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
20 core words in Kwak'wala
Water
'wap
/ʔwap/
Fire
lax̱
/lax/
Sun
ƛ'isa̱la
/tɬʼisəla/
Moon
'mukwa
/ʔmukʷa/
Mother
abe
/abe/
Father
o̱mp
/omp/
Eat
ha̱'ma̱p
/həʔməp/
Drink
na̱'qa
/naʔqa/
Love
'ya̱x̱is
/ʔjəxis/
Heart
ts'iłas
/tsʼiɬas/
Tree
x̱o̱kwa
/xokʷa/
House
g̱ukw
/ɡukʷ/
Dog
'wa̱ts'i
/ʔwətsʼi/
Cat
pi̱s
/pis/
Hand
'wała
/ʔwaɬa/
Eye
gigayu
/ɡiɡaju/
Hello
gilakas'la
/ɡilakasʔla/
Thank you
gilakas'la
/ɡilakasʔla/
One
'na̱m
/ʔnəm/
Good
ek
/ek/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Wakashan (Northern) languages
| Meaning | Kwak'wala | Tarahumara | Sakizaya | Tojolabal | Wixarika | Aguacateco | Tzeltal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 'wap /ʔwap/ | bawí /bawi/ | nanum /nanum/ | jaʼ /haʔ/ | ha /ha/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | jaʼ /xaʔ/ |
| Fire | lax̱ /lax/ | nahí /nahi/ | lamal /lamal/ | kʼakʼ /kʼakʼ/ | tai /tai/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | kʼaal /kʼaːl/ |
| Sun | ƛ'isa̱la /tɬʼisəla/ | rayó /ɾajo/ | cidal /tʃidal/ | kʼakʼu /kʼakʼu/ | tau /tau/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | kʼajkʼal /kʼaxkʼal/ |
| Moon | 'mukwa /ʔmukʷa/ | mecá /metʃa/ | ʔulalalalal /ʔulalal/ | ixaw /iʃaw/ | metsa /metsa/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | u /u/ |
| Mother | abe /abe/ | iyé /ije/ | ina /ina/ | nan /nan/ | nana /nana/ | naa /naː/ | meʼ /meʔ/ |
| Father | o̱mp /omp/ | onó /ono/ | ama /ama/ | tat /tat/ | yawe /jawe/ | mam /mam/ | tat /tat/ |
| Eat | ha̱'ma̱p /həʔməp/ | koʼa /koʔa/ | hekal /hekal/ | waʼel /waʔel/ | kuye /kuje/ | wii /wiː/ | weʼel /weʔel/ |
| Drink | na̱'qa /naʔqa/ | bahí /bahi/ | mihecak /mihetʃak/ | ukʼ /ukʼ/ | hi'eka /hiʔeka/ | uuk /uːk/ | uchʼel /utʃʼel/ |
| Love | 'ya̱x̱is /ʔjəxis/ | nakí /naki/ | kapah /kapah/ | skʼana /skʼana/ | kanenki /kanenki/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | kʼanbey /kʼanbej/ |
| Heart | ts'iłas /tsʼiɬas/ | surí /suɾi/ | gawang /ɡawaŋ/ | alma /alma/ | iyari /ijari/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | oʼtan /oʔtan/ |
| Tree | x̱o̱kwa /xokʷa/ | gokó /ɡoko/ | kilang /kilaŋ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | kiyé /kije/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | teʼ /teʔ/ |
| House | g̱ukw /ɡukʷ/ | kalí /kali/ | luma /luma/ | naj /nah/ | ki /ki/ | nya /ɲa/ | na /na/ |
| Dog | 'wa̱ts'i /ʔwətsʼi/ | kochí /kotʃi/ | waco /watʃo/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | tsïkï /tsɨkɨ/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | tsʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ |
| Cat | pi̱s /pis/ | misí /misi/ | posi /posi/ | mis /mis/ | mitsu /mitsu/ | mis /mis/ | mis /mis/ |
| Hand | 'wała /ʔwaɬa/ | sekuá /sekwa/ | kamay /kamai/ | kʼabʼ /kʼaɓ/ | mama /mama/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kʼab /kʼab/ |
| Eye | gigayu /ɡiɡaju/ | pusí /pusi/ | mata /mata/ | satej /sateh/ | tukite /tukite/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | sit /sit/ |
| Hello | gilakas'la /ɡilakasʔla/ | kuira /kuiɾa/ | marayas /maɾajas/ | lekilukʼ /lekilukʼ/ | kekuanenki /kekwanenki/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | banti winik /banti winik/ |
| Thank you | gilakas'la /ɡilakasʔla/ | matéterabá /mateteɾaba/ | lalumahan /lalumahan/ | yuj /juh/ | pa'iwakaitsie /paʔiwakaitsje/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | wokol awal /wokol awal/ |
| One | 'na̱m /ʔnəm/ | bilé /bile/ | cacay /tʃatʃai/ | jun /hun/ | xevi /ʃevi/ | jun /hun/ | jun /xun/ |
| Good | ek /ek/ | galá /ɡala/ | kapah /kapah/ | lek /lek/ | waxa /waʃa/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | lek /lek/ |
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