Coast Salish languages

Coast Salish
Geographic
distribution
Salish Sea (Strait of Georgia (British Columbia, Canada) and Puget Sound (Washington state))
Linguistic classification Salishan
Subdivisions
Glottolog None

Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound. The term "Coast Salish" also refers to the cultures in British Columbia and Washington who speak one of these languages or dialects.

Geography

The Coast Salish languages are spoken around most of the Georgia and Puget Sound Basins, an area that encompasses the sites of the modern-day cities of Vancouver, British Columbia, Seattle, Washington, and others. Archeological evidence indicates that Coast Salish peoples may have inhabited the area as far back as 9000 BCE. What is now Seattle, for example, has been inhabited since the end of the last glacial period (c. 8,000 BCE10,000 years ago).[1]

In the past, the Nuxálk (or Bella Coola) of British Columbia's Central Coast have also been considered Coast Salish. This language shares at least one phonological change with Coast Salish (the merger of the Proto-Salish pharyngeal approximants with the uvular fricatives), but it also displays certain similarities to the Interior Salish languages. If it is indeed a member of the Coast Salish branch, it was the first to split off from the rest.

Languages

Listings are from north to south. Peoples generally inhabited the mentioned watershed and the shores if a body of water is mentioned, as well as further environs. Adjacent tribes or nations often shared adjacent resources and other practices, so boundaries were seldom distinct.

Language Name Variations IPA Community Where Spoken
Comox/Island Comox (†) ʔayʔajusəm Comox, Island Comox (Courtenay area).
Sliammon/Mainland Comox ʔayʔajuθəm Homalco (Xwemalhkwu), Klahoose, and Sliammon (Tla A'min).
Pentlatch (†) Puntlatch, Puntledge
Halkomelem Hul'q'umín'um' Snaw-naw-as, Snuneymuxw, Somena, Chemainus, Cowichan, Halalt, Lyackson, and Penelakut.
hǝn̓q̓ǝmin̓ǝm̓ (†) Musqueam, Tsleil-waututh, Kwikwetlem, Tsawwassen, Kwantlen (both Halkomelem and Halkomelem or up river and down river).
Halq'eméylem, Stó:lō, Teyt Aitchelitz, Chawathil, Cheam, Chehalis (Sts'Ailes), Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwaw-kwaw-Apilt, Leq'a:mel, Matsqui, Peters, Popkum, Qayqayt, Scowlitz (Skaulits), Seabird Island, Shxw'ow'hamel, Skawahlook, Skowkale, Skwah, Skway (Shxwhá:y), Soowahlie, Squiala, Sumas, Tzeachten, Union Bar and Yakweakwioose First Nations.
Sechelt Shíshalh, Sháshíshálhem Shishalh
Squamish Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Snichim, Sko-mesh Squamish and Tsleil-waututh
Nooksack Lhéchalosem Nooksack
Saanich Northern Straits Salish, SENĆOŦEN Saanich, T'souke
Lummi Northern Straits Salish, xʷləmiʔčósən Lummi or Lhaq'temish
Klallam Sklallam, Nəxʷsƛ̕áy̓emúcən Sklallam or Klallam
Lushootseed dxʷləšúcid or xʷləšúcid Samish or Sʼabš, Skagit or Sqaĵət, Sauk-Suiattle or Suiʼaẋbixʷ, Snohomish or Sduhubš, Swinomish), Duwamish or Dxʷ’Dəw?Abš and Xacuabš, Smulkamish, Sammamish, Snoqualmie or Sduqʷalbixʷ, Stkehlmish or Sacakałəbš, Suquamish or Suqʷabš, Nisqually or Sqʷaliʼabš, Muckleshoot or Bəpubšł, Puyallup or Spuyaləqəlpubšut, Sahewamish or Sʼəhiwʼabš, Squaxin Island Tribe[2]
Twana Skokomesh Skokomish
Cowlitz Chehalis
Quinault Quinault

See also

Notes and references

  1. Carlson, Keith Thor (ed.) (2001). A Stó:lō-Coast Salish Historical Atlas. Vancouver, BC: Douglas & McIntyre. pp. 6–18. ISBN 1-55054-812-3.
  2. (1) Dassow in Bates, Hess & Hilbert (1994), p. iix
    (1.1) Clallam is used for Klallam.
    (1.2) This is linguistic, so Duwamish and Sammamish blend between them as well as their being closely related.
    (2) Suttles & Lane (1990), pp. 4867

Bibliography

Further reading

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