Nuu-Chah-Nulth (Nuučaan̓uł / T'aat'aaqsapa)

Nuu-Chah-Nulth is a southern Wakashan language spoken by about 150-200 people on the Northwest coast of British Columbia in Canada. The language is more commonly known as Nootka, an Anglicised version of Nu-chah-nulth or Nuuchahnulth, which means "along the mountains" and is prefered by those who speak it.

Nu-chah-nulth is spoken mainly by elders, but there is increasing interest in the language among younger Nu-chah-nulth people.

The Nuu-Chah-Nulth language was first mentioned in the writings of European explorers and traders who visited Nootka Sound and others areas with Nuu-chah-nulth communities, and 1815 saw the publication of a memoir by an English blacksmith, John R. Jewitt, who was held captive in Nootka Sound. He tried to learn the language and included a brief glossary of words in his memoir.

Nuu-Chah-Nulth alphabet

Nuu-Chah-Nulth alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Nuu-Chah-Nulth (Excel)

Sample text in Nuu-Chah-Nulth

Standard orthography

ʔUyaaƛaḥ hawiiʔaƛii maapt̓ał c̓išaaʔatḥ ʔuukʷił yuułuʔiłʔatḥ ʔaḥʔaaʔaƛsi n̓ačuʔałʔaƛsi hiikʷis. Meʔiƛqacʔissi ʔiiqḥii ʔanaḥʔis. C̓uʔičḥ qaʔuła p̓iip̓inw̓ałiiq ʔeʔiiḥiiq c̓išaaʔatḥ qaʔuła. Huʔanakšiʔaƛ nism̓a hiteʔitap̓aƛ ʔukʷił yuułuʔiłʔatḥ maapt̓ał. ʔUunuuʔaƛ ʔaḥʔaa ḥałḥaqułʔaƛ qaʔuła ʔani ƛułukqa ƛ̓uƛ̓im c̓eʔinwa hiłḥʔaƛ ƛ̓asatis sučicaqimł qaʔuła.

Bouchard orthography

7uyaatlaẖ hawii7atlii maapt’alh ts’ishaa7atẖ 7uukwilh yuulhu7ilhatẖ 7aẖ7aa7atlsi n̓achu7alh7atlsi hiikwis. Me7itlḵats7issi 7iiḵẖii 7anaẖ7is. Ts’u7ichẖ ḵa7ulha p’iip’inw̓alhiiḵ 7e7iiẖiiḵ ts’ishaa7atẖ ḵa7ulha. Hu7anakshi7atl nism̓a hite7itap’atl 7ukwilh yuulhu7ilh7atẖ maapt’alh. 7uunuu7atl 7aẖ’aa ẖalhẖaḵulh7atl ḵa7ulha 7ani tlulhukḵa tl’uch’im ts’e7inwa hilhẖ7atl tl’asatis suchitsaḵimlh ḵa7ulha.

Source: http://www.languagegeek.com/wakashan/nuuchahnulthtext.html

Sample video

Information about Nuu-Chah-Nulth | Numbers

Links

Information about the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Language
http://www.native-languages.org/nootka.htm
http://www.languagegeek.com/wakashan/nuuchahnulth.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuu-chah-nulth_language
http://www.tseshaht.com/history-culture/language

Nuu-Chah-Nulth courses
http://www.nuuchahnulth.org/language/language.html
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUbtmBq4pVNFBmTtBXpj62QBfQ-GAl7Lw

Wakashan languages

Ditidaht, Haisla, Heiltsuk, Kwak̓wala, Liq’wala, Makah, Nuu-Chah-Nulth, Oowekyala

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 17.09.23

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