Gitxsan language: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Endangered Tsimshianic language of Canada}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Gitxsan

| nativename = {{lang|git|Gitxsanimaax}}, {{lang|git|Gitxsanimx}}

| states = [[Canada]]

| region = [[Skeena River|Skeena region]], [[British Columbia]]

| ethnicity = 5,680 [[Gitxsan people|Gitxsan]]

| speakers = 1,020

| date = 2016 census

| ref = <ref name="census">{{Cite web |title=Language Highlight Tables, 2016 Census - Aboriginal mother tongue, Aboriginal language spoken most often at home and Other Aboriginal language(s) spoken regularly at home for the population excluding institutional residents of Canada, provinces and territories, 2016 Census – 100% Data |url=http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Table.cfm?Lang=E&T=41&Geo=01 |access-date=2017-11-23 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca | date=2 August 2017 |publisher=Government of Canada, Statistics |language=en}}</ref>

| familycolor =American penutian

| fam1 = [[Tsimshianic languages|Tsimshianic]]

| fam2 = [[Nisga'a language|Nass]]–Gitksan

|fam2=Nass–Gitksan

| iso3 = git

| glotto = gitx1241

| glottorefname = Gitxsan

| map = File:Tsimshianic_map.svg

| mapcaption = {{legend|#fd9d7d|Gitxsan}}

| map2 = Lang Status 40-SE.svg

| mapcaption2 = {{center|{{small|Gitksan is classified as Severely Endangered by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''}}}}

}}

{{Infobox ethnonym|root=|person=|people=[[Gitxsan|Gitx̱san]]|language=Gitxsanimaax|country=Gitx̱san Lax̱yip}}

The '''Gitxsan language''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|ɪ|t|s|æ|n}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pronunciation Guide to First Nations in British Columbia |url=http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100022848/1100100022849 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140123044647/http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100022848/1100100022849 |archive-date=2014-01-23 |access-date=2014-01-07 |website=Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada |language=en}}</ref> or '''''Gitxsanimaax''''' (also rendered ''Gitksan, Giatikshan, Gityskyan, Giklsan and Sim Algyax''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=GITXSAN LANGUAGE RESOURCES |url=http://www.gitxsansimalgyax.com/ |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=GITXSAN LANGUAGE RESOURCES |language=en}}</ref>), is an endangered [[Tsimshianic languages|Tsimshianic language]] of northwestern [[British Columbia]], closely related to the neighboring [[Nisga’a language]]. The two groups are, however, politically separate and prefer to refer to Gitxsan and Nisga'a as distinct languages. According to the 2016Report censuson therethe werestatus of B.C First Nations Languages<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |title=Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages 2018 |date=2018 |others=Britt Dunlop,020 nativeSuzanne Gessner, Tracey Herbert |isbn=978-0-9868401-9-7 |___location=Brentwood Bay, BC, CA |oclc=1138040760}}</ref> there are 523 fluent speakers, 639 that understand or somewhat speak and 344 learning speakers.<ref name="census:1" />

[[Gitxsan]] means "People of the [[Skeena River]]" ({{lang|git|Ksan}} being the name of the Skeena in Gitxsan).

== Dialects ==

Gitxsan language is primarily separated into Geenix<ref name=":0" /> or Eastern and Gyeets<ref name=":0" /> or Western Gitxsan, although each village has its own dialect. The Geenix<ref name=":0" /> or Eastern villages include [[Kispiox]] (Ansbayaxw), [[Glen Vowell]] (Sigit'ox), and [[Hazelton, British Columbia|Hazelton]] (Git-an'maaxs). The Gyeets<ref name=":0" /> or Western villages include [[Kitwanga]] (Gjtwjngax), [[Gitanyow]] (Git-antaaw) and [[Gitsegukla|Kitseguecla]] (Gijigyukwhla). The main differences between dialects include a lexical shift in vowels and stop lenition use present only in the Eastern dialects. The largest differences in language and culture exist between Eastern and Western Gitxsan, rather than between each village.<ref name="IPA">{{Cite journal |lastlast1=Brown |firstfirst1=Jason |last2=Davis |first2=Henry |last3=Schwan |first3=Michael |last4=Sennott |first4=Barbara |date=2016 |title=Gitksan |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |language=en |volume=46 |issue=3 |pages=367–378 |doi=10.1017/S0025100315000432|doi-access=free }}</ref>

== History and Usage ==

=== RevitalizationHistory Effortsand usage ===

The University of Northern British Columbia and Siiwiixo'osxwim Wilnataahl Gitksan Society (Gitksan Language Society) set up a Developmental Standard Term Certificate program offered through Northwest Community College, with all courses offered in Hazelton, BC. The program is designed to help revitalize Gitxsan language by allowing those who complete it to teach language and culture courses at the elementary and secondary school level in the community. <ref>{{Cite web |date=August 10, 2005 |title=Gitksan Students Complete Coursework |url=https://www.unbc.ca/releases/2005/08-10gitksan |access-date=December 14, 2019 |website=University of Northern British Columbia |language=en}}</ref>

In the spring of 2018, an online dictionary app was released in collaboration with members of Gitksan Nation and researchers at the University of British Columbia. The app includes various dialects of Gitxsan, and includes audio from different villages. Flashcards, stories, and histories are also included in addition to functioning as a dictionary. This app is based on a print dictionary produced in 1973 by Lonnie Hindle and Bruce Rigsby. With its launch, the app briefly held a top spot in Google Play's education category and accumulated around 500 downloads in its first week.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Muir |first=Cassidy |date=May 22, 2019 |title=Gitksan Dictionary Goes Mobile |work=The Interior News |url=https://www.interior-news.com/news/gitksan-dictionary-goes-mobile/ |access-date=November 12, 2019}}</ref>

==Phonology==

The Gitxsan inventory is as follows:<ref name=IPA/><ref name=JIPA>{{Cite journal |lastlast1=Rigsby |firstfirst1=Bruce |last2=Ingram |first2=John |date=1990 |title=Obstruent Voicing and Glottalic Obstruents in Gitksan |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |language=en |volume=56 |issue=2 |pages=251–263 |doi=10.1086/466152 |jstor=1265131|s2cid=143894491 }}</ref>

{|class="wikitable IPA" style=text-align:center

|+Gitxsan vowels

!

![[Front vowel|Front]]

![[Central vowel|Central]]

![[Back vowel|Back]]

|-

![[High vowel|High]]

| /i/ /iː/ || || /u/ /uː/

| {{IPA link|i}} {{IPA link|iː}} || || {{IPA link|u}} {{IPA link|uː}}

|-

![[Mid vowel|Mid]]

| /eː/ || /ə/ || /oː/

| {{IPA link|eː}} || {{IPA link|ə}} || {{IPA link|oː}}

|-

![[Low vowel|Low]]

| || /a/ /aː/ ||

| || {{IPA link|a}} {{IPA link|aː}} ||

|}

The mid and high vowels are nearly in complementary distribution, suggesting that Gitxsan once had a three-vowel system. Short mid vowels are emerging. Schwa only occurs in unstressed syllables. /e:eː/ and /o:oː/ have short allophones [e] and [o] in certain positions.

{| class="wikitable IPA" style=text-align:center

|+Gitxsan consonants

|-

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![[Lateral consonant|<small>lateral</small>]]

|-

! rowspan="32" | [[Stop consonant|Stop]]

!<small>plain</small>

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|p}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|t}}

|

|

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|kʲ}} {{angbr|k}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|kʷ}} {{angbr|kw}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|q}} {{angbr|ḵ}}

| rowspan="2" | {{IPAlinkIPA link|ʔ}} {{angbr|'ꞌ}}

|-

![[Ejectiveglottalic consonant|<small>ejectiveglottalized</small>]]

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|p’pˀ}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|t’tˀ}}

|

|

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|gʷkʲˀ}} {{angbr|gwkꞌ}}

| {{IPAlink|kʼ}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|kʷʼkʷˀ}} {{angbr|kw'kwꞌ}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|q’qˀ}} {{angbr|ḵ'ḵꞌ}}

|

|-

! rowspan="2" | [[Affricate]]

!<small>voicedplain</small>

| {{IPAlink|b}}

|

| {{IPAlink|d}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|t͡s}} {{angbr|ts}}

|

|

|

|

|

| {{IPAlink|g}}

| {{IPAlink|gʷ}} {{angbr|gw}}

| {{IPAlink|ɢ}} {{angbr|g̲}}

|

|-

![[Ejectiveglottalic consonant|<small>ejectiveglottalized</small>]]

! rowspan="2" | [[Affricate]]

!<small>plain</small>

|

| {{IPAlink|t͡s}} {{angbr|ts}}

| {{IPAlink|d̠ʒ}} {{angbr|j}}

|

|

|

|

|

|-

![[Ejective consonant|<small>ejective</small>]]

|

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|t͡sʼt͡sˀ}} {{angbr|ts'tsꞌ}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|t͡ɬʼt͡ɬˀ}} {{angbr|tl'tlꞌ}}

|

|

Line 115 ⟶ 113:

! colspan="2" | [[Fricative]]

|

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|s}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|ɬ}} {{angbr|hl}}

|

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|xʲ}} {{angbr|x}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|xʷ}} {{angbr|xw}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|χ}} {{angbr|x̱}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|h}}

|-

! rowspan="2" | [[Sonorant]]

!<small>plain</small>

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|m}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|n}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|l}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|j}} {{angbr|y}}

|

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|w}}

|

|

|-

![[Glottalic consonant|<small>glottalized</small>]]

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|mˀ}} {{angbr|'mꞌm}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|nˀ}} {{angbr|'nꞌn}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|lˀ}} {{angbr|'lꞌl}}

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|jˀ}} {{angbr|'yꞌy}}

|

| {{IPAlinkIPA link|wˀ}} {{angbr|'wꞌw}}

|

|

|}

Voiceless stops have voiced allophones {{IPA|[b d d͡z ɡʲ ɡʷ ɢ]}}. The pre-velar obstruents become velar before {{IPA|/s/}} and {{IPA|/l/}}.

The lax glottalized stops "display a creaky voice quality at the margin of the vowel in pretonic (and syllable-final) environments."<ref name=JIPA/>

The glottalized consonants may be [[ejective]] in word-initial position, but otherwise "are characterized by glottal closure preceding the oral closure." The ejective allophones are [[lenis]], and are therefore sometimes perceived as voiced. Lenis ejectives are unusual for the area, but are also found in neighboring [[Witsuwitʼen language|Witsuwitʼen]]. The glottalized sonorants are preglottalized even in word-initial position. Glottalization ranges from a full glottal stop {{IPA|[ʔC]}} to creaky voice {{IPA|[C̰]}}.<ref name=IPA/>

==References==

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==Further reading==

* {{Cite book |lastlast1=Bicevskis |firstfirst1=Katie |title=Handbook of Quantifiers in Natural Language |last2=Davis |first2=Henry |last3=Matthewson |first3=Lisa |title=Handbook of Quantifiers in Natural Language: Volume II |date=2017 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-44328-7 |editor-last=Paperno |editor-first=Denis |series=Studies in Linguistics and Philosophy |volume=II |pages=281–382 |chapter=Quantification in Gitksan |doi=10.1007/978-3-319-44330-0_6 |editor-last2=Keenan |editor-first2=Edward L.}}

* {{Cite journal |lastlast1=Brown |firstfirst1=Jason |last2=Davis |first2=Henry |last3=Schwan |first3=Michael |last4=Sennott |first4=Barbara |date=2016 |title=Gitksan |department=Illustrations of the IPA |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |language=en |volume=46 |issue=3 |pages=367–378 |doi=10.1017/S0025100315000432 |doi-access=free}}

* {{Cite journal |last=Brown |first=Jason |last2=Davis |first2=Henry |last3=Schwan |first3=Michael |last4=Sennott |first4=Barbara |date=2016 |title=Gitksan |department=Illustrations of the IPA |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |language=en |volume=46 |issue=3 |pages=367–378 |doi=10.1017/S0025100315000432 |doi-access=free}}

* [[Marjorie Halpin|Halpin, Marjorie]], and Margaret Seguin (1990) "Tsimshian Peoples: Southern Tsimshian, Coast Tsimshian, Nishga, and Gitksan." In ''Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 7: Northwest Coast,'' ed. by Wayne Suttles, pp.&nbsp;267–284. Washington: Smithsonian Institution).

* Hindle, Lonnie and Bruce Rigsby (1973) ''A Short Practical Dictionary of the Gitksan language,'' Northwest Anthropological Research Notes 1:1-60.

* {{Cite journal |last=Matthewson |first=Lisa |date=2013 |title=Gitksan Modals |journal=International Journal of American Linguistics |language=en |volume=79 |issue=3 |pages=349–394 |doi=10.1086/670751 |s2cid=224806943}}

==External links==

* [http://www.gitxsan.com Official website of the Gitxsan People]

* [https://archive.today/20130116081110/http://www.firstvoices.ca/scripts/WebObjects.exe/FirstVoices.woa/wa/enterLanguageArchive?archive=02d830a123efe761 First Voices Gitsenimx̱ community language portal]

* [http://www.ydli.org/langs/gitksan.htm First Nations Languages of British Columbia Gitksan page, with link to bibliography]

* [http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/Canada/gitxsan.htm A Selection of Prayers Translated from the Book of Common Prayer in the Giatikshan Language for Use at the Public Services] 1881 translation by Anglican missionary [[William Ridley (bishop)|William Ridley]]

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{{Penutian languages}}

[[Category:Gitxsan|*L01]]

[[Category:Tsimshianic languages]]