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What do 'Klondike' and 'Yukon' mean in the Athabaskan language?

Question #34169. Asked by tjoebigham.
Last updated Oct 06 2021.

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TabbyTom
Answer has 2 votes
TabbyTom avatar

Answer has 2 votes.
KLONDIKE. This region of northwest Canada, famous for its former rich gold deposits, takes its name from the river Klondike. The river's name is said to derive from an Indian word meaning 'river of fish.'

YUKON. The territory of northwest Canada takes its name from the river Yukon, whose own name represents the Indian yu-kun-ah ('big river').

Taken from Brewer's Dictionary of Names

May 22 2003, 9:20 AM
Gippler
Answer has 2 votes
Gippler

Answer has 2 votes.
Don't know about Athabaskan but Klondike is from throndik meaning 'river of fish' and Yukon is from yu-kun-ah meaning 'big river'. Brewer's Dictionary of Names etc.

May 22 2003, 9:22 AM
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sportsherald star
Answer has 5 votes
Currently Best Answer
sportsherald star
13 year member
695 replies avatar

Answer has 5 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
"The Klondike River is a tributary of the Yukon River in Canada that gave its name to the Klondike Gold Rush. The Klondike River has its source in the Ogilvie Mountains and flows into the Yukon River at Dawson City.

Its name comes from the Hän word Tr'ondëk (/???ont?k/) meaning hammerstone, which were used to hammer down stakes used to set salmon nets." -link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_River

"The Russians named the Yukon River, believing that "yuk-khana" was a Deg Xinag phrase meaning big river.[6] However, "yuk-khana" is not a Deg Xinag phrase meaning big river.[7] Probably, the Deg Hit'an borrowed the name from an upriver language and borrowed the "big river" meaning from the Central Yup'ik name.[8] Most likely, Yukon was derived from an obsolete Gwich'in word,[9] which included the concept of long water or wide water, but did not mean "big" river or "great" river." -link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukon_River

"Gwich'in is a member of the Northern Athabaskan subgroup of the Athabaskan language family, in greater the Na-Dene family of languages. It shares the Han-Kutchin subdivision with the Hän language." -link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwich%CA%BCin

Response last updated by satguru on Oct 06 2021.
Aug 20 2015, 12:48 PM
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