Lushootseed
Encyclopedia
Lushootseed is the language or dialect continuum
of several Salish
Native American
groups of modern-day Washington state. Lushootseed is a member of Coast Salish
, one of the two main divisions of the Salishan language group.
Lushootseed, like its neighbour Twana
, is in the Southern Coast Salish subgroup of the Salishan family of languages. The language was spoken by many Puget Sound
region peoples, including the Duwamish
, Steilacoom, Suquamish
, Squaxin Island Tribe
, Muckleshoot
, Nisqually
, and Puyallup
in the south and the Snohomish
, Stillaguamish, Skagit
, and Swinomish in the north.
Ethnologue
reports that there are only 60 fluent speakers of Lushootseed, evenly divided between the northern and southern dialects.http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=lut On the other hand, the Ethnologue's list of United States languages also lists, alongside Lushootseed's 60 speakers, 100 speakers for Skagit, 107 for Southern Puget Sound Salish, and 10 for Snohomish (a dialect on the boundary between the northern and southern varieties).http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=US
The division into Northern and Southern groups is based on vocabulary and stress patterns. The dialects form a cline
.
sác̓əb : Chinook or King
x̌ʔəwádxʷ : sockeye salmon
sq̓ə́čqs : coho salmon
ƛ̕xʷáy : chum salmon
hədúʔ : the pink salmon
qíw̓x̌ : steelhead
pədkʷəxʷic : coho season
sc̓áyʼt : gills
ɬičáʔa : nets
ɬičaʔalikʷ : net fishing
ʔálil tiʔíɬ ƛ̕usq̓íl : spawning season
skʷəlúb : body fat
sč̕ət̓šáds : tailfin
t̓áltəd : fillet knife
sq̓wəlús : fish dried for storage
səlúsqid : fish heads
qəlx̌ : dried salmon eggs
ƛ̕ə́bƛ̕əbqʷ : fresh eggs
sɬúʔb : dried chum
sxʷúdᶻəʔdaliɬəd : fish with a large amount of body fat
xʷšábús : lightly smoked
yubəč : Chinook or King
scəqiʔ : sockeye salmon
ƛ̕xʷayʔ : chum salmon
skʷəxʷic : silver salmon
čəxʷəluʔ : Grey Whale
sq̓aƛ̕ : otter
sup̓qs: seal
sťəqxʷ : beaver
sqibk̕ʷ : octopus
ʔaləšək : Western pond turtle
waq̓waq̓ : frog
sk̕ʷic̕i : sea urchin
təǰabac : sea cucumber
q̓ʷəlačiʔ : star fish
bəsqʷ : crab
ťaɫiɡʷs : Rock Cod
p̓uay̓ : flounder
kəlapx̌ʷəlč : jelly fish
sʔax̌ʷuʔ : clam
tulqʷ : mussel
ƛ̕ux̌ʷƛ̕ux̌ʷ : oyster
c̕ubc̕ub : barnacle
sx̌aʔaʔ : little neck steam clams
xʷč́iɫqs : large native oyster
ɡʷidəq : geoduck
stxʷub : butter clam
sx̌əpab : cockle clam
haʔəc : horse clam
č́ič́əlpyaqid or puʔps : periwinkle
sč́awyʔ : any seashell
ʔuk̕ʷs : large chiton
x̌ald : small chiton
Dialect continuum
A dialect continuum, or dialect area, was defined by Leonard Bloomfield as a range of dialects spoken across some geographical area that differ only slightly between neighboring areas, but as one travels in any direction, these differences accumulate such that speakers from opposite ends of the...
of several Salish
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
groups of modern-day Washington state. Lushootseed is a member of Coast Salish
Coast Salish
Coast Salish languages are a subgroup of the Salishan language family. These languages are spoken by First Nations or Native American peoples inhabiting the territory that is now the southwest coast of British Columbia around the Strait of Georgia and Washington state around Puget Sound...
, one of the two main divisions of the Salishan language group.
Lushootseed, like its neighbour Twana
Twana language
The Twana language or Skokomish language belongs to the Salishan family of Native American languages. It is believed by some elders within the Skokomish community that the language branched off from Lushootseed because of the region-wide tradition of not speaking the name of someone who died for...
, is in the Southern Coast Salish subgroup of the Salishan family of languages. The language was spoken by many Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
region peoples, including the Duwamish
Duwamish (tribe)
The Duwamish are a Lushootseed Native American tribe in western Washington, and the indigenous people of metropolitan Seattle, where they have been living since the end of the last glacial period...
, Steilacoom, Suquamish
Suquamish
The Suquamish are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American Tribe, located in present-day Washington in the United States.The Suquamish are a southern Coast Salish people; they spoke a dialect of Lushootseed, which belongs to the Salishan language family. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the...
, Squaxin Island Tribe
Squaxin Island Tribe
The Squaxin Island Tribe is a Native American tribal government in western Washington state in the United States. The Squaxin Island Tribe is made up of several Lushootseed clans: the Noo-Seh-Chatl, Steh-Chass, Squi-Aitl, T'Peeksin, Sa-Heh-Wa-Mish, Squawksin, and S'Hotle-Ma-Mish...
, Muckleshoot
Muckleshoot
The Muckleshoot are a Lushootseed Native American tribe, part of the Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest whose traditional territory and reservations is located in the area of Auburn, Washington, between Seattle and Tacoma...
, Nisqually
Nisqually (tribe)
Nisqually is a Lushootseed Native American tribe in western Washington state in the United States. The tribe lives on a reservation in the Nisqually River valley near the river delta. The Nisqually Indian Reservation, at , comprises 20.602 km² of land area on both sides of the river, in...
, and Puyallup
Puyallup (tribe)
The Puyallup are a Coast Salish Native American tribe from western Washington state, U.S.A. They were forcibly relocated onto reservation lands in what is today Tacoma, Washington, in late 1854, after signing the Treaty of Medicine Creek. The Puyallup Indian Reservation today is one of the most...
in the south and the Snohomish
Snohomish (tribe)
The Snohomish are a Lushootseed Native American tribe who reside around the Puget Sound area of Washington, north of Seattle. They speak the Lushootseed language. The tribal spelling is Sdoh-doh-hohbsh, which means "wet snow" according to the last chief of the Snohomish tribe, Chief William...
, Stillaguamish, Skagit
Skagit (tribe)
The Skagit are either of two tribes of the Lushootseed Native American people living in the state of Washington, the Upper Skagit and the Lower Skagit. They speak a subdialect of the Northern dialect of Lushootseed, which is part of the Salishan family. The Skagit River, Skagit Bay, and Skagit...
, and Swinomish in the north.
Ethnologue
Ethnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
reports that there are only 60 fluent speakers of Lushootseed, evenly divided between the northern and southern dialects.http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=lut On the other hand, the Ethnologue's list of United States languages also lists, alongside Lushootseed's 60 speakers, 100 speakers for Skagit, 107 for Southern Puget Sound Salish, and 10 for Snohomish (a dialect on the boundary between the northern and southern varieties).http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=US
Subdivisions
Lushootseed consists of two dialect groups which can be further divided into subdialects:- Northern Lushootseed
- SnohomishSnohomishSnohomish can refer to:* Snohomish , a tribe of Native Americans* Snohomish, Washington, a city located in the county of the same name* Snohomish County, Washington* The Snohomish River in Washington...
(at Tulalip) - StillaguamishStillaguamishStillaguamish can refer to:*Stillaguamish River*Stillaguamish of Native Americans...
- Lower Skagit-Swinomish (on Skagit RiverSkagit RiverThe Skagit River is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi long...
and on Whidbey IslandWhidbey IslandWhidbey Island is one of nine islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States. Whidbey is located about north of Seattle, and lies between the Olympic Peninsula and the I-5 corridor of western Washington...
) - Upper SkagitUpper Skagit (tribe)The Upper Skagit are a Lushootseed Native American tribe living in the state of Washington. In pre-Colonial times, the tribe occupied lands along the Skagit River, from as far downstream as the land currently occupied by Mount Vernon, Washington, and villages going north as far as Newhalem along...
- Sauk-SuiattleSauk-SuiattleSauk-Suiattle, or Sah-Ku-Me-Hu, is a Native American tribe in western Washington state in the United States. The tribe originally lived along the banks of the Sauk, Suiattle, Cascade, Stillaguamish, and Skagit Rivers. The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Reservation is in this area, centered near Darrington,...
(on Sauk RiverSauk River (Washington)The Sauk River is a tributary of the Skagit River, approximately long, in northwestern Washington in the United States. It drains an area of the high Cascade Range in the watershed of Puget Sound north of Seattle. The river is a popular destination for fly fishing...
and Suiattle RiverSuiattle RiverThe Suiattle River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington.-Course:The Suiattle River originates from the Suiattle Glacier on the slopes of Glacier Peak in the Cascade Range. It flows generally northwest to join the Sauk River north of Darrington. The Sauk River in turn joins the Skagit River,...
)
- Snohomish
- Southern Lushootseed
- Skykomish
- SnoqualmieSnoqualmie (tribe)The Snoqualmie Tribe is a tribal government of Coast Salish Native American peoples from the Snoqualmie Valley in east King and Snohomish Counties in Washington state. The Snoqualmie settled onto the Tulalip Reservation after signing the Point Elliott Treaty with the Washington Territory in 1855...
- Steilacoom
- SuquamishSuquamishThe Suquamish are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American Tribe, located in present-day Washington in the United States.The Suquamish are a southern Coast Salish people; they spoke a dialect of Lushootseed, which belongs to the Salishan language family. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the...
- DuwamishDuwamish (tribe)The Duwamish are a Lushootseed Native American tribe in western Washington, and the indigenous people of metropolitan Seattle, where they have been living since the end of the last glacial period...
- WhulshootseedWhulshootseedWhulshootseed was a Native American language in Washington, which was spoken by the Muckleshoot tribe. A dialect of Lushootseed, it is part of the Coast Salish language group. The last native speaker is Ellen Williams, born 1923....
(Muckleshoot people) (on Green and White rivers) - PuyallupPuyallup (tribe)The Puyallup are a Coast Salish Native American tribe from western Washington state, U.S.A. They were forcibly relocated onto reservation lands in what is today Tacoma, Washington, in late 1854, after signing the Treaty of Medicine Creek. The Puyallup Indian Reservation today is one of the most...
- NisquallyNisqually (tribe)Nisqually is a Lushootseed Native American tribe in western Washington state in the United States. The tribe lives on a reservation in the Nisqually River valley near the river delta. The Nisqually Indian Reservation, at , comprises 20.602 km² of land area on both sides of the river, in...
- Sahewamish
The division into Northern and Southern groups is based on vocabulary and stress patterns. The dialects form a cline
Cline
Cline, as spelled, is an Irish surname with historical roots in County Roscommon.People bearing the name include:* Catherine Ann Cline , American historian and author* Edward Cline , American screenwriter and director...
.
Alphabet
According to work published by Vi Hilbert and other Lushootseed language specialists, Lushootseed uses a morphophonemic writing system meaning that it is a phonemic alphabet with slight changes occurring periodically, such as when an affix is introduced. The chart below is based on the Lushootseed Dictionary. Typographic variations such as p' and p̓ do not indicate phonemic distinctions.| Letter | Letter Name | IPA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ? | Glottal stop | /ʁˀ/ | |
| a | /ɑ/ | ||
| b | /b/ | ||
| b' | Glottalized b | /ɓ/ | Rare sound, does not begin words |
| c | /t͡s/ | ||
| c' | Glottalized c | /tsˀ/ | |
| č | c-wedge | /c͡ç/ | |
| č' | Glottalized c-wedge | /t͡sʼ/ | |
| d | /d/ | ||
| dᶻ | d-raised-z | /dz/ | |
| ə | Schwa | /ə~əʲ/ | |
| g | /g/ | ||
| gʷ | g-raised-w | /gʷ/ | |
| h | /hʼ/ | ||
| i | /ɪ~i/ | ||
| ǰ | j-wedge | /ɟ͡ʝ/ | |
| k | /k/ | ||
| k' | Glottalized k | /kʼ/ | |
| kʷ | k-raised-w | /kʷ/ | |
| k'ʷ | Glottalized k-raised-w | /kʼʷ/ | |
| l | /l/ | ||
| l' | Strictured l | /ɫ/ | |
| ɬ | Barred-l | /ɬ/ | |
| ƛ' | Glottalized barred-lambda | /ƛʼ/ | Voiceless ejective lateral alveolar affricate |
| m | /m/ | ||
| m' | Strictured m | /m̥ ̰ / | Laryngealized bilabial nasal |
| n | /n/ | ||
| n' | Strictured n | /n̥ ̰/ | Laryngealized alveolar nasal |
| p | /p/ | ||
| p' | Glottalized p | /pʼ/ | |
| q | /q/ | ||
| q' | Glottalized q | /qʼ/ | |
| qʷ | q-raised-w | /qʷ/ | |
| q'ʷ | Glottalized q-raised-w | /q'ʷ/ | |
| s | /s/ | ||
| š | s-wedge | /ç~ɕ/ | |
| t | /t/ | ||
| t' | Glottalized t | /tʼ/ | |
| u | /ʉ/ | ||
| w | /w~ʋ/ | ||
| w' | Strictured w | /w ̰/ | Laryngealized high back rounded glide |
| xʷ | x-w | /xʷ/ | |
| x̌ | x-wedge | /χ/ | |
| x̌ʷ | Rounded x-wedge | /χʷ/ | |
| y | /j/ | ||
| y' | Strictured y | /j ̰/ |
Southern Lushootseed salmonid vocabulary
ačədádxʷ : a word that covers all Pacific salmon and some species of trout.sác̓əb : Chinook or King
x̌ʔəwádxʷ : sockeye salmon
sq̓ə́čqs : coho salmon
ƛ̕xʷáy : chum salmon
hədúʔ : the pink salmon
qíw̓x̌ : steelhead
pədkʷəxʷic : coho season
sc̓áyʼt : gills
ɬičáʔa : nets
ɬičaʔalikʷ : net fishing
ʔálil tiʔíɬ ƛ̕usq̓íl : spawning season
skʷəlúb : body fat
sč̕ət̓šáds : tailfin
t̓áltəd : fillet knife
sq̓wəlús : fish dried for storage
səlúsqid : fish heads
qəlx̌ : dried salmon eggs
ƛ̕ə́bƛ̕əbqʷ : fresh eggs
sɬúʔb : dried chum
sxʷúdᶻəʔdaliɬəd : fish with a large amount of body fat
xʷšábús : lightly smoked
Northern Lushootseed salmonid vocabulary
sʔuladxʷ : a word that covers all Pacific salmon and some species of trout.yubəč : Chinook or King
scəqiʔ : sockeye salmon
ƛ̕xʷayʔ : chum salmon
skʷəxʷic : silver salmon
Northern Lushootseed aquatic vocabulary
qalʼqaləx̌ič : Blackfish - Killer Whalečəxʷəluʔ : Grey Whale
sq̓aƛ̕ : otter
sup̓qs: seal
sťəqxʷ : beaver
sqibk̕ʷ : octopus
ʔaləšək : Western pond turtle
waq̓waq̓ : frog
sk̕ʷic̕i : sea urchin
təǰabac : sea cucumber
q̓ʷəlačiʔ : star fish
bəsqʷ : crab
ťaɫiɡʷs : Rock Cod
p̓uay̓ : flounder
kəlapx̌ʷəlč : jelly fish
sʔax̌ʷuʔ : clam
tulqʷ : mussel
ƛ̕ux̌ʷƛ̕ux̌ʷ : oyster
c̕ubc̕ub : barnacle
sx̌aʔaʔ : little neck steam clams
xʷč́iɫqs : large native oyster
ɡʷidəq : geoduck
stxʷub : butter clam
sx̌əpab : cockle clam
haʔəc : horse clam
č́ič́əlpyaqid or puʔps : periwinkle
sč́awyʔ : any seashell
ʔuk̕ʷs : large chiton
x̌ald : small chiton