Haisla language
The Haisla language, X̄a'islak̓ala or X̌àh̓isl̩ak̓ala, is a First Nations language spoken by the Haisla people of the North Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, who are based in the village of Kitamaat. This is 10 km from the town of Kitimat at the head of the Douglas Channel, a 120 km fjord that serves as a waterway for the Haisla and for the aluminum smelter and accompanying port of the town of Kitimat.
| Haisla | |
|---|---|
| X̄a'islak̓ala, X̌àh̓isl̩ak̓ala | |
| Region | Central British Columbia coast inlet, Douglas Channel head, near Kitimat |
| Ethnicity | 1,680 Haisla people (2014, FPCC) |
Native speakers | 240 (2014, FPCC) |
Wakashan
| |
| Dialects |
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| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | has |
| Glottolog | hais1244 |
| ELP | X̄enaksialak̓ala / X̄aislak̓ala (Haisla) |
Haisla is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
The Haisla and their language, along with that of the neighbouring Heiltsuk and Wuikinuxv peoples, were in the past incorrectly called "Northern Kwakiutl".
The name Haisla is derived from the Haisla word x̣àʼisla or x̣àʼisəla, meaning 'dwellers downriver'.
Haisla is a Northern Wakashan language spoken by several hundred people. Haisla is geographically the northernmost Wakashan language. Its nearest Wakashan neighbor is Oowekyala.