Nuxálk language
| Nuxalk | |
|---|---|
| Bella Coola | |
| Native to | Canada |
| Region | Bella Coola area, Central Coast region, British Columbia |
| Ethnicity | 1,660 Nuxalk (2014, FPCC) |
|
Native speakers
|
17 (2014, FPCC) |
|
Salishan
|
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | bell1243 |
Nuxalk /ˈnuːhɒlk/, also known as Bella Coola /ˈbɛlə ˈkuːlə/, is a Salishan language spoken by the Nuxalk people. Today it is spoken only in the vicinity of the Canadian town of Bella Coola, British Columbia by perhaps 20 elderly people. While the language is still sometimes called Bella Coola by linguists, the native name Nuxalk is preferred by some, notably by the Nuxalk Nation government.
Though the number of truly fluent speakers has not increased, the language is now taught in both the provincial school system and the Nuxalk Nation's own school, Acwsalcta, which means "a place of learning". Nuxalk language classes, if taken to at least the Grade 11 level, are considered adequate second language qualifications for entry to the major B.C. universities.
The name "Nuxalk" for the language comes from the native nuxalk (or nuχalk), referring to the "Bella Coola Valley." "Bella Coola" is a rendering of the Heiltsuk bḷ́xʷlá, meaning "stranger".
Nowadays, Nuxalk is spoken only in Bella Coola, British Columbia, surrounded by Wakashan- and Athabascan-speaking tribes. It was once spoken in over 100 settlements, with varying dialects, but in the present day most of these settlements have been abandoned and dialectal differences have largely disappeared.
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Wikipedia