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Scott Bushey

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Current Program: PhD in LING

I am pursuing my linguistics PhD under the supervision of respected Dene-ist Chris Cox. I completed my BA in Linguistics at Western Washington University and my MA in Applied Linguistics at the University of Alaska. My MA thesis, “Western Gwich’in Classificatory Verbs”, described verbs in that language which change their stem for the perceived physical or spatial quality of an event. Gwich’in is an endangered language of Alaska and Canada belonging to the Indigenous Dene language family. I also contributed to the editing process and authored two appendices for the Lower Tanana Dene Dictionary (Kari, 2024).

At Carleton, my research explores the Dene-Yeniseian hypothesis, which proposes an ancient genealogical or typological relationship between the Na-Dene macrofamily of North America, of which Dene is one branch, and the Yeniseian language family of Siberia. The only Yeniseian language spoken today is the critically endangered Ket, with about a dozen elderly speakers. My work involves partnering with one of these speakers over video calling platforms to learn her language.

My output thus far consists of descriptive, historical, and comparative papers on both Na-Dene and Yeniseian languages. I also work as a research assistant for several projects, including the Tsuut’ina online dictionary and a Northern Tutchone language revitalization project by the Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation in Mayo, Yukon.

Areas of Interest

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