People

The most basic term for a human being is “dune”, which means both “person” and more specifically “man, male human being”. The corresponding term for a woman is “ts'eke”.

One classification of people is by age. A person is “chalhts'ul” from birth until he or she can walk, at which point “ts'oodun” becomes appropriate. Up to about 12 years old a child is a “duneyaz” or “ts'ekeyaz” depending on sex. From that age until around 15, he or she is a “chilhyaz” or “t'etyaz”. For the remaining teen years, a boy is a “chilh”, a girl a “t'et”. Older people my use these terms for young people into their twenties. Adults in general are called “dunecho”, though this term should be interpreted carefully in context as it can also have more specific meanings. There are several words for “elder”: “hoonyan”, “nis̲jan”, “'uyan”, and “'uti”. An old man is “duneti”, an old woman “ts'eketi”. Collectively elders may be called “hoonyan-ne”, “'uyanne”, or “'utine”.

People are also divided by ethnicity and “race”. The term “Dakelh” when unqualified usually means “Carrier person” but is used by some speakers more generally for “native person”, especially when qualified, as in 'udun-ne dakelh “other native people”. Another term for “indigenous person” in general is “yunka dune”, though for some this means “human being”. A white person or European is “nedo”. An American is “bosdun”, though this term is also sometimes used for Europeans in general. A French person is “soo nedo”, or, in slang, “dulkw'ah”.

An East Indian person is a “Hindoo” or “naih but̲s̲idudilya”. Note that “Hindoo” is not limited to Hindus. In fact, most East Indian people in the area are Sikhs. A Black person is “dune dulhgus”. A Chinese person is “chaimun”, which is also used, especially by older people, for other kinds of “oriental person, East/Southeast Asian person”. A Jew is usually called “lizwif”, but, especially in biblical contexts, may be called a “Shoodewhut'en” “Judean”.

Specific terms for other kinds of native people include: “T̲s̲ek'ane” and “Lhtat'en-ne” for Sekani people, “Nadot'en” for Babine people, “Whut̲s̲owhut'en” for Witsuwit'en, “Dushine” for Cree, and “Tsat'en” for Beaver. Native people whose language is not recognizably related to Carrier are “'utna”. This term is probably most frequently applied to the Gitxsan, but it applies also to peoples including the Nisga'a, Coast Tsimshian, Haisla, Haida, Tlingit, and Shuswap. The Cree fall into this category but are usually referred to by the more specific term.

People, both native and non-native may also be referred to on the basis of where they live or come from. For exaple, Stoney Creek people are “S̲aik'uz̲ whut'enne”. Such terms may be relative in ways that make them suitable only when used by certain people or in certain places. For example, Nak'azdli people may refer to someone from Tachie as a “noo'whut'en”. This literally means “person from upstream” and is not used by Tachie people to refer to themselves nor by people from other places for whom Tachie is not upstream. There are occasionally terms for people from a particular place that are not based on the name of the place. Nak'azdli people are called “Nak'az̲dli whut'en-un”. “K'oodune” is somewhat more general, designating people from the Stuart Lake area excluding the northwestern part where people are considered to have closer connections to Lake Babine people. It thus includes people from Nak'azdli, Sowchea, Pinchie and Tachie but excludes those from Yekooche and Middle River.

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