This article presents some of the linguistic and sociolinguistic considerations that went along with the standardization of Dene languages. Rice and Saxon compare the experiences they had working with three Athabaskan languages: Tłı̨chǫ, Dene Kedǝ, and Kaska.

Abstract:

"It is often assumed that dictionaries for languages such as English define what a dictionary should be. Using case studies, we argue that a dictionary must be defined in relation to the expected group of users of that dictionary. We consider the issue of standardization in particular, examining decisions made with respect to the standardization of spellings in three dictionary projects for northern Athabaskan languages, Dogrib, Slave, and Kaska. We show that adopting preconceived assumptions about standardization of spellings easily leads to problems within a community in developing a dictionary, and that as work on a dictionary proceeds, initial assumptions can and perhaps should change so as not to limit the scope of the dictionary. When dictionaries originate within the community in which they will be used, very different decisions about standardization can arise than when they are guided by external lexicographical principles. We argue that standardization of spellings must be carefully considered, and is not always the best choice."

Access this Resource:

Read this paper open access on the Alaska Native Language Archive website.

Rice, Keren and Leslie Saxon. “Issues of standardization and community in Aboriginal languages lexicography.”  In Making Dictionaries, edited by William Frawley, Kenneth Hill, and Pamela Munro, 125-154. Berkely, CA: University of California Press, 2002.