Dena'ina

American  

[duh-nahy-nuh] / dəˈnaɪ nə /

noun

• Dena'inas,
  plural
• Dena'ina
  plural

1. a member of an Indigenous Athabascan people of the Cook Inlet area of Alaska.

2. the Athabascan language of the Dena'ina.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Dena'ina or their language.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Dena'ina
  plural
• Dena'inas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Dena'ina

First recorded in 2010–15; from Dena'ina (Inland Dialect); literally, “the people,” equivalent to dena “person” + ina the human plural marker, a self-designation; see also Diné ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Dena'ina

“There’s a long history of the Dena’ina, in Eklutna in particular, taking care of the church and trying to maintain it,” said Aaron Leggett, president and chairman of the Native Village of Eklutna’s tribal council.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 28, 2023

Peltola was swarmed by supporters as she walked through the hallways of the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 24, 2022

Eklutna is a Dena’ina village, the sole Alaska Native community within the municipality of Anchorage.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 26, 2020

During Naqenaga Nuch’eghetdneq, speakers of the Dena’ina, Ahtna and Yupik languages gather together to share what they know of their languages and pass down their knowledge to future generations.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 16, 2019

Pages 126 and 127 of Tanaina Plantlore describe a plant that is called wild potato by the Dena’ina Indians, who harvested its carrotlike root.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer