Shuswap language facts for kids

The Shuswap language (pronounced shoo-shwahp; Shuswap: Secwepemctsín) is the traditional language of the Shuswap people in British Columbia, Canada. This language is currently endangered. It is mainly spoken in the central and southern parts of British Columbia, between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains.

In 2014, about 200 people spoke Shuswap as their first language. Another 1,190 people were "semi-speakers," meaning they knew some of the language. Shuswap is the most northern of the Interior Salish languages, which are spoken in Canada and the Pacific Northwest of the United States.

There are two main types, or dialects, of Shuswap:

• Eastern: Includes Kinbasket (Kenpesq’t) and Shuswap Lake (Qw7ewt/Quaaout)
• Western: Includes Canim Lake (Tsq’escen), Chu Chua (Simpcw), Deadman's Creek (Skitsestn/Skeetchestn)–Kamloops (Tk'emlups), Fraser River (Splatsin, Esk’et), and Pavilion (Tsk’weylecw)–Bonaparte (St’uxtews)

Other Northern Interior Salish languages are Lillooet and Thompson.

Why the Language Declined

Many Indigenous languages, like Secwepemctsín, faced a quick decline. This happened because of the residential schools. These schools did not allow children to speak or write in their Indigenous languages. Students were punished if they did not use English. This caused two or three generations of students to lose their native language. Even though some survivors can still speak their language, they experienced much pain. This has had a very negative effect on younger generations.

After residential schools closed, Aboriginal children went to regular schools. These schools mostly used English. This greatly stopped the passing down of Indigenous languages from parents to children. English became the main language in schools and at work. This led to a sharp drop in Indigenous language speakers. For example, by the mid-1990s, only 3.5% of Secwepemctsín people could speak the language fluently.

Bringing the Language Back

People are working hard to bring the Secwepemctsín language back. There is even a Facebook interface available in Secwepemctsín. The First Voices website offers community portals for learning the language. These include a Secwepemctsin (Eastern Dialect) Portal and a Splatsin (Eastern dialect) Portal.

In 2012, about 150 fluent speakers were left, most over 65 years old. However, around 400 students were learning the language. Most of these learners were under 19. Apps for learning Secwépemc are available for iOS devices. In 2013, the Secwepemc Cultural Education Society released Nintendo DSi software. This software helps young children learn Secwepemctsín.

A group of ten elder fluent speakers are recording how the language sounds. These elders come from the East, West, and North regions. As of 2013, a language tutor program was also being prepared. This program could be put on a CD for offline use. David Lacho, a university student, created an app called Tuwitames. This app uses augmented reality to help people learn the Splatsin dialect. It supports the community’s efforts to bring their language back.

A language nest program called cseyseten takes place at Adams Lake. In this program, only the Secwepemc language is spoken. Another language nest program is with the Splatsin Tsm7aksaltn (Splatsin Teaching Centre) Society. Here, grandmothers (kikia7a) teach the children. In 2013, Thompson Rivers University started offering a Secwepemctsín language class. It is taught by Janice Billy, a fluent speaker.

Sounds of Shuswap

The Shuswap language has many sounds that are not usually found in the Roman alphabet. There are two main ways to write Shuswap sounds. One system was used by a linguist named Kuipers. The other system was made by Randy Bouchard and uses only Roman letters, except for the number 7. The 7 stands for a sound called a glottal stop. The Bouchard system seems to be used more by the Shuswap people themselves.

Vowels

Shuswap has five main vowels: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/. It also has one short, unclear vowel, /ə/.

The vowel /ə/ is only found in syllables that are not stressed. The vowels /i/ and /u/ are only found in stressed syllables.

Consonants

Shuswap consonants are divided into two groups: obstruents (sounds made with a lot of airflow blockage) and sonorants (sounds made with open airflow, like 'm' or 'n'). The tables below show how these sounds are pronounced using the IPA.

Obstruents

Sonorants

Writing System

The Shuswap Language Department uses a different alphabet than the one shown in the Phonology section. This alphabet is used by the Secwepemc people themselves.

Syllable Structure and Stress

A Shuswap word usually starts with a main part called a stem. Then, different endings or beginnings (affixes) can be added. Most main parts of words have a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern.

Stress in Shuswap words is not very strong. It mostly happens in longer words. Since certain vowels are always stressed and others never are, it's usually easy to guess where the stress falls.

How Words Are Built

Shuswap has a rich system for building words. This is done by adding small parts, called affixes, to words.

Affixes

A prefix is a part added to the beginning of a word. For example, 's-' can turn a verb into a noun. Here are a few examples of Shuswap prefixes:

• /t’l’-/: means "during a time in the past"
• /c-/ or /s-/: means "towards here"
• /t-/ or /tk-/: means "on top of" or "on the outside"
• /wλ-/: means "a group of people"
• /ʔ-/: means "your" (for one person)

Suffixes are parts added to the end of a word. Most nouns in Shuswap have suffixes. Suffixes also show if a verb is transitive (needs an object), intransitive (doesn't need an object), or a command. Here are some examples of Shuswap suffixes:

• /-eps/: means "back of neck"
• /-tem’/: means "bottom, canyon, lowland"
• /-itʃeʔ/: means "surface, hide"
• /-esq’t/: means "day"
• /-eq/: means "berries"
• /-el’txʷ/: means "a sheet-like object, skin, bark"

Word Changes

Shuswap often uses reduplication. This means repeating part of a word. Here are some simple examples:

• Repeating the beginning: [s-tíq’m] (bitterroot) becomes [tətíq’m] (prepare bitterroots)
• Repeating the end: [puxʷ-m] (blow) becomes [pəxʷ'úxʷ] (swell up)
• Repeating the whole word: [piq] (white) becomes [pəq-'piq] (flour)
• Repeating only consonants

Some types of reduplication have clear meanings. For example, repeating the whole word can show that there is more than one of something (plural). Repeating consonants can make something sound smaller (diminutive).

How Sentences Are Made

Word Order

The order of words in Shuswap sentences is quite flexible. The meaning is often clear because of the case marking system. However, it is common for the main verb or predicate to come first in the sentence.

Examples of sentences with the predicate first:

• wist ɣ-citx the house is high
• cut l-nx̌peʔe my grandfather said

It is rare for the subject to come first:

• ɣ-sq°yic m-cunsəs ɣx̌°ʕ°elmx Rabbit was told by fox

Case Marking

Shuswap uses two cases to show how words relate to each other:

• Absolutive: Used for the subject of a verb that doesn't need an object (intransitive verb). It's also used for the subject and object of a verb that needs an object (transitive verb).
• Relative: Used for all other situations. For example, it's used for the person doing the action in a passive sentence, or for adverbs.

Absolutive Case examples:

• wist ɣ-citx the house is high
• m-tʔeyns ɣ-x̌°ʕ°elmx ɣ-sk’lep Fox met Coyote

Relative Case examples:

• wist t-citx° a high house
• m-cuntməs ɣ-sq°yic t-x̌°ʕ°elmx Rabbit was told by Fox (here, "Fox" is in the Relative case because it's the actor in a passive sentence)

Sample Words

Here is a list of basic words (roots) and some words made from them using prefixes and suffixes.

A stop sign in both English and Secwepemctsín (Shuswwap) on the Bonaparte/Stuctwesemc Reserve.

Words from Shuswap in English

The English word kokanee, which is a type of salmon, actually comes from the Shuswap language.