Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim
Squamish
Salishan (Central Salish / Coast Salish)
Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim) is a Coast Salish language of the Salishan family, spoken by the Squamish people around Howe Sound, Burrard Inlet and the Squamish River valley in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is critically endangered, with only a handful of elderly first-language speakers, though revitalization efforts have produced a growing number of second-language speakers. It is written in a Latin-based alphabet that uses the numeral 7 for the glottal stop along with underlined and diacritic letters, and it is known for its complex consonant clusters.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Squamish
Water
stáḵw
/staqʷ/
Fire
sḵwiḵw
/sqʷiqʷ/
Sun
snexwílh
/snexʷiɬ/
Moon
lh7álha
/ɬʔaɬa/
Star
kwekwtsi7
/kʷəkʷtsiʔ/
Mother
sma
/sma/
Father
smas
/smas/
I
en
/ʔən/
You
chexw
/tʃəxʷ/
Name
sna
/sna/
Eye
kwíkw
/kʷikʷ/
Hand
chálash
/tʃaːlaʃ/
Heart
stúlich
/stulitʃ/
Love
néxwsa
/nexʷsa/
Tree
stsék'as
/stsekʼas/
House
lám'
/laːmʔ/
Dog
sḵáxwesh
/sqaxʷeʃ/
Cat
pus
/pus/
Eat
i7iyím
/iʔijim/
Drink
q'emél̕chen
/qʼemʔeɬtʃen/
One
nch'a7
/ntʃʼaʔ/
Two
án̓us
/ʔánʔus/
Hello
chen kwenmántumi
/tʃen kʷenmantumi/
Thank you
huy chexw a
/huj tʃexʷ a/
Good
éy
/ej/
Words compared
Compared with related Salishan (Central Salish / Coast Salish) languages
| Meaning | Squamish | Thompson | Kaqchikel | Samoan | Aguacateco | Hadza | Newari |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | stáḵw /staqʷ/ | séwlkwe /seːwlkʷe/ | yaʼ /jaʔ/ | vai /vai/ | aʼ /aʔ/ | ʼati /ʔati/ | लः /lʌ/ |
| Fire | sḵwiḵw /sqʷiqʷ/ | nlhmín /nɬmin/ | qʼaqʼ /qʼaqʼ/ | afi /afi/ | qʼaq /qʼaq/ | ʼimi /ʔimi/ | मि /mi/ |
| Sun | snexwílh /snexʷiɬ/ | skwekwsim /skʷekʷsim/ | qʼij /qʼix/ | lā /laː/ | qʼijl /qʼihl/ | ʼisha /ʔiʃa/ | सूर्य /surja/ |
| Moon | lh7álha /ɬʔaɬa/ | mésmes /mesmes/ | ikʼ /ikʼ/ | māsina /maːsina/ | xahaw /ʃahaw/ | heto /heto/ | तिमिला /timila/ |
| Star | kwekwtsi7 /kʷəkʷtsiʔ/ | speqʷ /spəqʷ/ | chʼumil /tʃʼumil/ | fetū /fetuː/ | chumeʼl /tʃumeʔl/ | ntsa /ⁿtsʰa/ | नगु /nəɡu/ |
| Mother | sma /sma/ | skíxe /skiχe/ | teʼ /teʔ/ | tinā /tinaː/ | naa /naː/ | ama /ama/ | मां /maː/ |
| Father | smas /smas/ | skíxa /skiχa/ | tataʼ /tataʔ/ | tamā /tamaː/ | mam /mam/ | aba /aba/ | बौ /bau/ |
| I | en /ʔən/ | encwe /ʔəntʃwe/ | rïn /rɨn/ | a'u /aʔu/ | in /in/ | ono /ono/ | जि /dʑi/ |
| You | chexw /tʃəxʷ/ | enwi /ʔənwi/ | rat /rat/ | 'oe /ʔoe/ | naʼ /naʔ/ | the /tʰe/ | छ /tʃʰa/ |
| Name | sna /sna/ | sna /sna/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | bʼiʼ /ɓiʔ/ | akhana /ʔakʰana/ | नां /nãː/ |
| Eye | kwíkw /kʷikʷ/ | spqáqxn /spqaqχn/ | bʼaqʼ wach /ɓaqʼ watʃ/ | mata /mata/ | witzʼ /witsʼ/ | ʼaha /ʔaha/ | मिखा /mikʰa/ |
| Hand | chálash /tʃaːlaʃ/ | sxwép /sxʷep/ | qʼaʼ /qʼaʔ/ | lima /lima/ | qʼab /qʼab/ | kwaʼla /kʷaʔla/ | ल्हाः /lʱaː/ |
| Heart | stúlich /stulitʃ/ | sn'éxteʔ /snʔeχteʔ/ | k'u'x /kʼuʔʃ/ | loto /loto/ | kʼuum /kʼuːm/ | ʼaitchi /ʔaitʃi/ | नुगः /nuɡʌ/ |
| Love | néxwsa /nexʷsa/ | xámeʔs /χameʔs/ | ajowabʼäl /axowaɓəl/ | alofa /alofa/ | xajan /ʃahan/ | ʼuwakitchi /ʔuwakitʃi/ | मतिना /matinaː/ |
| Tree | stsék'as /stsekʼas/ | sníxsem /sniχsem/ | cheʼ /tʃeʔ/ | laʻau /laʔau/ | tzeʼ /tseʔ/ | ʼani /ʔani/ | सिमा /sima/ |
| House | lám' /laːmʔ/ | citxw /tsitxʷ/ | jay /xaj/ | fale /fale/ | nya /ɲa/ | ndolo /ndolo/ | छें /tʃʰẽ/ |
| Dog | sḵáxwesh /sqaxʷeʃ/ | sqáxa /sqaχa/ | tzʼiʼ /tsʼiʔ/ | maile /maile/ | txʼiʼ /tʃʼiʔ/ | kongwesi /koŋɡwesi/ | खिचा /kʰitʃa/ |
| Cat | pus /pus/ | púsh /puʃ/ | mes /mes/ | pusi /pusi/ | mis /mis/ | ʼmiu /ʔmiu/ | भौंचा /bʰaũtʃa/ |
| Eat | i7iyím /iʔijim/ | ʔíqs /ʔiqs/ | waʼin /waʔin/ | ʻai /ʔai/ | wii /wiː/ | ʼicha /ʔitʃa/ | नये /naje/ |
| Drink | q'emél̕chen /qʼemʔeɬtʃen/ | ʔeẃkw /ʔewkʷ/ | kumun /kumun/ | inu /inu/ | uuk /uːk/ | ʼo /ʔoː/ | तये /taje/ |
| One | nch'a7 /ntʃʼaʔ/ | paáls /paʔals/ | jun /xun/ | tasi /tasi/ | jun /hun/ | ihtche /ihtʃe/ | छ /tʃʰa/ |
| Two | án̓us /ʔánʔus/ | ʔesél /ʔesel/ | kaʼiʼ /kaʔiʔ/ | lua /lua/ | kaʼwutz /kaʔwuts/ | piye /pije/ | निगु /nigu/ |
| Hello | chen kwenmántumi /tʃen kʷenmantumi/ | weytk /wejtk/ | utz iwäch /uts iwætʃ/ | talofa /talofa/ | kʼamta /kʼamta/ | ʼmtana /ʔmtana/ | ज्वजलपा /dʒwadʒalpa/ |
| Thank you | huy chexw a /huj tʃexʷ a/ | kukstéyp /kuksteːjp/ | matyox /matjoʃ/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ | tixwajʼ /tiʃwahʼ/ | ʼmbweko /ʔmbweko/ | सुभाय /subʱaj/ |
| Good | éy /ej/ | mín /min/ | utz /uts/ | lelei /lelei/ | saqʼ /saqʼ/ | ʼiyaʼe /ʔijaʔe/ | बःलाः /bʌlaː/ |
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.