Halkomelem language

language
name=Halkomelem
nativename=Halq'eméylem, Hul'qumi'num', unicode|Hǝn'q'ǝmin'ǝm'
states=Canada, United States
region=Southern British Columbia into northern Washington
speakers=200
familycolor=American
fam1=Salishan
fam2=Coast Salish
iso2=sal|iso3=hur

Halkomelem (also Halq'eméylem, Hul'qumi'num', and unicode|Hǝn'q'ǝmin'ǝm') is a Coast Salishan language of the First Nations around the Fraser River and the southern end of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Halkomelem is most closely related to Sḵwxwú7mesh snichim (Squamish), Sháshíshálh (Sechelt), and Lhéchalosem (Nooksack).

The word "Halkomelem" is an anglicization for a language with three dialects: "Halq'eméylem", the dialect spoken by the upriver of the Fraser Valley, "unicode|Hǝn'q'ǝmin'ǝm'", the dialect of the downriver Stó:lō, and "Hulq'umín'um'", spoken by six separate but closely related First Nations in the Georgia Strait area: the Chemainus, Cowichan, Halalt, Lake Cowichan, Lyackson, and Penelakut. [ [http://www.hulquminum.bc.ca/ Hul'quim'num Treaty Group] ]

In 1977 Brent Galloway of the University of California, Berkeley compiled the first grammar of Upriver (Chilliwack) Halkomelem and developed the now-official Stó:lō orthography. He is currently working on a Halkomelem dictionary.

According to Galloway, some words in Halkomelem "encapsulate the whole knowledge of the culture." The language has a rich oral literature which shows a whole way of looking at the universe that is different from that of English or other European languages.

The Halkomelem language is near extinction largely due to the extensive transportation of First Nations children to residential schools. In 2000, it was estimated that the number of fluent Halkomelem speakers was less than one dozen. Language programs at the , Seabird Island First Nation, and Cowichan First Nation have been developed to save the language. A program aimed at adults at Musqueam is a collaboration between the band and the University of British Columbia First Nations Language Program.

Basic Halq'eméylem words and phrases

Phonology

It tells something about how the phonology of the language contrasts with those English speakers are more likely to be used to to note that, while the word 'language' is derived from a root meaning 'tongue', the names of languages in Hul’q’umi’num are formed by appending '-qun', meaning 'throat'.

The phonology of the unicode|Hǝn'q'ǝmin'ǝm' dialect is (based on the charts at [http://www.languagegeek.com/ LanguageGeek] ):

The vowels are IPA|/i u e ə a/, with long counterparts IPA|/iː uː eː aː/.

Peoples speaking Halkomelem

Hul'qumi'num (Hul’q’umi’num’: Island dialect)

*Penelakut First Nation
*Nanoose First Nation
*Somena
*Halalt First Nation
*Lyackson First Nation
*Malahat First Nation
*Snuneymuxw First Nation
*Cowichan Tribes
*Cowichan Lake First Nation
*Quamichan

Hunquminum (Hǝn̓q̓ǝmin̓ǝm̓: Downriver dialect)

*Tsawwassen First Nation
*Musqueam First Nation
*Kwantlen First Nation
*Coquitlam First Nation
*Katzie First Nation

Halqemeylem (Halq’eméylem: Upriver dialect)

*Matsqui First Nation
*Sumas First Nation
*Lakahahmen Lake First Nation
*Scowlitz First Nation
*Skwah First Nation
*Seabird Island First Nation
*Yale First Nation
*Tsakuam First Nation
*Union Bar First Nation
*Chawathil First Nation
*Skawahlook First Nation
*Skwah First Nation
*Ohamil First Nation
*Peters First Nation
*Popkum First Nation
*Cheam First Nation
*Skway First Nation
*Squiala First Nation
*Aitchelitz First Nation
*Kwawkwawapilt First Nation
*Yakweakwioose First Nation
*Skowkale First Nation
*Tzeachten First Nation
*Soowahlie First Nation
*Chehalis First Nation (non-)

ee also

*Brent Galloway
*Donna Gerdts
*Patricia Shaw
*Wayne Suttles

External links

* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=hur Ethnologue Report for Halkomelem]
* [http://www.ydli.org/langs/halkomelem.htm First Nations Languages of British Columbia page on Halkomelem]
* [http://www.languagegeek.com/salishan/halkomelem.html Language Geek page on Halkomelem]
* [http://www.ydli.org/bcother/bclstat.htm Status of British Columbia First Nations Languages]
* [http://www.snuneymuxw.ca/hulqdictionary.htm Hul'q'umin'um Talking Dictionary]
* [http://www.sfu.ca/halk-ethnobiology/html/main.htm Halkomelem Ethnobiology Web Site (SFU)]
* [http://home.istar.ca/~bthom/icsnl2002-edited.htm Themes, thoughts, and theories on strategic planning for Hul'qumi'num language revitalization]

References

*Carlson, Keith Thor, ed. 2001. "A Stó:lō-Coast Salish Historical Atlas". Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre.
*Suttles, Wayne. 2004. "Musqueam Reference Grammar". Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.