Halkomelem Language

Halkomelem Language

Halkomelem (also Halq'eméylem in the Upriver dialect, Hul'q'umín'um' in the Island dialect, and hǝn̓q̓ǝmin̓ǝm̓ in the Downriver dialect) is a language of the First Nations peoples of southeastern Vancouver Island from the west shore of Saanich Inlet northward beyond Nanoose Bay, and of the mainland around the Fraser River Delta upriver to Harrison Lake and the lower boundary of Fraser Canyon in British Columbia.

In the classification of Salishan languages, Halkomelem is a member of the Central Salish branch. There are four other branches of the family: Tsamosan, Interior Salish, Bella Coola, and Tillamook. Speakers of the Central and Tsamosan languages are often identified in ethnographic literature as "Coast Salish."

The word "Halkomelem" is an anglicization for the language which has three distinguishable dialect groups: (1) an Island group, spoken by six separate but closely related First Nations in the Georgia Strait area around the mouth of the Fraser River: the Chemainus, Cowichan, Halalt, Lake Cowichan, Lyackson, and Penelakut, (2) a Downriver group, spoken by the Musqueam, Tsawwassen, Kwantlen, Tsleil-Waututh, Qayqayt, Kwikwetlem, and Katzie First Nations, and (3) an Upriver group, the Upper Sto:lo, spoken from the Matsqui First Nation on upstream.

The language differences (namely, in phonology and lexicon) are greatest between the Island and Upriver dialects, with the Downriver dialect (especially the Tsawwassen First Nation) providing a central link between the other two. The diversity of the Halkomelem dialects is noted to be the result of complex social and economic forces and linguistic change, as many Island people crossed the Georgia Strait to camp along the Fraser River (in both the Downriver and Upriver areas) for the summer runs of salmon. Arranged marriages between children in different dialect areas was also common, helping to establish a regional social network in the Strait of Georgia-Puget Sound Basin.