Gitxsan language

Gitxsan
Gitxsanimaax, Gitxsanimx
Native toCanada
RegionSkeena region, British Columbia
Ethnicity5,680 Gitxsan
Native speakers
1,020 (2016 census)[1]
Tsimshianic
  • Nass–Gitksan
    • Gitxsan
Language codes
ISO 639-3git
Glottologgitx1241
ELPGitsenimx̱
Gitksan is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
PeopleGitx̱san
LanguageGitxsanimaax
CountryGitx̱san Lax̱yip

The Gitxsan language /ˈɡɪtsæn/,[2] or Gitxsanimaax (also rendered Gitksan, Giatikshan, Gityskyan, Giklsan and Sim Algyax[3]), is an endangered Tsimshianic language of northwestern British Columbia, closely related to the neighboring Nisga’a language. The two groups are, however, politically separate and prefer to refer to Gitxsan and Nisga'a as distinct languages. According to the Report on the status of B.C First Nations Languages[4] there are 523 fluent speakers, 639 that understand or somewhat speak and 344 learning speakers.[4]

Gitxsan means "People of the Skeena River" (Ksan being the name of the Skeena in Gitxsan).

  1. ^ "Language Highlight Tables, 2016 Census - Aboriginal mother tongue, Aboriginal language spoken most often at home and Other Aboriginal language(s) spoken regularly at home for the population excluding institutional residents of Canada, provinces and territories, 2016 Census – 100% Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Government of Canada, Statistics. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-23.
  2. ^ "Pronunciation Guide to First Nations in British Columbia". Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Archived from the original on 2014-01-23. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  3. ^ "GITXSAN LANGUAGE RESOURCES". GITXSAN LANGUAGE RESOURCES. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
  4. ^ a b Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages 2018. Britt Dunlop, Suzanne Gessner, Tracey Herbert. Brentwood Bay, BC, CA. 2018. ISBN 978-0-9868401-9-7. OCLC 1138040760.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)