Athabaskan

US: (ath′ə bas′kən)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

Ath•a•bas•kan  (ath′ə bas′kən), n. 

1. Language Varieties a family of languages spoken by American Indians in most of inland northwest Canada and Alaska, in coastal Oregon and California, and in Arizona and the Rio Grande basin, and including esp. Navajo, Apache, and Chipewyan. Cf. family (def. 14).
2. Language Varieties a member of any of various American Indian peoples speaking Athabaskan.

adj. 

3. Language Varieties belonging to or characteristic of the Athabaskans.

Also, Ath′a•bas′can, Athapaskan, Athapascan. 

• Proto-Algonquian *aʔlap(y)- net, reticulated + *-aŝk- plant + derivational elements) + -an
• Woods Cree ahδapaska·w Lake Athabaska, literally, there are reeds here and there
• earlier Athapasca(s), introduced as a term for the Canadian Athabaskans (1770–80

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Athapascan, Athapaskan / ˌæθəˈpæskən/Athabascan, Athabaskan / ˌæθəˈbæskən/ noun

1. a group of North American languages belonging to the Na-Dene phylum, including Apache and Navajo

Etymology: from Cree athapaskaaw scattered grass or reeds