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
20 core words in Thompson
Water
séwlkwe
/seːwlkʷe/
Fire
nlhmín
/nɬmin/
Sun
skwekwsim
/skʷekʷsim/
Moon
mésmes
/mesmes/
Mother
skíxe
/skiχe/
Father
skíxa
/skiχa/
Eat
ʔíqs
/ʔiqs/
Drink
ʔeẃkw
/ʔewkʷ/
Love
xámeʔs
/χameʔs/
Heart
sn'éxteʔ
/snʔeχteʔ/
Tree
sníxsem
/sniχsem/
House
citxw
/tsitxʷ/
Dog
sqáxa
/sqaχa/
Cat
púsh
/puʃ/
Hand
sxwép
/sxʷep/
Eye
spqáqxn
/spqaqχn/
Hello
weytk
/wejtk/
Thank you
kukstéyp
/kuksteːjp/
One
paáls
/paʔals/
Good
mín
/min/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Salishan languages
| Meaning | Thompson | Squamish | Atikamekw | Sandawe | Hadza | Ngäbere | Jaqaru |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | séwlkwe /seːwlkʷe/ | stáḵw /staqʷ/ | nipi /nipi/ | tsʼa /tsʼa/ | ʼati /ʔati/ | ñö /ɲø/ | uma /uma/ |
| Fire | nlhmín /nɬmin/ | sḵwiḵw /sqʷiqʷ/ | ickoteo /iʃkoteo/ | tsʼoo /tsʼoː/ | ʼimi /ʔimi/ | nio /nio/ | nina /nina/ |
| Sun | skwekwsim /skʷekʷsim/ | snexwílh /snexʷiɬ/ | pisim /pisim/ | kʼɔɔ /kʼɔː/ | ʼisha /ʔiʃa/ | ngwen /ŋʷen/ | ñiwi /ɲiwi/ |
| Moon | mésmes /mesmes/ | lh7álha /ɬʔaɬa/ | tipikaw pisim /tipikaw pisim/ | tsoa /tsoa/ | heto /heto/ | só /só/ | phaxshi /pʰaχʃi/ |
| Mother | skíxe /skiχe/ | sma /sma/ | okawi /okawi/ | yei /jei/ | ama /ama/ | meye /meje/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | skíxa /skiχa/ | smas /smas/ | ohi /ohi/ | ai /ai/ | aba /aba/ | rün /rɨn/ | awki /awki/ |
| Eat | ʔíqs /ʔiqs/ | i7iyím /iʔijim/ | mitikwa /mitikwa/ | ǁee /ǁeː/ | ʼicha /ʔitʃa/ | mrö /mrø/ | mankaña /mankaɲa/ |
| Drink | ʔeẃkw /ʔewkʷ/ | q'emél̕chen /qʼemʔeɬtʃen/ | minikwa /minikwa/ | ʔee /ʔeː/ | ʼo /ʔoː/ | ñögö /ɲøɡø/ | umaña /umaɲa/ |
| Love | xámeʔs /χameʔs/ | néxwsa /nexʷsa/ | sakitewin /sakitewin/ | kalokisi /kalokisi/ | ʼuwakitchi /ʔuwakitʃi/ | tare /taɾe/ | munasiña /munasiɲa/ |
| Heart | sn'éxteʔ /snʔeχteʔ/ | stúlich /stulitʃ/ | mite /mite/ | ǁʼampoo /ǁʼampoː/ | ʼaitchi /ʔaitʃi/ | brukwä /bɾukwɨ/ | chuyma /tʃujma/ |
| Tree | sníxsem /sniχsem/ | stsék'as /stsekʼas/ | mihtikw /mihtikw/ | hetsʼee /hetsʼeː/ | ʼani /ʔani/ | krätä /kɾɨtɨ/ | qhura /qʰuɾa/ |
| House | citxw /tsitxʷ/ | lám' /laːmʔ/ | miciwap /mitʃiwap/ | ge /ɡe/ | ndolo /ndolo/ | ju /dʒu/ | uta /uta/ |
| Dog | sqáxa /sqaχa/ | sḵáxwesh /sqaxʷeʃ/ | atim /atim/ | ǀɔɔ /ǀɔː/ | kongwesi /koŋɡwesi/ | nukro /nukɾo/ | anu /anu/ |
| Cat | púsh /puʃ/ | pus /pus/ | minoc /minotʃ/ | misho /miʃo/ | ʼmiu /ʔmiu/ | mishi /miʃi/ | phishi /pʰiʃi/ |
| Hand | sxwép /sxʷep/ | chálash /tʃaːlaʃ/ | kicikon /kitʃikon/ | kxʼaa /kxʼaː/ | kwaʼla /kʷaʔla/ | kise /kise/ | amrra /amra/ |
| Eye | spqáqxn /spqaqχn/ | kwíkw /kʷikʷ/ | mickisikw /mitʃkisikʷ/ | gaa /ɡaː/ | ʼaha /ʔaha/ | okwä /okwɨ/ | nayri /najɾi/ |
| Hello | weytk /wejtk/ | chen kwenmántumi /tʃen kʷenmantumi/ | kwei /kwej/ | gabaeesa /ɡabaeːsa/ | ʼmtana /ʔmtana/ | käre /kɨɾe/ | kamishti /kamiʃti/ |
| Thank you | kukstéyp /kuksteːjp/ | huy chexw a /huj tʃexʷ a/ | mikwetc /mikwetʃ/ | musʼokoyo /musʼokojo/ | ʼmbweko /ʔmbweko/ | kuin /kuin/ | yuspaa /juspaː/ |
| One | paáls /paʔals/ | nch'a7 /ntʃʼaʔ/ | peikw /pejkʷ/ | tsʼekʼe /tsʼekʼe/ | ihtche /ihtʃe/ | krati /kɾati/ | maya /maja/ |
| Good | mín /min/ | éy /ej/ | miloci /milotʃi/ | tlʼobe /tɬʼobe/ | ʼiyaʼe /ʔijaʔe/ | kuin /kuin/ | shuma /ʃuma/ |
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