Athabascan
noun
Ath·a·bas·can ˌa-thə-ˈba-skən 
variants or Athabaskan
ˌa-thə-ˈba-skən
or less commonly Athapaskan ˌa-thə-ˈpa-skən
or Athapascan ˌa-thə-ˈpa-skən
1
: a family of languages spoken primarily by certain Indigenous peoples of western Canada, Alaska, and the U.S. Southwest
2
plural Athabascans or Athabaskans also Athapaskans or Athapascans : a member of a people speaking an Athabascan language
Word History
Etymology
Athabasca, a Cree band, from Cree dialect aƍapaska·w, name for the area east of Lake Athabasca, literally, (where) there are reeds one after another
First Known Use
1830, in the meaning defined at sense 2