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Practical Orthographies for Selected
Alaska Athabascan Languages

The writing systems (or 'alphabets') described here are those currently used by the Alaska Native Language Center. They can also be found in the book Athabascan Languages and the Schools: A Handbook for Teachers, by Chad Thompson. (1984). This book is available from ANLC, see the publications page. This publication is also available online via the Alaskool Website.

Images of the sound charts from Thompson 1984 can be found below:

Orthographies (in HTML) are available below for the following languages:

Upper Kuskokwim Orthography

Consonants

  labial tip
alveolar		 lateral blade
alveolar		 retro-
flex		 alveo-
palatal		 velar glottal
Stops
plain b d dl dz dr j g '
aspirated   t tl ts tr ch k  
glottalized   t' tl' ts' tr' ch' k'  
Fricatives
voiceless     s sr sh h  
voiced     l z zr y gh  
Nasals
voiceless
n
voiced m n


Vowels

full
  front central back
high e   u
low a   o
reduced i   w
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Lower Tanana Orthography

Consonants

  labial tip
alveolar		 inter-
dental		 lateral blade
alveolar		 retro-
flex		 alveo-
palatal		 velar glottal
Stops
plain b d ddh dl dz dr j g '
aspirated   t tth tl ts tr ch k  
glottalized   t' tth' tl' ts' tr' ch' k'  
Fricatives
voiceless     th s sr y1 kh h
voiced     dh l z zr y gh  
Nasals
voiceless   n2
voiced m n


Vowels

  front central back
full
high ee   oo
low a   o
reduced e   u

Notes:

1Syllable-final y is voiceless; syllable-initial y is voiced.

2Syllable-final n is voiceless unless followed by a glottal stop.

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Koyukon Orthography

Consonants

  labial tip
alveolar		 lateral blade
alveolar		 alveo-
palatal1		 velar back
velar		 glottal
Stops
plain b d dl j dz g gg '
aspirated   t tl ts ch k kk  
glottalized   t' tl' ts' ch' k' kk'  
Fricatives
voiceless     s sh yh h h
voiced     l z   y gh  
Nasals
voiceless   nh
voiced m2 n


Vowels

full
  front central back
high ee   oo
low aa   o
reduced
high i   u
low   a  

Notes:

1The palatal series occurs only in the Upper dialect, where these sounds replace the Lower and Central front velar series (except for y, which remains in Upper).

2The m occurs only in the Lower dialect; it is replaced by b in Central and Upper.

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Gwich'in Orthography

Consonants

  labial tip
alveolar		 inter-
dental		 lateral blade
alveolar		 retro-
flex		 alveo-
palatal		 velar glottal
Stops
plain   d ddh dl dz dr j g '
aspirated   t tth tl ts tr ch k  
glottalized   t' tth' tl' ts' tr' ch' k'  
Fricatives
voiceless     th s shr sh kh h
voiced v   dh l z zhr zh gh  
Sonorants
voiceless     nh   rh
voiced m   n/nd   r y nj


Vowels

  front central back
high ii/i   uu/u
mid ee/e   oo/o
low   aa/a  

Nasalization:

Low tone: à è ì ò ù

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Deg Xinag Orthography

Consonants

  labial tip
alveolar		 inter-
dental		 lateral blade
alveolar		 retro-
flex		 alveo-
palatal		 velar back
velar		 glottal
Stops
plain   d ddh dl dz dr j g gg '
aspirated   t tth tl ts tr ch k q  
glottalized   t' tth' tl' ts' tr' ch' k' q'  
Fricatives
voiceless     th s sr sh yh x h
voiced v   dh l z zr   y gh  
Nasals
voiceless   nh           ngh
voiced m n           ng


Vowels

  front central back
full
high e   o
low   a  
reduced i   u
[TOP]

Ahtna Orthography

Consonants

  labial tip
alveolar		 lateral blade
alveolar		 velar back
velar		 glottal
Stops
plain b d dl dz g gg '
aspirated   t tl ts c k  
glottalized   t' tl' ts' c' k'  
Fricatives
voiceless hw   s yh x h
voiced w   l z y gh  
Nasals
voiced m n     ng    


Vowels

  front central back
high ii/i   uu/u
mid ae/e   oo/o
low   aa/a  
[TOP]



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