Gitxsan (or Gitxsanimaax, Gitksan, Giatikshan, Gityskyan, Giklsan) is a First Nations language of northwestern British Columbia. It is a Tsimshianic language, 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. Gitxsanimaax is an endangered language, currently estimated to have no more than 1,000 speakers, of whom the great majority are elders. Few if any children grow up speaking it at home.
| Gitxsan | |
|---|---|
| Gitxsanimaax | |
| Native to | Canada |
| Region | Skeena region, British Columbia |
Native speakers | 1,000 |
Tsimshian
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | tsi |
| ISO 639-3 | git |
| ELP | Gitsenimx̱ |
Bibliography
- 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. 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.
- Rigsby, Bruce (1986) Gitksan Grammar. Unpublished manuscript, University of Queensland, Australia.
External links
- Official website of the Gitxsan People
- First Voices Gitsenimx̱ community language portal
- First Nations Languages of British Columbia Gitksan page, with link to bibliography
- 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