Documentation:RelLex/Kutchin Dictionary
Kutchin Dictionary
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Language Name
Gwich'in.
Alternate Language Names
Gwitch'in, Kutchin, Kootchin, Loucheux, Loucheaux, Takudh, Tukudh.
Region
Northwest Territories, Yukon, Canada; Alaska, United States.
Who
Richard J. Mueller (Author).
Others Involved
Frank Dufrense (Author of the Forward and Alaksa's Animals and Fishes); Louis Bardwell (Artist); Elliott Canonage, Shirley Gerbaulet (Editing, organizing and arranging of dictionary); Summer Institute of Linguistics (Publisher).
The author also thanks (Unnamed) Indigenous peoples, mostly from Arctic Village, for their help on the language.
Publishing Information
Published 1964 by the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Fairbanks, Alaska.
How People are Cited
People are cited in the Preface. Frank Dufrense is also cited in the Forward.
How Information is Cited
The source of information for this dictionary is cited in the Preface.
Where is Information Coming from
The information in this dictionary comes from speakers.
Tools and Framework used
This dictionary is available as a physical and digital book.
Access
The digital book (PDF scan) is open access through the Alaska Native Language Archive. The physical book is available through libraries.
Included Languages and Directionality
Gwich'in to English.
Dialects Included
It is not specified which dialects are included but the following note is made in the Preface: "Difference in dialects are indicated by a diagonal (/) between words. The first word is from the more prevalent dialect spoken by most Natives under forty years. The second word is from the older Arctic Village dialect spoken by older folk, and some individuals over thirty years old who have grown up in Arctic Village."
Type of Dictionary
This is a bilingual, mono-directional topical wordlist.
The Preface identifies three primary purposes of this dictionary: introduce speakers to the language specific orthography, encourage speakers to read more in English, and to introduce non-speakers to the language.
How are Entries Organised
Entries are organized by semantic theme. There are three main themes (Man, Natural Features, Wildlife) and sub-themes within each one. Some of the themes include Parts of Body, Summer, Fire, and Parts of Creatures. The dictionary also includes a Forward by Frank Dufresne, a Preface by Richard Mueller, and an Explanation of the Sounds in the Kutchin Dictionary on page 1. The last couple of pages of the dictionary of the dictionary are an English Alphabetized Index.
Other Features
| Feature | Included | More Information |
|---|---|---|
| Guide to use and understand | ✅ | There is a guide to understand the dictionary under Explanation of the Sounds in the Kutchin Dictionary |
| Audio | ❌ | |
| Images | ✅ | There are illustrations on almost every page of the dictionary |
| Example phrases | ❌ | |
| Speakers marked | ❌ | |
| Dialects marked | ❌ | The dialects are not specified, but dialect differences are indicated with a / in entries |
Other Notes
The first file (Gwich'in_Dict.pdf) in the Alaska Native Language Archive's post for the dictionary is missing parts of the text on the second page of the Preface. It also looks like that same file is missing part of the English Alphabet Index, as it starts on the letter K, as well as parts of the entries in the Wildlife section.
External Links
Referene Kutchin Dictionary in WorldCat: https://www.worldcat.org/title/41763600
Open access digital copy of Kutchin Dictionary through the Alaska Native Language Archive: https://www.uaf.edu/anla/record.php?identifier=KU960M1964a