Tsimshianic languages

Pre-contact distribution of Tsimshianic languages

Tsimshianic is a family of languages spoken in northernwestern British Columbia and southern Alaska. One linguist, John A. Dunn, suggests that the Tsimshianic family is a branch of the Indo-European languages [[1]].

Family division

Tsimshianic consists of 4 lects:

1. Tsimshian (a.k.a. Maritime Tsimshianic, Lower Tsimshian, Northern Tsimshian)
   • Coast Tsimshian (a.k.a. Tsimshian proper, Sm’algyax̣, Sm’algax)
   • Southern Tsimshian (a.k.a. Sgüüx̣s)
2. Nass-Gitksan (a.k.a. Interior Tsimshianic, Inland Tsimshianic)
   • Nisga’a (a.k.a. Nisqa’a, Nisg̱a’a, Nishga, Nisgha, Niska, Nass, Nishka)
   • Gitksan (a.k.a. Gitxsan, Gitksanimx̣)

Coast Tsimshian is spoken along the lower Skeena River in Northwestern British Columbia, on some neighbouring islands, and to the North at New Metlakatla, Alaska. Southern Tsimshian is spoken on an island quite far South of the Skeena River, in the village of Klemtu. Southern Tsimshian is severely endangered, nearing extinction. Nisga’a is spoken along the Nass River. Gitksan is spoken along the upper Skeena River with communities around Hazelton and other areas.

Nisga’a and Gitksan are very closely related and are linguistically considered dialects of the same language. However, speakers from both groups are politically separate and thus consider Nisga’a and Gitksan to be separate languages. Coast and Southern Tsimshian are also often regarded as dialects of the same language.

See also

• Tsimshian

External links

• Tsimshianic languages (YDLI)
• map of Northwest Coast First Nations (including Tsimshian and Nisga’a)
• Sm'algyax - "The Real Language"
• Dum Baal-dum
• Sealaska Heritage Institute
• Bibliography of Materials on the Coast Tsimshian Language (YDLI)
• Bibliography of Materials on the South Tsimshian Language (YDLI)
• Bibliography of Materials on the Gitksan Language (YDLI)
• Bibliography of Materials on the Nisga'a Language (YDLI)

Bibliography

• Boas, Franz (1902) Tsimshian Texts. Washington: Bureau of American Ethnology. Bulletin 27.
• Boas, Franz (1911) "Tsimshian," Handbook of American Indian Languages Bulletin No. 40, part I. pp. 287-422.
• Mithun, Marianne. (1999). The languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23228-7 (hbk); ISBN 0-521-29875-X.
• Tarpent, Marie-Lucie (1997). "Tsimshianic and Penutian: Problems, Methods, Results, and Implications" International Journal of American Linguistics 63.52-244.