Slavey

Slavey is a historical exonym used to refer to certain Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Territories in Canada and to the languages they speak. The term has colonial origins and is often described as outdated or potentially pejorative by some communities, who prefer self-designations such as Dene or the names of specific language groups.

Linguistically, Slavey belongs to the Dene family within the Northern Athabaskan branch of the Na-Dené language phylum. The language is commonly divided into two principal dialects: North Slavey and South Slavey. The dialects are related but distinct enough that some linguists treat them as separate languages. Like other Northern Athabaskan languages, Slavey has a complex verb-based grammar and a consonant-rich phonology, with ongoing documentation and analysis by researchers.

Geographically, Slavey was traditionally spoken along the Mackenzie River valley in the central Northwest Territories, with communities in areas around Fort Simpson and Fort Providence, and extending into adjacent Dehcho and Sahtu regions. Today, speakers are primarily concentrated in these communities, and like many Indigenous languages in Canada, Slavey faces endangerment as younger generations shift to English. Revitalization efforts include school programs, community-led language initiatives, and linguistic documentation to support intergenerational transmission and literacy in North Slavey and South Slavey.

See also: Dene languages, Northern Athabaskan languages.