Nisga'a language

Nisga’a
Nisg̱a’a, nisqáʔamq
Native to	Canada
Region	Northwest British Columbia (Nisg̱a’a Nation)
Ethnicity	5,430 Nisga’a people (2014, FPCC)
Native speakers	2,818 (2014, FPCC)
Language family	Tsimshian Nass–Gitksan Nisga’a
Writing system	Nisg̱a’a Script (NAPA)
Official status
Official language in	Nisg̱a’a Nation
Language codes
ISO 639-3
Glottolog	nisg1240
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Nisga’a (also Nass, Nisgha, Nisg̱a’a, Nishka, Niska, Nishga, Nisqa’a) is a Tsimshianic language of the Nisga'a people of northwestern British Columbia. Nisga'a people, however, dislike the term Tshimshianic as they feel that it gives precedence to Coast Tsimshian. Nisga’a is very closely related to Gitksan. Indeed, many linguists regard Nisga’a and Gitksan as dialects of a single Nass–Gitksan language. The two are generally treated as distinct languages out of deference to the political separation of the two groups.

Anglican missionary James Benjamin McCullagh conducted much early linguistic work in Nisga’a, preparing translations of parts of the Bible and Book of Common Prayer as well as a Nisga’a primer for students.

Like almost all other First Nations languages of British Columbia, Nisga’a is an endangered language. As of the 2006 census, there are over 1,000 speakers out of a total ethnic population of around 6,000.

A Nisga’a iPhone app was released in January 2012. An online dictionary, phrasebook, and language learning portal is available at First Voices.