Chemakum language facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chemakum |
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| Aqoʞúlo /ʔaˈxʷóqʷolo/ (autoethnonym) | ||||
| Native to | Olympic Peninsula, Washington | |||
| Ethnicity | Chimakum | |||
| Extinct | 1 imperfect speaker (Louise Webster) in the 1920s, 3 imperfect speakers (including L. Webster and her brother) in 1890 | |||
| Language family |
Chimakuan
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| Linguist List | xch | |||
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Chemakum (pronounced CHEH-mə-kum; also spelled Chimakum or Chimacum) was a Native American language. It is now an extinct language. This means that no one speaks it as their main language anymore.
The Chemakum language was once spoken by the Chimakum people. They lived on the western part of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. The Chemakum language was related to the Quileute language. Quileute is the only other language in the Chimakuan language family.
The Last Speakers
In the 1860s, a sad event happened. Chief Seattle and the Suquamish people fought the Chimakum. Many Chimakum people were killed. This greatly reduced the number of Chemakum speakers.
By 1890, only three people could still speak Chemakum. Even they did not speak it perfectly. A famous researcher named Franz Boas met one of these speakers. Her name was Louise Webster. He wrote down some of the language from her. Her brother was also one of the last speakers.
Later, in the 1920s, another researcher named Manuel J. Andrade checked Boas's notes. He also worked with Louise Webster. A few people who could speak a little Chemakum, called "semi-speakers," continued to use some words until the 1940s. They lived on the east side of the Olympic Peninsula. This area is between Port Townsend and Hood Canal.
Where the Name Came From
The name Chemakum comes from another language. It is an English version of a Salishan word. The Salishan people used this word for the Chimakum people. It might have come from an old Twana word, čə́mqəm.
See also
