Chimakuan | |
---|---|
Geographic distribution | Olympic Peninsula, Washington |
Linguistic classification | One of the world's primary language families |
Proto-language | Proto-Chimakuan |
Subdivisions | |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-2 / 5 | nai |
Glottolog | chim1311 |
Pre-contact distribution of Chimakuan languages |
The Chimakuan languages are a group of extinct languages that were spoken in northwestern Washington state, United States, on the Olympic Peninsula. They were spoken by Chimakum, Quileute and Hoh tribes. They are part of the Mosan sprachbund, and one of its languages is famous for having no nasal consonants. The two languages were about as close as English and German.[citation needed] Due to proximity, the Chimakuan languages are also similar to Wakashan.