Athapascan

a family of languages spoken by american indians in most of inland northwest canada and alaska, in coastal oregon and california, and in arizona and the rio grande basin, and including especially navajo, apache, and chipewyan.
compare (def 14).
a member of any of various american indian peoples speaking athabaskan.
belonging to or characteristic of the athabaskans.
.
historical examples

the umpqua language is now placed under the athapascan family.
indian linguistic families of america, north of mexico john wesley powell

for the three remaining northern athapascan tribes we possess very little data of a strictly ethnographic character.
the aboriginal population of the north coast of california sherburne friend cook

this tribe, however, has since been ascertained to be athapascan.
indian linguistic families of america, north of mexico john wesley powell

on the north, quoratean tribes extended to the athapascan territory near the oregon line.
indian linguistic families of america, north of mexico john wesley powell

the athapascan tribes to the east show intermediate cultures.
man, past and present agustus henry keane

this ancient athapascan alliance is another link in the chain connecting the kiowa with the far north.
calendar history of the kiowa indians. (1898 n 17 / 1895-1896 (pages 129-444)) james mooney

merriam deviated from kroeber very widely in his tribal names for the athapascan groups.
the aboriginal population of the north coast of california sherburne friend cook

above them were the upper umpqua villages, of the athapascan stock.
indian linguistic families of america, north of mexico john wesley powell

of these athapascan peoples it has been written, “they are nearer the brutes than probably any other portion of the human race.”
the american egypt channing arnold

noun
a group of north american indian languages belonging to the na-dene phylum, including apache and navaho
a speaker of one of these languages