Nlaka'pamuctsin
Thompson
Salishan
Thompson (Nlaka'pamuctsin, "the language of the Nlaka'pamux") is a Salishan language of the Interior Salish branch, spoken by the Nlaka'pamux people of the Thompson and Fraser canyons in southern British Columbia. The Nlaka'pamux territory is famous for the spectacular Hells Gate, Hope-Princeton, and Lytton geological features. Thompson preserves classical Salishan typological features: ergative-absolutive alignment with split ergativity, complex polypersonal verb morphology, glottalized consonants, and back-velar/uvular consonant series. The Thompson & Thompson 1992 reference grammar is the major modern documentation. Active language revitalization through First Nations Language Authority of BC and the Nlaka'pamux Tribal Council since the 1990s.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Thompson
Water
séwlkwe
/seːwlkʷe/
Fire
nlhmín
/nɬmin/
Sun
skwekwsim
/skʷekʷsim/
Moon
mésmes
/mesmes/
Star
speqʷ
/spəqʷ/
Mother
skíxe
/skiχe/
Father
skíxa
/skiχa/
I
encwe
/ʔəntʃwe/
You
enwi
/ʔənwi/
Name
sna
/sna/
Eye
spqáqxn
/spqaqχn/
Hand
sxwép
/sxʷep/
Heart
sn'éxteʔ
/snʔeχteʔ/
Love
xámeʔs
/χameʔs/
Tree
sníxsem
/sniχsem/
House
citxw
/tsitxʷ/
Dog
sqáxa
/sqaχa/
Cat
púsh
/puʃ/
Eat
ʔíqs
/ʔiqs/
Drink
ʔeẃkw
/ʔewkʷ/
One
paáls
/paʔals/
Two
ʔesél
/ʔesel/
Hello
weytk
/wejtk/
Thank you
kukstéyp
/kuksteːjp/
Good
mín
/min/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Salishan languages
| Meaning | Thompson | Squamish | Atikamekw | Hadza | Yagaria | Trinitario Mojeño | Jaqaru |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | séwlkwe /seːwlkʷe/ | stáḵw /staqʷ/ | nipi /nipi/ | ʼati /ʔati/ | nofa /nofa/ | oka /oka/ | uma /uma/ |
| Fire | nlhmín /nɬmin/ | sḵwiḵw /sqʷiqʷ/ | ickoteo /iʃkoteo/ | ʼimi /ʔimi/ | yo /jo/ | yuku /juku/ | nina /nina/ |
| Sun | skwekwsim /skʷekʷsim/ | snexwílh /snexʷiɬ/ | pisim /pisim/ | ʼisha /ʔiʃa/ | kena /kena/ | choo /tʃo/ | inti /inti/ |
| Moon | mésmes /mesmes/ | lh7álha /ɬʔaɬa/ | tipikaw pisim /tipikaw pisim/ | heto /heto/ | ulu /ulu/ | moõ /moõ/ | phaxshi /pʰaχʃi/ |
| Star | speqʷ /spəqʷ/ | kwekwtsi7 /kʷəkʷtsiʔ/ | atcakos /atʃakos/ | ntsa /ⁿtsʰa/ | gale /ɡale/ | wai'i /waiʔi/ | wara /waɾa/ |
| Mother | skíxe /skiχe/ | sma /sma/ | okawi /okawi/ | ama /ama/ | nene /nene/ | meme /meme/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | skíxa /skiχa/ | smas /smas/ | ohi /ohi/ | aba /aba/ | papa /papa/ | tata /tata/ | awki /awki/ |
| I | encwe /ʔəntʃwe/ | en /ʔən/ | nir /niɾ/ | ono /ono/ | dgai /dɡai/ | nuti /nuti/ | naya /naja/ |
| You | enwi /ʔənwi/ | chexw /tʃəxʷ/ | kir /kiɾ/ | the /tʰe/ | gai /ɡai/ | piti /piti/ | juma /huma/ |
| Name | sna /sna/ | sna /sna/ | wirowin /wiɾowin/ | akhana /ʔakʰana/ | yaoʼ /jaoʔ/ | ini /ini/ | suti /suti/ |
| Eye | spqáqxn /spqaqχn/ | kwíkw /kʷikʷ/ | mickisikw /mitʃkisikʷ/ | ʼaha /ʔaha/ | gago /ɡaɡo/ | ugua /uɣwa/ | nayra /najɾa/ |
| Hand | sxwép /sxʷep/ | chálash /tʃaːlaʃ/ | kicikon /kitʃikon/ | kwaʼla /kʷaʔla/ | bayo /bajo/ | wokõ /wokõ/ | ampara /ampaɾa/ |
| Heart | sn'éxteʔ /snʔeχteʔ/ | stúlich /stulitʃ/ | mite /mite/ | ʼaitchi /ʔaitʃi/ | nemo /nemo/ | nokõ /nokõ/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ |
| Love | xámeʔs /χameʔs/ | néxwsa /nexʷsa/ | sakitewin /sakitewin/ | ʼuwakitchi /ʔuwakitʃi/ | amige /amiɡe/ | timosi /timosi/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ |
| Tree | sníxsem /sniχsem/ | stsék'as /stsekʼas/ | mihtikw /mihtikw/ | ʼani /ʔani/ | yake /jake/ | iti /iti/ | qhura /qʰuɾa/ |
| House | citxw /tsitxʷ/ | lám' /laːmʔ/ | miciwap /mitʃiwap/ | ndolo /ndolo/ | nono /nono/ | tano /tano/ | uta /uta/ |
| Dog | sqáxa /sqaχa/ | sḵáxwesh /sqaxʷeʃ/ | atim /atim/ | kongwesi /koŋɡwesi/ | yapa /japa/ | wai /wai/ | anu /anu/ |
| Cat | púsh /puʃ/ | pus /pus/ | minoc /minotʃ/ | ʼmiu /ʔmiu/ | pusi /pusi/ | ojchi /otʃi/ | phishi /pʰiʃi/ |
| Eat | ʔíqs /ʔiqs/ | i7iyím /iʔijim/ | mitikwa /mitikwa/ | ʼicha /ʔitʃa/ | na /na/ | chika /tʃika/ | mankaña /mankaɲa/ |
| Drink | ʔeẃkw /ʔewkʷ/ | q'emél̕chen /qʼemʔeɬtʃen/ | minikwa /minikwa/ | ʼo /ʔoː/ | nava /nava/ | chimo /tʃimo/ | umaña /umaɲa/ |
| One | paáls /paʔals/ | nch'a7 /ntʃʼaʔ/ | peikw /pejkʷ/ | ihtche /ihtʃe/ | kahene /kahene/ | poime /poime/ | maya /maja/ |
| Two | ʔesél /ʔesel/ | án̓us /ʔánʔus/ | niso /niso/ | piye /pije/ | lole /lole/ | apina /aˈpina/ | paya /paja/ |
| Hello | weytk /wejtk/ | chen kwenmántumi /tʃen kʷenmantumi/ | kwei /kwej/ | ʼmtana /ʔmtana/ | amige /amiɡe/ | pejamikpo /pehamiho/ | kamishti /kamiʃti/ |
| Thank you | kukstéyp /kuksteːjp/ | huy chexw a /huj tʃexʷ a/ | mikwetc /mikwetʃ/ | ʼmbweko /ʔmbweko/ | tega /teɡa/ | meri /meri/ | yuspaa /juspaː/ |
| Good | mín /min/ | éy /ej/ | miloci /milotʃi/ | ʼiyaʼe /ʔijaʔe/ | kavi /kavi/ | uri /uri/ | shuma /ʃuma/ |
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