Carrier (Dakeł / ᑕᗸᒡ)

Carrier is a Northern Athabascan language spoken in central British Columbia in Canada. It is spoken between Stewart Lake and Quesnel. The people who speak it call themselves and their language Dakelh (ᑕᗸᒡ). The name Carrier is a translation of Aghele, the Sekani name for the Dakelh. The language is also known as Dakelhne, Porteur, Takelne or Takulie.

In 2014 there were about 680 fluent speakers of Carrier, and another 1,380 people with some knowledge of the language. The majority of speakers are adults.

Written Carrier

The Carrier syllabary, or Déné Syllabics, was devised by Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice in 1885. He adapted it from the syllabic writing systems developed for the Athabaskan languages of the Northwest Territories of Canada by Father Emile Petitot.

The Carrier syllabary was fairly widely used for several decades for such purposes as writing diaries and letters and leaving messages on trees. Though the syllabary is no longer used or understood by many people, there has been a recent revival of interest in it and it occasionally appears on plaques and memorials.

Carrier syllabary / Déné Syllabics

Carrier Syllabary / Déné Syllabics

In the 1960s, the Carrier Linguistic Committee in Fort St James developed an alternative writing system based on the Latin alphabet. This system is now the most popular writing system for Dakelh.

Latin alphabet for Carrier

Latin alphabet for Carrier

Download a script charts for Carrier (Excel)

Sample text

Ba cha ye cha ndoni cha boozi be ndohone. Hoonzoo ts'i neondleh. Nemoodihti inzoo hoowa ndi netl'adantsut. 'I cha hoonzoo ts'i neba ondleh. Sizi Gri nemoodihti nyoozi 'i be ndohone.

Source: https://www.ydli.org/dakinfo/gracemai.htm

Information about Carrier | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about Carrier
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_language
http://www.native-languages.org/carrier.htm
http://www.languagegeek.com/dene/dakelh/dakelh.html
https://www.ydli.org/linginfo.htm
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/crx

Na-Dené languages

Ahtna, Apache (Western), Babine-Witsuwit'en, Chilcotin, Chipewyan, Deg Xinag, Dena’ina, Dane-zaa (Beaver), Eyak, Gwich'in, Hän, Hupa, Jicarilla, Kaska, Koyukon, Lipan Apache, Lower Tanana, Mescalero-Chiricahua, Navajo, North Slavey, Sekani, South Slavey, Tahltan, Tanacross, Tłı̨chǫ (Dogrib), Tolowa, Tsuut'ina (Sarcee), Tutchone, Upper Kuskokwim, Upper Tanana

Languages written with Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics

Blackfoot, Carrier, Chipewyan, Cree (East), Cree (Moose), Cree (Plains), Cree (Woods), Inuktitut, Naskapi, Ojibwe, Oji-Cree

Abugidas / Syllabic alphabets

Ahom, Aima, Arleng, Badagu, Badlit, Basahan, Balinese, Balti-A, Balti-B, Batak, Baybayin, Bengali, Bhaiksuki, Bhujimol, Bilang-bilang, Bima, Blackfoot, Brahmi, Buhid, Burmese, Carrier, Chakma, Cham, Cree, Dehong Dai, Devanagari, Dham Lipi, Dhankari / Sirmauri, Ditema, Dives Akuru, Dogra, Ethiopic, Evēla Akuru, Fox, Fraser, Gond, Goykanadi, Grantha, Gujarati, Gunjala Gondi, Gupta, Gurmukhi, Halbi Lipi, Hanifi, Hanuno'o, Hočąk, Ibalnan, Incung, Inuktitut, Jaunsari Takri, Javanese, Kaithi, Kadamba, Kamarupi, Kannada, Kawi, Kharosthi, Khema, Khe Prih, Khmer, Khojki, Khudabadi, Kirat Rai, Kōchi, Komering, Kulitan, Kurukh Banna, Lampung, Lanna, Lao, Lepcha, Limbu, Lontara/Makasar, Lota Ende, Magar Akkha, Mahajani, Malayalam, Meitei (Modern), Manpuri (Old), Marchen, Meetei Yelhou Mayek, Meroïtic, Masarm Gondi, Modi, Mon, Mongolian Horizontal Square Script, Multani, Nandinagari, Newa, New Tai Lue, Ojibwe, Odia, Ogan, Pahawh Hmong, Pallava, Phags-pa, Purva Licchavi, Qiang / Rma, Ranjana, Rejang (Kaganga), Sasak, Savara, Satera Jontal, Shan, Sharda, Siddham, Sinhala, Sorang Sompeng, Sourashtra, Soyombo, Sukhothai, Sundanese, Syloti Nagri, Tagbanwa, Takri, Tamil, Tanchangya (Ka-Pat), Tani, Thaana, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Tigalari, Tikamuli, Tocharian, Tolong Siki, Vatteluttu, Warang Citi

Other writing systems

Page last modified: 16.03.23

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