Slavey

See also: slavey

English

Alternative forms

• Slave, Slavé

Etymology

From French Esclave, a calque of a Cree name, as the Cree called these people (and several other traditional enemies) slaves. In English, the final e came to be pronounced as if Slave were a native name; this pronunciation was first written Slavé and later Slavey.

The names of the Slave River, Lesser Slave River, Great Slave Lake and Lesser Slave Lake do not necessarily derive from the people now known as Slavey in English.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsleɪvi/

Noun

Slavey (plural Slaveys or Slavey)

1. A member of an Athabascan First Nations people indigenous to the region near the Great Slave Lake in western Canada

   Synonyms: Awokanak, Deh Cho, Deh Gah Got'ine

Usage notes

Many of the Slavey people consider this term derogatory, as it originated from their enemies, and derived from slave. There is no specific term for this grouping in Dene (Athabaskan), the individual Slavey groups each have their own terms for each group of people and their neighbours. The language is also divided into North Slavey and South Slavey and not identified as a unit in Dene.

Derived terms

• Great Slave Lake
• Lesser Slave Lake
• Lesser Slave River
• Slave River

Translations

member of Athabascan people

• French: Esclave

Proper noun

Slavey

1. A language spoken by the Slavey peoples.
   • 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.

Translations

language

• French: esclave (fr)

Further reading

• Ethnologue entry for North Slavey, scs ⁠
• Ethnologue entry for South Slavey, xsl ⁠

Anagrams

• sylvae, Leyvas, LaVeys, Laveys, Alveys, Leavys, Levays