Jane, I thought that the Apache language was more related to the Athapaskan group. If they called themselves 'La Dene', this would somewhat confirm it, as 'Na-Dene' means 'us' or 'the people' in the Canadian north, and is used now as the official name of a large tribal group. Languages from the group span from the Pacific coast to Hudson's Bay, and from the Arctic Ocean to south of the 49th parallel.
It was the Comanche whose language was more related to the Aztec, I think, as well as the Ute.
Most Indian's names for their groups meant simply 'the people', including 'Inuit', the only group whose language (Eskimo-Aleut) has been clearly shown to have Eurasian roots, in the Chukotan language of Siberia.
Maybe there is a close connection between Athapaskan and Aztecan, but I doubt it, I think it is held to be a distinct group. No time now to look anything up, though ........ cheers ...... vaya con D¡os |
