Squamish language
Squamish (/ˈskwɔːmɪʃ/ SKWAW-mish; Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim, sníchim meaning "language") is a Coast Salish language spoken by the Squamish people of the Pacific Northwest. It is spoken in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, centred on their reserve communities in Squamish, North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. An archaic historical rendering of the native Sḵwx̱wú7mesh is Sko-ko-mish but this should not be confused with the name of the Skokomish people of Washington state. Squamish is most closely related to the Sechelt, Halkomelem, and Nooksack languages.
| Squamish | |
|---|---|
| Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim | |
| Pronunciation | [sqʷχʷoʔməʃ snit͡ʃim] |
| Native to | Canada |
| Region | British Columbia |
| Ethnicity | 4,280 Squamish people (2018, FPCC) |
Native speakers | 1 (2014, FPCC) |
| Revival | 449 Active Language Learners |
Salishan
| |
| Latin (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh alphabet) | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | squ |
| Glottolog | squa1248 |
| ELP | Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim (Squamish) |
Squamish Territory is shown on the map. | |
Squamish is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
| Person | Sḵwx̱wú7mesh |
|---|---|
| People | Sḵwx̱wú7mesh |
| Language | Skwxwú7mesh sníchim |
| Country | Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíxw |
The Squamish language was first documented in the 1880s by a German anthropologist; however the grammar of the language was documented by a Dutch linguist in the 1950s. The orthography or spelling system of the language came about in 1960s while the first Squamish dictionary was published only recently, specifically 2011. The language shares certain similarities with languages like Sechelt and Halkomelem which are spoken in similar regions.