Kwak'wala
Wakashan (Northern)
Kwak'wala is the principal Northern Wakashan language, spoken by the Kwakwaka'wakw of British Columbia's central coast around Alert Bay, Fort Rupert, and Quatsino Sound. Its phoneme inventory includes ejectives (k', t', p'), uvulars, lateral affricates, and a distinct laryngeal series that combine into onset clusters of remarkable density. The language is famous for its association with the elaborate potlatch ceremonies that anthropologist Franz Boas documented intensively in the late 19th century.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Kwak'wala
Water
'wap
/ʔwap/
Fire
lax̱
/lax/
Sun
ƛ'isa̱la
/tɬʼisəla/
Moon
'mukwa
/ʔmukʷa/
Star
kʼutʼala
/kʼutʼala/
Mother
abe
/abe/
Father
o̱mp
/omp/
I
nugwaʼam
/nuɡʷaʔam/
You
suʼ
/suʔ/
Name
ʼLegam
/ɬəɡəm/
Eye
gigayu
/ɡiɡaju/
Hand
'wała
/ʔwaɬa/
Heart
ts'iłas
/tsʼiɬas/
Love
'ya̱x̱is
/ʔjəxis/
Tree
x̱o̱kwa
/xokʷa/
House
g̱ukw
/ɡukʷ/
Dog
'wa̱ts'i
/ʔwətsʼi/
Cat
pi̱s
/pis/
Eat
ha̱'ma̱p
/həʔməp/
Drink
na̱'qa
/naʔqa/
One
'na̱m
/ʔnəm/
Two
maʼłok
/maːɬuxʷ/
Hello
gilakas'la
/ɡilakasʔla/
Thank you
gilakas'la
/ɡilakasʔla/
Good
ek
/ek/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Wakashan (Northern) languages
| Meaning | Kwak'wala | Tojolabal | Tzotzil | Aguacateco | Tabasco Chontal | Chol | Tarahumara |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 'wap /ʔwap/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | voʼ /voʔ/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | bawí /bawi/ |
| Fire | lax̱ /lax/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼokʼ /kʼokʼ/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | kʼajk /kʼahk/ | nahí /nahi/ |
| Sun | ƛ'isa̱la /tɬʼisəla/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | kʼakʼal /kʼakʼal/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | kʼin /kʼin/ | kʼiñ /kʼiɲ/ | rayó /ɾajo/ |
| Moon | 'mukwa /ʔmukʷa/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | u /u/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | ä /æ/ | uw /uw/ | mecá /metʃa/ |
| Star | kʼutʼala /kʼutʼala/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ | kʼanal /kʼanal/ | chumeʼl /tʃumeʔl/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | ekʼ /ʔekʼ/ | sopolí /sopoli/ |
| Mother | abe /abe/ | nan /nan/ | meʼ /meʔ/ | naa /naː/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | ñaʼ /ɲaʔ/ | iyé /ije/ |
| Father | o̱mp /omp/ | tat /tat/ | tot /tot/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ | tat /tat/ | onó /ono/ |
| I | nugwaʼam /nuɡʷaʔam/ | keʼn /keʔn/ | voʼon /voʔon/ | in /in/ | noʼon /noʔon/ | joñoñ /hoɲoɲ/ | nejé /nehe/ |
| You | suʼ /suʔ/ | weʼn /weʔn/ | voʼot /voʔot/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | neʼet /neʔet/ | jatyet /hatʲet/ | mujé /muhe/ |
| Name | ʼLegam /ɬəɡəm/ | bʼiʼil /ɓiʔil/ | biil /ɓiːl/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | kʼabaʼ /kʼaɓaʔ/ | riwá /ɾiwa/ |
| Eye | gigayu /ɡiɡaju/ | satej /sateh/ | sat /sat/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | wich /witʃ/ | wut /wut/ | pusí /pusi/ |
| Hand | 'wała /ʔwaɬa/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | kʼob /kʼob/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼä /kʼæ/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | sekuá /sekwa/ |
| Heart | ts'iłas /tsʼiɬas/ | altzil /altsil/ | oʼon /oʔon/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | pixan /piʃan/ | pusʼikʼal /pusʼikʼal/ | surí /suɾi/ |
| Love | 'ya̱x̱is /ʔjəxis/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | kʼanel /kʼanel/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | kʼuxbe /kʼuʃbe/ | kʼuxbiñ /kʼuʃbiɲ/ | nakí /naki/ |
| Tree | x̱o̱kwa /xokʷa/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | gokó /ɡoko/ |
| House | g̱ukw /ɡukʷ/ | naj /nah/ | na /na/ | nya /ɲa/ | otot /otot/ | otyot /otjot/ | kalí /kali/ |
| Dog | 'wa̱ts'i /ʔwətsʼi/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | pekʼ /pekʼ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | kochí /kotʃi/ |
| Cat | pi̱s /pis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ | misí /misi/ |
| Eat | ha̱'ma̱p /həʔməp/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | veʼel /veʔel/ | wii /wiː/ | weʼ /weʔ/ | kʼux /kʼuʃ/ | koʼa /koʔa/ |
| Drink | na̱'qa /naʔqa/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | uchʼ /utʃʼ/ | uuk /uːk/ | ukʼe /ukʼe/ | ucʼ /utsʼ/ | bahí /bahi/ |
| One | 'na̱m /ʔnəm/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | jun /hun/ | un /un/ | juñ /huɲ/ | bilé /bile/ |
| Two | maʼłok /maːɬuxʷ/ | chabʼ /tʃaɓ/ | chib /tʃiɓ/ | kaʼwutz /kaʔwuts/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | chaʼ /tʃaʔ/ | okuá /okwa/ |
| Hello | gilakas'la /ɡilakasʔla/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | kʼusi avokoluk /kʼusi avokoluk/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | bin a bel /bin a bel/ | kabʼ /kaɓ/ | kuira /kuiɾa/ |
| Thank you | gilakas'la /ɡilakasʔla/ | yuj /juh/ | kolaval /kolaval/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | dios boʼtik /dios boʔtik/ | wokox /wokoʃ/ | matéterabá /mateteɾaba/ |
| Good | ek /ek/ | lek /lek/ | lek /lek/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | tsʼak /tsʼak/ | utsat /utsat/ | galá /ɡala/ |
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