Dene

See also: Appendix:Variations of "dene"

English

Alternative forms

• Dené

Etymology

Probably from Chipewyan, though most Athabaskan languages have a similar word meaning "person" that's often used as the name for the people who speak the language and/or the language itself. Doublet of Diné.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɛneɪ/
• Rhymes: -ɛneɪ

Noun

Dene pl (plural only)

1. An Athabascan people of Canada, especially of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
   • 2025, Marie-Ève Hudon, Language regimes in the Provinces and the Territories‎^[1], Ottawa, Canada: Library of Parliament, page 30:

     In the Northwest Territories, the languages with official status are English, French, Dëne Sųłıné (Chipewyan), Nēhiyawēwin (Cree), Dene Kǝdǝ́ (Northern Slavey), Dene Zhatıé (Southern Slavey), Dinjii Zhu’ Ginjik (Gwich’in), Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Tłįcho.

Synonyms

• Chipewyan

Coordinate terms

• Na-Dene

Related terms

• Dene-Yeniseian
• Deneology
• Proto-Dene

See also

• Dene Valley
• Diné

Anagrams

• Eden, Ende, deen, eden, ende, need

Old English

Alternative forms

• Dæne

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *Danī, from Proto-Germanic *daniz. Cognate with Old Norse danir.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈde.ne/
• Rhymes: -e.ne

Proper noun

Dene m pl

1. Danes
2. Denmark

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	—	Dene
accusative	—	Dene
genitive	—	Dena
dative	—	Denum

Derived terms

• Denemearc (“Denmark”)
• Denisċ (“Danish”)
• Ēastdene (“East-Danes”)
• Gārdene (“Spear-Danes”)
• Hringdene (“Ring-Danes”)
• Norþdene (“North-Danes”)
• Sūþdene (“South-Danes”)
• Westdene (“West-Danes”)

Descendants

• Middle English: Dene, Dane