/ath'euh bas"keuhn/ , n.
1. a family of languages spoken by American Indians in most of inland northwest Canada and Alaska, in coastal Oregon and California, and in Arizona and the Rio Grande basin, and including esp. Navajo, Apache, and Chipewyan. Cf. family (def. 14).
2. a member of any of various American Indian peoples speaking Athabaskan.
adj.
3. belonging to or characteristic of the Athabaskans.
Also, Athabascan, Athapaskan, Athapascan .
[ 1770-80; earlier Athapasca ( s ), introduced as a term for the Canadian Athabaskans ( ahdapaska·w Lake Athabaska, lit., there are reeds here and there
alap ( y )- net, reticulated + * -ašk- plant + derivational elements) + -AN ]