Shuswap Language

The Shuswap language ( /ˈʃuːʃwɑːp/; Secwepemctsín ) is the traditional language of the Shuswap people ( Secwépemc ) of British Columbia. An endangered language, Shuswap is spoken mainly in the Central and Southern interior of British Columbia between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains. According to the 2011 Canadian census, 680 people speak Shuswap as a mother tongue.

Shuswap is the northernmost of the Interior Salish languages, which are spoken in Canada and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. There are two dialects of Shuswap:

  • Eastern: Kinbasket and Shuswap Lake
  • Western: Canim Lake, Chu Chua, Deadman's Creek–Kamloops, Fraser River, and Pavilion–Bonaparte

The other Northern Interior Salish languages are Lillooet and Thompson.

Most of the material in this article is from Kuipers (1974).

Read more about Shuswap Language:  Language Revitalization and Technology, Phonology, Sample Lexicon

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