the dot, called a glottal stop, indicates the correct pronunciation and meaning; without it, the name is incorrect.

Proper noun

Chipewyan

  1. The Northern Athabascan language spoken by this tribe.

Usage notes

Many Chipewyan consider this term derogatory, as it does not originate from Dene, but is a name provided by their historical enemies.

Synonyms

  • Dene
  • Dene Suline
  • Denesuline
  • Denésoliné

Translations

See also

Further reading

See also

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