Sm'algyax
Coast Tsimshian
Tsimshianic (Maritime)
Coast Tsimshian (Sm’algyax; ISO 639-3: tsi) is a Tsimshianic language traditionally spoken along the northern coast of British Columbia and at Metlakatla in southeastern Alaska. It is related to Nisga’a, Gitxsan, and Southern Tsimshian but constitutes a distinct language with several community varieties. Its sound system includes ejective and uvular consonants, and its grammar makes extensive use of affixes, clitics, and connective elements to mark participants and clause structure. Sm’algyax is written in a community Latin-based orthography developed through language work with speakers. The language is severely endangered, but Ts’msyen communities and the Sm’algyax Language Authority support revitalization through school courses, adult learning, documentation, dictionaries, recordings, and digital resources such as the community-managed FirstVoices site and app.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Coast Tsimshian
Water
ax̱s
/aχs/
Fire
laḵw
/laqʷ/
Sun
gyemk
/ɡʲemk/
Moon
gyemgm aatk
/ɡʲɛmɡm aːtk/
Star
hloʼoxs
/ɬoʔoxs/
Mother
naa
/naː/
Father
baba
/baba/
I
nüüyu
/nuːju/
You
nüün
/nuːn/
Name
waa
/waː/
Eye
mooḵs
/muːqs/
Hand
an'oon
/anʔoːn/
Heart
g̱oot
/ɢoːt/
Love
ksu'hahkw
/ksuʔhahkʷ/
Tree
gan
/ɡan/
House
walp
/walp/
Dog
hashasaa
/haʃasaː/
Cat
doosgi
/duːsɡi/
Eat
lalji
/laldʒi/
Drink
hoos
/huːs/
One
ḵoo'iyaa
/qoːʔijaː/
Two
tʼepxaat
/tʼəpxaːt/
Hello
ndii ne
/ndiː ne/
Thank you
t'oyaxsut nüsm
/tʼojaχsut nysm/
Good
am'
/amʔ/
Sources
- Boas (1911) — Tsimshian
- Ethnologue: tsi
Words compared
Compared with related Tsimshianic (Maritime) languages
| Meaning | Coast Tsimshian | Kurukh | Wolaytta | Irula | Brahui | Zarma | Middle Irish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ax̱s /aχs/ | अम्म /amm/ | haatta /haːtːa/ | nīr /niːɾ/ | دیر /diːɾ/ | hari /hari/ | usce /uske/ |
| Fire | laḵw /laqʷ/ | चिच /tʃitʃ/ | tama /tama/ | tī /tiː/ | کاہا /kaha/ | danji /dandʒi/ | tene /tene/ |
| Sun | gyemk /ɡʲemk/ | बेरी /beɾiː/ | awa /awa/ | čūriyen /tʃuːɾijen/ | دے /deː/ | wayna /wajna/ | grían /ɡrian/ |
| Moon | gyemgm aatk /ɡʲɛmɡm aːtk/ | चांदो /tʃaːndoː/ | aginaa /aɡinaː/ | niLā /niɭaː/ | ماہ /mah/ | handu /handu/ | ésca /eːska/ |
| Star | hloʼoxs /ɬoʔoxs/ | बिनको /binkoː/ | xoolinttee /tʼoːlintːeː/ | naTčattiram /naʈtʃatːiɾam/ | استار /isˈtaːr/ | handariya /handaːɾija/ | rétla /ˈreːtla/ |
| Mother | naa /naː/ | अयो /ajoː/ | aaya /aːja/ | ammā /amːaː/ | لمّا /lumːaː/ | ñaa /ɲaː/ | máthair /maːθirʲ/ |
| Father | baba /baba/ | बाबा /baːbaː/ | aawa /aːwa/ | ayyā /ajːaː/ | باوا /baːwaː/ | baba /baba/ | athair /aθirʲ/ |
| I | nüüyu /nuːju/ | एन /eːn/ | taani /taːni/ | nānu /naːnu/ | ای /iː/ | ay /aj/ | mé /mʲeː/ |
| You | nüün /nuːn/ | नीन /niːn/ | neeni /neːni/ | nī /niː/ | نی /niː/ | ni /ni/ | tú /tuː/ |
| Name | waa /waː/ | नाम /naːm/ | sunttaa /suntːaː/ | pēru /peːɾu/ | نام /naːm/ | maa /maː/ | ainm /anʲmʲ/ |
| Eye | mooḵs /muːqs/ | ख़न्न /xanː/ | ayfee /ajfeː/ | kaNN /kaɳː/ | خن /xan/ | mo /mo/ | súil /suːlʲ/ |
| Hand | an'oon /anʔoːn/ | खेखा /xekːʰaː/ | kushiyaa /kuʃijaː/ | kayyu /kajːu/ | دو /doː/ | kambe /kambe/ | lám /laːv/ |
| Heart | g̱oot /ɢoːt/ | ठांगरा /tʰaːŋɡɾaː/ | wozanaa /wozanaː/ | idayam /idajam/ | دل /dil/ | bina /bina/ | cride /krʲiðʲe/ |
| Love | ksu'hahkw /ksuʔhahkʷ/ | मरटी /maɾʈiː/ | siiqaa /siːqaː/ | kāhal /kaːhal/ | عشق /eʃq/ | baa /baː/ | serc /serk/ |
| Tree | gan /ɡan/ | मन्ना /manːaː/ | mittaa /mitːaː/ | maram /maɾam/ | پنتل /pantal/ | tuuri /tuːri/ | crann /kran/ |
| House | walp /walp/ | एरपा /eɾpaː/ | keettaa /keːtːaː/ | vīDu /viːɖu/ | اولا /ulaː/ | fu /fu/ | tech /tex/ |
| Dog | hashasaa /haʃasaː/ | अल्ला /alːaː/ | kanaa /kanaː/ | nāyi /naːji/ | کچک /kutʃik/ | hansi /hansi/ | madra /madra/ |
| Cat | doosgi /duːsɡi/ | बिल्ली /bilːiː/ | gaaduwaa /ɡaːduwaː/ | pūne /puːne/ | پسی /pisi/ | muusu /muːsu/ | cat /kat/ |
| Eat | lalji /laldʒi/ | ओनना /onːaː/ | miya /miːja/ | činnu /tʃinːu/ | کنّا /kunːa/ | ŋwa /ŋwa/ | ithid /iθʲiðʲ/ |
| Drink | hoos /huːs/ | ओंकना /oŋkːnaː/ | ushiya /uʃija/ | kuDi /kuɖi/ | پنّنگ /pinːinɡ/ | hañu /haɲu/ | ól /oːl/ |
| One | ḵoo'iyaa /qoːʔijaː/ | ओंटा /oːnʈaː/ | issino /isːino/ | onnu /onːu/ | اسٹ /asiʈ/ | affo /afːo/ | óen /oin/ |
| Two | tʼepxaat /tʼəpxaːt/ | एण्ड /eːɳɖ/ | naaʼʼa /naːʔːa/ | reNDu /reɳɖu/ | ایراٹ /iˈraːʈ/ | ihinka /ihiŋka/ | dá /daː/ |
| Hello | ndii ne /ndiː ne/ | खद्दी /kʰadːiː/ | saro /saro/ | vannakkam /vanːakːam/ | سلام /sælaːm/ | fofo /fofo/ | fochen /foxʲen/ |
| Thank you | t'oyaxsut nüsm /tʼojaχsut nysm/ | धोन्नोबाद /dʱonːobaːd/ | galatay /ɡalataj/ | nanri /nanɾi/ | شکریہ /ʃukɾijaː/ | fofo /fofo/ | atlochur /atloxur/ |
| Good | am' /amʔ/ | होय /hoːj/ | lo'o /loʔo/ | nalla /nalːa/ | کشی /kaʃi/ | boori /boːri/ | maith /maθʲ/ |
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