The Tsimshianic languages are a family of languages spoken in northwestern British Columbia and in Southeast Alaska on Annette Island and Ketchikan. All Tsimshianic languages are endangered, some with only around 400 speakers. Only around 2,170 people of the ethnic Tsimshian /ˈsɪmʃiən/ population in Canada still speak a Tsimshian language;[1] about 50 of the 1,300 Tsimshian people living in Alaska still speak Coast Tsimshian.[2][3] Tsimshianic languages are considered by most linguists to be an independent language family, with four main languages: Coast Tsimshian, Southern Tsimshian, Nisg̱a’a, and Gitksan.[4]
The Tsimshianic languages were included by Edward Sapir in his Penutian hypothesis, which is currently not widely accepted, at least in its full form. The Penutian connections of Tsimshianic have been reevaluated by Marie-Lucie Tarpent, who finds the idea probable,[5] though others hold that the Tsimshianic family is not closely related to any other North American language.[6][7]
Coast Tsimshian is spoken along the lower Skeena River in Northwestern British Columbia, on some neighbouring islands, and to the north at New Metlakatla, Alaska. Southern Tsimshian was spoken on an island quite far south of the Skeena River in the village of Klemtu; however, it became extinct in 2013 with the death of the last speaker. Nisga’a is spoken along the Nass River. Gitksan is spoken along the Upper Skeena River around Hazelton and other areas.
Nisga’a and Gitksan are very closely related and are usually considered dialects of the same language by linguists. However, speakers from both groups consider themselves ethnically separate from each other and from the Tsimshian and thus consider Nisga’a and Gitksan to be separate languages. Coast and Southern Tsimshian are also often regarded as dialects of the same language.
^Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.). (2005). "Tsimshian." Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 15th ed. (online version). Dallas, TX: SIL International Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
^Alaska Native Heritage Center. (2000). "Eyak, Haida, Tlingit & Tsimshian." 2007-05-28 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
^Tarpent, Marie-Lucie (1997). "Tsimshianic and Penutian: Problems, Methods, Results, and Implications". International Journal of American Linguistics. 63 (1): 65–112. doi:10.1086/466314. JSTOR 1265865. S2CID 145019037.
^Bicevskis, Katie; Davis, Henry; Matthewson, Lisa (2017). "Quantification in Gitksan". In Paperno, Denis; Keenan, Edward L. (eds.). Handbook of Quantifiers in Natural Language. Studies in Linguistics and Philosophy. Vol. II. Springer. p. 282. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-44330-0_6. ISBN978-3-319-44328-7. Though Tsimshianic is unmistakably part of the central northwest coastal Sprachbund (Beck 2002), no convincing evidence has been forthcoming for a genetic relationship between it and any other language family, in spite of persistent attempts to lump the family into the hypothetical Penutian stock, whose other members are found far to the south in Oregon and California (see for example Sapir 1921 and Tarpent 1997).
^Brown, Jason (2010). Gitksan Phonotactics. Munich: Lincom Europa. p. 5. ISBN978-3-89586-589-3. While the Tsimshianic language family is considered by some to be an isolate, others have considered it to be a member of a much larger stock. In particular, Sapir (1921) classified Tsimshianic as a part of the Penutian stock. More recently, DeLancey et al. (1988) and Tarpent (1996, 1997) have re-argued this point, suggesting that Tsimshianic is indeed a Penutian language. These authors point to morphological, phonemic, and lexical correspondences to make this claim. However, the major problems that have been expressed in the literature about the Penutian stock, as well as the problems with Tsimshianic as a part of that stock (see the discussion in Rigsby 1986, as well as Campbell 1997 for a general overview) cast doubt on this relationship. I take the conservative position that the Tsimshianic family is an isolate, and not related to the Penutian stock, or any other hypothesized stocks, though nothing in this work hinges on that position.
^"Alaska Languages (AKL)". University of Alaska Southeast Academic Catalog. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
Boas, Franz. (1902). Tsimshian Texts. Washington: Bureau of American Ethnology. Bulletin 27.
Boas, Franz. (1911). "Tsimshian." Handbook of American Indian Languages Bulletin No. 40, part I, pp. 287–422.
Mithun, Marianne. (1999). The Languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN0-521-23228-7 (hbk).
Tarpent, Marie-Lucie. (1997). "Tsimshianic and Penutian: Problems, Methods, Results, and Implications." International Journal of American Linguistics 63.52-244.
External linksedit
Tsimshianic languages (YDLI)
map of Northwest Coast First Nations (including Tsimshian and Nisga’a)
Sm'algyax – "The Real Language" 2006-05-05 at the Wayback Machine
Sealaska Heritage Institute
A Zimshian Version of Portions of the Book of Common Prayer (1882) translated by William Ridley
Bibliography of Materials on the Coast Tsimshian Language (YDLI)
Bibliography of Materials on the South Tsimshian Language (YDLI)
Bibliography of Materials on the Gitksan Language (YDLI)
Bibliography of Materials on the Nisga'a Language (YDLI)
tsimshianic, languages, family, languages, spoken, northwestern, british, columbia, southeast, alaska, annette, island, ketchikan, endangered, some, with, only, around, speakers, only, around, people, ethnic, tsimshian, population, canada, still, speak, tsimsh. The Tsimshianic languages are a family of languages spoken in northwestern British Columbia and in Southeast Alaska on Annette Island and Ketchikan All Tsimshianic languages are endangered some with only around 400 speakers Only around 2 170 people of the ethnic Tsimshian ˈ s ɪ m ʃ i en population in Canada still speak a Tsimshian language 1 about 50 of the 1 300 Tsimshian people living in Alaska still speak Coast Tsimshian 2 3 Tsimshianic languages are considered by most linguists to be an independent language family with four main languages Coast Tsimshian Southern Tsimshian Nisg a a and Gitksan 4 TsimshianicTsmksianEthnicityTsimshianGeographicdistributionBritish Columbia AlaskaLinguistic classificationPenutian TsimshianicSubdivisionsMaritime Tsimshian Nass GitksanGlottologtsim1258Pre contact distribution of Tsimshianic languages The Tsimshianic languages were included by Edward Sapir in his Penutian hypothesis which is currently not widely accepted at least in its full form The Penutian connections of Tsimshianic have been reevaluated by Marie Lucie Tarpent who finds the idea probable 5 though others hold that the Tsimshianic family is not closely related to any other North American language 6 7 Contents 1 Family division 2 Phonology 3 See also 4 Footnotes 5 Bibliography 6 External linksFamily division edit nbsp Map of the historical distribution of the Tsimshianic languages in British Columbia and Alaska with the labels of Nisg a and Gitxsan reversed Tsimshianic consists of 4 lects Tsimshianic Tsimshian also known as Maritime Tsimshianic Lower Tsimshian Northern Tsimshian Coast Tsimshian also known as Tsimshian proper Sm algyax Sm algax Southern Tsimshian also known as Sguux s Ski xs Old Klemtu Nass Gitksan also known as Interior Tsimshianic Inland Tsimshianic Nisga a also known as Nisqa a Nisg a a Nishga Nisgha Niska Nass Nishka Gitksan also known as Gitxsan Gitksanimx Coast Tsimshian is spoken along the lower Skeena River in Northwestern British Columbia on some neighbouring islands and to the north at New Metlakatla Alaska Southern Tsimshian was spoken on an island quite far south of the Skeena River in the village of Klemtu however it became extinct in 2013 with the death of the last speaker Nisga a is spoken along the Nass River Gitksan is spoken along the Upper Skeena River around Hazelton and other areas Nisga a and Gitksan are very closely related and are usually considered dialects of the same language by linguists However speakers from both groups consider themselves ethnically separate from each other and from the Tsimshian and thus consider Nisga a and Gitksan to be separate languages Coast and Southern Tsimshian are also often regarded as dialects of the same language As of 2023 Tsimshian courses are available at the University of Alaska Southeast 8 Phonology editConsonantal inventory of Proto Tsimshian 9 Labial Dental Palatal Velar Labio velar Uvular Labio uvular Glottal Non continuous obstruent simple p t ts k kʷ q qʷ ʔ ʔʷ glottalized pʼ tʼ tsʼ kʼ kʷʼ qʼ qʷʼ Fricative s ɬ x x xʷ h hʷ Approximant simple l j w glottalized lˀ jˀ wˀ Nasal simple m n glottalized mˀ nˀSee also editTsimshianFootnotes edit Statistics Canada 2006 Archived from the original on 2019 02 22 Retrieved 2008 03 09 Alaska Native Language Center 2001 12 07 Tsimshian Archived 2007 05 01 at the Wayback Machine University of Alaska Fairbanks Retrieved on 2007 04 11 Gordon Raymond G Jr ed 2005 Tsimshian Ethnologue Languages of the World 15th ed online version Dallas TX SIL International Retrieved on 2007 04 11 Alaska Native Heritage Center 2000 Eyak Haida Tlingit amp Tsimshian Archived 2007 05 28 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 2007 04 11 Tarpent Marie Lucie 1997 Tsimshianic and Penutian Problems Methods Results and Implications International Journal of American Linguistics 63 1 65 112 doi 10 1086 466314 JSTOR 1265865 S2CID 145019037 Bicevskis Katie Davis Henry Matthewson Lisa 2017 Quantification in Gitksan In Paperno Denis Keenan Edward L eds Handbook of Quantifiers in Natural Language Studies in Linguistics and Philosophy Vol II Springer p 282 doi 10 1007 978 3 319 44330 0 6 ISBN 978 3 319 44328 7 Though Tsimshianic is unmistakably part of the central northwest coastal Sprachbund Beck 2002 no convincing evidence has been forthcoming for a genetic relationship between it and any other language family in spite of persistent attempts to lump the family into the hypothetical Penutian stock whose other members are found far to the south in Oregon and California see for example Sapir 1921 and Tarpent 1997 Brown Jason 2010 Gitksan Phonotactics Munich Lincom Europa p 5 ISBN 978 3 89586 589 3 While the Tsimshianic language family is considered by some to be an isolate others have considered it to be a member of a much larger stock In particular Sapir 1921 classified Tsimshianic as a part of the Penutian stock More recently DeLancey et al 1988 and Tarpent 1996 1997 have re argued this point suggesting that Tsimshianic is indeed a Penutian language These authors point to morphological phonemic and lexical correspondences to make this claim However the major problems that have been expressed in the literature about the Penutian stock as well as the problems with Tsimshianic as a part of that stock see the discussion in Rigsby 1986 as well as Campbell 1997 for a general overview cast doubt on this relationship I take the conservative position that the Tsimshianic family is an isolate and not related to the Penutian stock or any other hypothesized stocks though nothing in this work hinges on that position Alaska Languages AKL University of Alaska Southeast Academic Catalog Retrieved 2023 10 03 Tarpent 1997 p 70Bibliography editBoas Franz 1902 Tsimshian Texts Washington Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 27 Boas Franz 1911 Tsimshian Handbook of American Indian Languages Bulletin No 40 part I pp 287 422 Mithun Marianne 1999 The Languages of Native North America Cambridge Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 23228 7 hbk Tarpent Marie Lucie 1997 Tsimshianic and Penutian Problems Methods Results and Implications International Journal of American Linguistics 63 52 244 External links editTsimshianic languages YDLI map of Northwest Coast First Nations including Tsimshian and Nisga a Sm algyax The Real Language Archived 2006 05 05 at the Wayback Machine Dum Baal dum Sealaska Heritage Institute A Zimshian Version of Portions of the Book of Common Prayer 1882 translated by William Ridley Bibliography of Materials on the Coast Tsimshian Language YDLI Bibliography of Materials on the South Tsimshian Language YDLI Bibliography of Materials on the Gitksan Language YDLI Bibliography of Materials on the Nisga a Language YDLI Tsimshian Intercontinental Dictionary Series Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tsimshianic languages amp oldid 1193664415, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
