Klallam language

Klallam
nəxʷsƛ̕ay̕əmúcən
Pronunciation/nxʷst͡ɬʼajˀˈmut͡sn/
Native toUnited States
RegionWashington
Extinct2014, with the death of Hazel Sampson)[1][2]
RevivalSpoken through youth programs[3][4]
Dialects
  • Elwha Klallam
  • Becher Bay Klallam
  • Jamestown Klallam
  • Little Boston Klallam
Language codes
ISO 639-3clm
Glottologclal1241
ELPKlallam
Pre-contact distribution of the Klallam people and language
Klallam is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
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Klallam, Clallam, Ns'Klallam or S'klallam (endonym: nəxʷsƛ̕ay̕əmúcən, /nxʷst͡ɬʼajˀˈmut͡sn/), is a Straits Salishan language historically spoken by the Klallam people at Becher Bay on Vancouver Island in British Columbia and across the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington.[5] The last native speaker of Klallam as a first language died in 2014,[6] but there is a growing group of speakers of Klallam as a second language.

Klallam is closely related to the Northern Straits Salish dialects, Sooke, Lekwungen, Saanich, Lummi, and Samish[7] but the languages are not mutually intelligible. There were several dialects of Klallam, including Elwha Klallam, Becher Bay Klallam, Jamestown S'Klallam and Little Boston S'Klallam.[8]

  1. ^ Kaminsky, Jonathan (2014-02-06). "Last native speaker of Klallam language dies in Washington state". Reuters. Retrieved 2014-03-05.
  2. ^ Klallam at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  3. ^ "Klallam Language Classes Taught at Port Angeles High School". KNKX Public Radio. 2018-06-08. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  4. ^ "Reviving an Endangered Language". www.nehforall.org. Retrieved 2024-05-16.
  5. ^ "Linguist keeping language, culture of Pacific Northwest tribes alive". News, University of North Texas. 2002-09-26. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  6. ^ "Last native speaker of Klallam language dies in Washington state", Reuters, February 7, 2014.
  7. ^ Klallam language website
  8. ^ Timothy, Montler (2015). Klallam grammar. Seattle. ISBN 9780295994611. OCLC 891427525.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)