Lummi dialect facts for kids

Lummi (also called Xwlemi Chosen) is a special way of speaking. It is a dialect of the North Straits Salish language. The Lummi people have traditionally spoken it for a very long time. They live in the northwest part of Washington state in the United States.

Even though people often call Lummi a separate language, it is actually very similar to other ways of speaking in the North Straits group. People who speak Lummi can usually understand those who speak other North Straits dialects. This is called being mutually intelligible.

Learning and Speaking Lummi Today

The Lummi language is still alive and important! It is spoken on the Lummi reservation. Many schools also teach it to students.

Where Lummi is Taught

You can learn Lummi at several schools, including:

• Ferndale High School
• Lummi Nation School
• Vista Middle School
• Horizon Middle School
• Skyline Elementary School
• Eagleridge Elementary School
• Northwest Indian College

Teaching Lummi in schools helps keep this important language strong for future generations.

Sounds of the Lummi Language

Every language has its own unique sounds. Lummi has some sounds that might be different from what you hear in English.

Special Consonant Sounds

Lummi has many consonant sounds. Some are made with your lips, like 'p' or 'm'. Others are made with your tongue touching the roof of your mouth, like 't' or 'n'.

Some Lummi sounds are called "ejective" sounds. These are made with a little burst of air, almost like a popping sound. For example, 'pʼ' or 'tʼ' are ejective sounds.

Unique Vowel Sounds

Lummi also has different vowel sounds. Vowels are the open sounds we make, like 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'.

The Lummi language has sounds like 'i' (as in "ski") and 'u' (as in "flute"). It also has sounds like 'æ' (as in "cat") and 'ɔ' (as in "caught"). Sometimes, these sounds can be heard a little differently, but they are still part of the language.