| Haisla | |
|---|---|
| X̄a'islak̓ala, X̌àh̓isl̩ak̓ala | |
| Region | Central British Columbia coast inlet, Douglas Channel head, near Kitimat |
| Ethnicity | 1,680 Haisla people (2014, FPCC)[1] |
Native speakers | 240 (2014, FPCC)[1] |
Wakashan
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | has |
| Glottolog | hais1244 |
| ELP | X̄enaksialak̓ala / X̄aislak̓ala (Haisla) |
 Haisla is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
The Haisla language, (Haisla: X̄aʼislak̓ala / X̌àh̓isl̩ak̓ala, [ˈχaʔislakʼala]), is a First Nations Wakashan language spoken by the Haisla people of the North Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, who are based in the village of Kitamaat.
The name Haisla is derived from the Haisla word xàʼisla or xàʼisəla, meaning 'dwellers downriver'. The Haisla and their language, along with that of the neighbouring Heiltsuk and Wuikinuxv peoples, were in the past incorrectly called "Northern Kwakiutl".
Haisla is currently spoken by several hundred people but it is considered critically endangered. Haisla is geographically the northernmost Wakashan language. Its nearest Wakashan neighbor is Oowekyala.
- ^ a b Haisla at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)