Beaver

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The Beaver language is an endangered First Nation language spoken in British Columbia and Alberta. It belongs to a Northern branch of the Athabaskan language family. It is still spoken in six different reserves by some 150 speakers; the youngest of those are in their thirties.

It is closely related to its neighboring Athabaskan languages, e.g. Sekani, Dene (Slavey), Chipewyan and Kaska and, additionally, there is heavy language contact with Dene (Slavey) in the North and Sekani in the South-West.

The Athabaskan languages belong together with Tlingit and Eyak to a larger language family:

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The Athabaskan languages are divided into six subgroups: Southern Alaska, Central Alaska-Yukon, Northwestern Canada, Central British Columbia, Pacific Coast Athabaskan and Apachean – Tsetsaut and Sarcee are yet to be classified. Beaver belongs to the Northwestern Canadian languages.

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