Gitxsan | |
---|---|
Gitxsanimaax | |
Spoken in | Canada |
Region | Skeena region, British Columbia |
Ethnicity | Gitxsan people |
Native speakers | 1,000 (date missing) |
Language family |
Tsimshian
|
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | git |
Gitxsan (or Gitxsanimaax, Gitksan, Giatikshan, Gityskyan, Giklsan) is a First Nations language of northwestern British Columbia. It is a Tsimshianic language, closely related to the neighboring Nisga’a language. The two groups are, however, politically separate and prefer to refer to Gitxsan and Nisga'a as distinct languages. Gitxsanimaax is an endangered language, currently estimated to have no more than 1,000 speakers, of whom the great majority are elders. Few if any children grow up speaking it at home.