| speakers = 70[1]
| date = 2009-2013
| ref = e18
| familycolor = American
| fam1 = Salishan
| fam2 = Interior Salish
| fam3 = Southern
| lc1 = fla
| ld1 = Flathead
| lc2 = spo
| ld2 = Spokane
| glotto = kali1307
| glottorefname = Kalispel–Spokane
| notice = IPA
}}The Salish or Séliš language {{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|eɪ|l|ɪ|ʃ}}, also known as Kalispel–Pend d'oreille, Kalispel–Spokane–Flathead, or, to distinguish it from the Salish language family to which it gave its name, Montana Salish, is a Salishan language spoken (as of 2005) by about 64 elders of the Flathead Nation in north central Montana and of the Kalispel Indian Reservation in northeastern Washington state, and by another 50 elders (as of 2000) of the Spokane Indian Reservation of Washington. As of 2012, Salish is "critically endangered" in Montana and Idaho according to UNESCO.[2]
Dialects are spoken by the Spokane (Npoqínišcn), Kalispel (Qalispé), Pend d'Oreilles, and Bitterroot Salish (Séliš). The total ethnic population was 8,000 in 1977, but most have switched to English.
As with many other languages of northern North America, Salish is polysynthetic; like other languages of the Mosan language area, there is no clear distinction between nouns and verbs. Salish is famous{{according to whom|date=November 2017}} for native translations that treat all lexical Salish words as verbs or clauses in English—for instance, translating a two-word Salish clause that would appear to mean "I-killed a-deer" into English as I killed it. It was a deer.
Language revitalization
Salish is taught at the Nkwusm Salish Immersion School, in Arlee, Montana.[3][4][5][6] Public schools in Kalispell, Montana offer language classes, a language nest, and intensive training for adults.[7] An online Salish Language Tutor and online Kalispel Salish curriculum are available.[8][9] A dictionary, "Seliš nyoʔnuntn: Medicine for the Salish Language," was expanded from 186 to 816 pages in 2009;[10] children's books and language CDs are also available.[11]
Salish Kootenai College offers Salish language courses, and trains Salish language teachers at its Native American Language Teacher Training Institute as a part of its ongoing efforts to preserve the language.[12][13] As of May 2013, the organization Yoyoot Skʷkʷimlt ("Strong Young People") is teaching language classes in high schools.[14]Salish-language Christmas carols are popular for children's holiday programs, which have been broadcast over the Salish Kootenai College television station,[15] and Salish-language karaoke has become popular at the annual Celebrating Salish Conference, held in Spokane, Washington.[16][17]
As of 2013, many signs on U.S. Route 93 in the Flathead Indian Reservation include the historic Salish and Kutenai names for towns, rivers, and streams. The Missoula City Council is seeking input from the Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee regarding appropriate Salish-language signage for the City of Missoula.[18]
Phonology
Salish
Salish has five vowels, {{IPA|/a e i o u/}}, plus an epenthetic schwa {{IPA|[ə]}} which occurs between an obstruent and a sonorant consonant, or between two unlike sonorants. (Differences in glottalization do not cause epenthesis, and in long sequences not all pairs are separated, for example in {{IPA|/sqllú/}} → {{IPA|[sqəllú]}} "tale", {{IPA|/ʔlˀlát͡s/}} → {{IPA|[ʔəlˀlát͡s]}} "red raspberry", and {{IPA|/sˀnmˀné/}} → {{IPA|[səʔnəmˀné]}} "toilet". No word may begin with a vowel.
Salish has pharyngeal consonants, which are rare worldwide and uncommon but not unusual in the Mosan Sprachbund to which Salish belongs. It is also unusual in lacking a simple lateral approximant and simple velar consonants ({{IPA|/k/}} only occurs in loanwords), though again this is known elsewhere in the Mosan area.
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Postalveolar
/ Palatal | Labio-
velar | Post-velar | Pharyngeal | Glottal |
|---|
| central | lateral | plain | labial | plain | labial |
|---|
| Nasal | plain | m}} | n}} |
|---|
| glottalized | ˀm}} | ˀn}} |
|---|
| Plosive | plain | p}} | t}} | k̟ʷ}} | k̠}} | k̠ʷ}} | ʔ}} |
|---|
| ejective | pʼ}} | tʼ}} | k̟ʷʼ}} | k̠ʼ}} | k̠ʷʼ}} |
|---|
| Affricate | plain | ts}} | tʃ}} |
|---|
| ejective | tsʼ}} | tɬʼ}} | tʃʼ}} |
|---|
| Fricative | s}} | ᵗɬ}} | ʃ}} | x̟ʷ}} | x̠}} | x̠ʷ}} | h}} |
|---|
| Approximant | plain | ᵈl ~ ᵈɮ}} | j}} | w̟}} | ʕ}} | ʕʷ}} |
|---|
| glottalized | ˀl}} | ˀj}} | ˀw̟}} | ˀʕ}} | ˀʕʷ}} |
|---|
The post-velars are normally transcribed as uvular consonants: {{angle bracket|{{IPA|q, qʼ, χ, qʷ, qʷʼ, χʷ}}}}.
Salish contrasts affricates with stop–fricative sequences. For example, {{IPA-sal|ʔiɬt͡ʃt͡ʃeˀn|}} "tender, sore" has a sequence of two affricates, whereas {{IPA-sal|stiʕít.ʃən|}} "killdeer" has a tee-esh sequence. All stop consonants are clearly released, even in clusters or word-finally. Though they are generally not aspirated, aspiration often occurs before obstruents and epenthetic schwas before sonorants. For example, the word {{IPA|/t͡ʃɬkʷkʷtˀnéˀws/}} "a fat little belly" is pronounced {{IPA|[t͡ʃɬkʍkʍtʰəʔnéʔʍs]}}; likewise, {{IPA|/t͡ʃt͡ʃt͡sʼéˀlʃt͡ʃn/}} "woodtick" is pronounced {{IPA|[t͡ʃt͡ʃt͡sʼéʔt͡ɬʃᵗʃən]}}, and {{IPA|/ppíˀl/}} is {{IPA|[pʰpíḭᵗɬə̥]}}.
Spokane
Vowels
Spokane vowels show five contrasts: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/ and /u/, but almost all examples of /a/ and /o/ are lowered from /e/ and /u/, respectively, when those precede uvulars, or precede or follow pharyngeals. Unstressed vowels are inserted to break up certain consonant clusters, with the vowel quality determined by the adjacent consonants. The epenthetic vowel is often realized as /ə/, but also /ɔ/ before rounded uvulars, and /ɪ/ before alveolars and palatals.[19]
Consonants
The consonant inventory of Spokane differs from Salish somewhat, including plain and glottalized central laterals {{IPA|/ɹ/}} and {{IPA|/ˀɹ/}}, and a uvular series instead of post-velar.[19]
| Bilabial | Alveolar | Postalveolar | Labio-velar | Uvular | Pharyngeal | Glottal | | central | lateral | plain | labial | plain | labial |
|---|
| Nasal | plain | m}} | n}} |
|---|
| glottalized | ˀm}} | ˀn}} |
|---|
| Plosive | plain | p}} | t}} | kʷ}} | q | qʷ}} | ʔ}} |
|---|
| ejective | pʼ}} | tʼ}} | kʷʼ}} | qʼ}} | qʷʼ}} |
|---|
| Affricate | plain | ts}} | tʃ}} |
|---|
| ejective | tsʼ}} | tɬʼ}} | tʃʼ}} |
|---|
| Fricative | s}} | ɬ | ʃ}} | xʷ}} | χ | χʷ}} | h}} |
|---|
| Approximant | plain | ɹ | j}} | w | ʕ}} | ʕʷ}} |
|---|
| glottalized | ˀɹ | ˀl}} | ˀj}} | ˀw}} | ˀʕ}} | ˀʕʷ}} |
|---|
Stress
Spokane words are polysynthetic, typically based on roots with CVC(C) structure, plus many affixes. There is one main stress in each word, though the location of stress is determined in a complex way (Black 1996).[19][20]
Morphology
Given its polysynthetic nature, Salish-Spokane-Kalispel encodes meaning in single morphemes rather than lexical items. In the Spokane dialect specifically, the morphemes ¬–nt and –el’, denote transitivity and intransitivity respectfully. Meaning, they show whether or not a verb takes a direct object or it does not. For example, in (1) and (2), the single morphemes illustrate these properties rather than it being encoded in the verb as it is in English.
(1) ɫx̥ʷntén ‘I made a hole in it’.
(2) pllstél ‘He got to kill (one)’
Something that is unique to the Spokane dialect is the SUCCESS aspect morpheme: -nu.[21] The SUCCESS marker allows the denotation that the act took more effort than it normally would otherwise. In (3) and (4) we can see this particular transformation.
(3) ɫp'ntén ‘I marked it
(4) ɫp'nún ‘I had a hard time marking it’
//ɫip'-nu-nt-en// mark-SUCCESS-TRANS- 1 sg. subj.
The SUCCESS aspect and an OUT-OF-CONTROL morpheme reduplication, found in other Native languages, are commonly found together in Spokane Salish. An OUT-OF-CONTROL reduplication morpheme denotes that the action was done by accident. Below, (5), (6) and (7) exemplify this.
(5) ɫuʔntén ‘I stabbed it/him/her’.
(6) ɫuʔnún ‘I managed to stab it/him/her’.
(7) tuʔʔnún ‘I managed to stab it/him/her by accident’.
The intransitive morpheme that describes extra effort is –el’. Barry Carlson states that:
"Spokane intransitive success forms, created with -el', emphasize that a subject's control requires extra effort in an event and they focus the duration of this effort well before the event beginning. This makes the predication a result. Thus, their true meaning can only be seen in a larger context."
That is to say, that for intransitive instances it is context driven and therefore extra context is needed in order to use the morpheme –el’. Example (8) derived from (1) illustrates this:
(8) pllstél’ ‘He got to kill (one)’
References
1. ^{{cite web|last1=Lewis|first1=Paul|title=Endangered Languages - Salish-Spokane-Kalispel|url=http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/4148|website=Endangered Languages|accessdate=19 April 2018}}
2. ^{{Cite web| title = UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in danger| accessdate = 2012-09-29| url = http://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-atlas/index.php}}
3. ^{{Cite news| last = Kim Briggeman| title = School keeping Salish language thriving in new generation| work = The Missoulian| location = Missoula, MT| accessdate = 2012-09-06| date = 2012-09-02| url = http://missoulian.com/lifestyles/hometowns/school-keeping-salish-language-thriving-in-new-generation/article_16b34554-f578-11e1-adb9-001a4bcf887a.html}}
4. ^{{Cite web| last = Ratledge, Mark| title = Nkwusm works to preserve Salish language| work = Indian Country Today Media Network| accessdate = 2013-04-07| date = 2009-07-07| url = http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/ictarchives/2009/07/07/nkwusm-works-to-preserve-salish-language-83823}}
5. ^{{Cite news| last = Sakariassen| first = Alex| title = A loss for words| work = Missoula Independent: Features| accessdate = 2014-03-28| date = 2014-03-20| url = http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/a-loss-for-words/Content?oid=1938845}}
6. ^Martin, Amy. "[https://www.npr.org/2015/05/02/403576800/montana-offers-a-boost-to-native-language-immersion-programs Montana Offers A Boost To Native Language Immersion Programs]" All Things Considered - NPR, May 2, 2015. Accessed May 3, 2015.
7. ^{{Cite web |title = Language |work = Kalispel Tribe |accessdate = 2013-02-18 |url = http://www.kalispeltribe.com/language/ |deadurl = yes |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130315045527/http://www.kalispeltribe.com/language |archivedate = 2013-03-15 |df = }}
8. ^{{Cite web| title = Language Software| work = Story Teller| accessdate = 2013-02-18| url = http://www.kalispeltribe.com/language-software/}}
9. ^{{Cite web| title = Language Curriculum| work = Kalispel Tribe| accessdate = 2013-04-07| url = http://www.kalispeltribe.com/language-curriculum/}}
10. ^{{Cite web| last = Cederberg, Jenna| title = Salish language dictionary expands from 186 pages to 816| work = The Buffalo Post, a news blog about Native people and the world we live in, at The Missoulian newspaper| accessdate = 2013-04-07| date = 2009-01-10| url = http://www.buffalopost.net/?p=13427}}
11. ^{{Cite web |title = Nkwusm - Salish Language Merchandise |accessdate = 2013-04-07 |url = http://salishworld.com/merchandise_CD-Books.htm |deadurl = yes |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20130201184159/http://salishworld.com/merchandise_CD-Books.htm |archivedate = 2013-02-01 |df = }}
12. ^{{Cite news| last = Brooks Johnson| title = Beyond Belief| work = Missoula Independent| accessdate = 2013-04-07| date = 2012-12-06| url = http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/beyond-belief/Content?oid=1695994}}
13. ^{{Cite journal| volume = 8| issue = 4| title = New Push Begins To Save Salish Language| journal = Canku Ota| accessdate = 2013-04-07| date = 2010-04-01| url = http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues10/CO040110/CO_040110_SalishLanguage.htm}}
14. ^{{Cite news| last = Schilling| first = Vincent| title = Language Preservation Made Vance Home Gun a Champion for Change| work = Indian Country Today Media Network| accessdate = 2013-05-13| date = 2013-05-11| url = http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/05/11/language-preservation-made-vance-home-gun-champion-change-149101}}
15. ^{{Cite news| title = Valley Journal: Translating tradition: Salish language accents Arlee holiday concert| work = Valley Journal| location = Ronan, MT| accessdate = 2013-04-07| date = 2011-12-21| url = http://www.valleyjournal.net/Article/469/Translating-tradition-Salish-language-accents-Arlee-holiday-concert}}
16. ^{{Cite web| title = 2013 Celebrating Salish Conference| work = Kalispel Tribe| accessdate = 2013-02-18| url = http://www.kalispeltribe.com/2013-celebrating-salish-conference/}}
17. ^{{Cite news| last = Hval| first = Cindy| title = Tribes keep language alive : Recent conference led by the Kalispels draws hundreds of participants| work = The Spokesman-Review, Spokesman.com| location = Spokane, WA| accessdate = 2013-03-27| date = 2013-03-14| url = http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/mar/14/tribes-keep-language-alive/}}
18. ^{{Cite news| last = Devlin| first = Vince| title = Missoula councilors seek tribal elders' help for 'wayfinding' signs| work = Ravalli Republic| accessdate = 2013-10-24| date = 2013-10-15| url = http://www.ravallirepublic.com/news/state-and-regional/article_47c94cf5-f335-52f2-a8c6-a031cc938c1a.html}}
19. ^1 2 {{Cite journal|last=Esling|first=John H.|last2=Carlson|first2=Barry F.|date=December 2000|title=Spokane|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-phonetic-association/article/spokane/FC4BF960D1936451D791F51E69FACD12|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association|volume=30|issue=1-2|pages=97–102|doi=10.1017/S0025100300006708|issn=1475-3502}}
20. ^{{Cite thesis|title=The morphological and phonological structures of Spokane lexemes|url=https://dspace.library.uvic.ca//handle/1828/9805|date=1996|degree=PhD|first=Deirdre Jean|last=Black|publisher=University of Victoria|doi=}}
21. ^{{cite journal|last1=Carlson|first1=Barry|title=Situation aspect and a Spokane control morpheme.|journal=International Journal of American Linguistics|date=1996|pages=59–69}}
- "Phonetic Structures of Montana Salish". Flemming, Ladefoged, & Thomason, 1994. In UCLA Working Papers in Phonetics 87: Fieldwork Studies of Targeted Languages II
- Carlson, Barry. "Situation aspect and a Spokane control morpheme." International Journal of American Linguistics (1996): 59-69.
Further reading
{{refbegin}}- Giorda, Joseph, and Gregory Mengarini. [https://archive.org/details/adictionarykali00jesugoog A Dictionary of the Kalispel or Flat-Head Indian Language]. [St. Ignatius]: St. Ignatius Print, Montana, 1877. (Information on how its transcription does not fully indicate pronunciation).
- Post, John A., and Brenda J. Speck. An Edition of Father Post's Kalispel Grammar. Missoula: University of Montana, 1980.
- Vogt, Hans. The Kalispel Language, An Outline of the Grammar with Text, Translations and Dictionary. Oslo: I kommisjon hos J. Dybwad, 1940.
{{refend}}{{Commons category|Montana Salish language}}External links
{{Incubator|code=fla}}{{wiktionary category}}- Nkwusm Salish Language Revitalization Institute
- [https://sites.google.com/site/salishlanguage/ Seliš u Qlispé Nuwewlštn, The Salish & Pend d’Oreille Comprehensive, Sequenced Language Curriculum]
- Char-Koosta News Salish lessons
- [https://www.kalispeltribe.com/our-tribe/language Salish language, Kalispel Tribe website], written and audio online course
- {{Cite web
| title = Salish Language Tutor, Story Teller
| work = Kalispel Tribe
| accessdate = 2013-02-18
| url = http://www.kalispeltribe.com/language-software/
}}- Seliš Nuwewlštn, A Beginning Course in Salish & Pend d’Oreille Dialect, Salish Institute, [https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/1015313647 Flashcards, Snʔawʔawtn 2: Level 2, Book 2]
- Language of the Kalispel, Gonzaga University
- Spokane Salish Blog
- {{Cite web
| title = Flathead, aka Kalispel, Kalispel-Pend d'Oreille, Kalispel-Pend D'oreille
| work = Endangered Languages Project
| url = http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/fla
}}- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130201184159/http://salishworld.com/merchandise_CD-Books.htm Salish language books and CDs], from Nkwusm
- {{Cite book
| last = Connolly
| first = Thomas E., S. J.
| title = Quay-Lem U En-Chow-Men
| accessdate = 2014-03-01
| date = 1958
| url = https://archive.org/details/Quay-lemUEn-chow-men
}}- OLAC resources in and about the Kalispel-Pend d'Oreille language
Vocabulary and dictionaries
- Salish Words, Salish/Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee
- Sounds of the Kalispel, English-Kalispel
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130725153227/http://spokanelanguage.com/PICT_DICTIONARY.htm Learn Spokane Salish Picture Dictionary]
- Dictionaries, Language of the Kalispel, 1800s
- English to Salish Dictionary, 2005
- {{Cite book
| edition = 2nd
| publisher = Salish Kootenai College Press
| last = Pete
| first = Tachini
| title = Seliš nyoʔnuntn = Medicine for the Salish language: English to Salish translation dictionary
| isbn = 978-1934594063
| location = Pablo, MT : Lincoln, NE
| date = 2010
}}- [https://ankiweb.net/shared/decks/salish Salish language flashcard decks]
Audio
- Salish Audio, Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080105071939/http://archive.phonetics.ucla.edu/Language/FLA/FLA.html Montana Salish (Flathead)], UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive
- Flathead-Kalispel language - Audio Bible stories and lessons
Video
- [https://www.youtube.com/user/Nkwusm Nkwusm Salish Language School] YouTube channel
- [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL94hr8ur6xv5bQtXE8BeKEM88RzaP6vvJ Salish stories], from Seliš Nuwewlštn, A Beginning Course in Salish & Pend d’Oreille Dialect
{{Salishan languages}}{{Languages of Montana}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Montana Salish Language}} 4 : Interior Salish languages|Languages of the United States|Native American language revitalization|Endangered indigenous languages of the Americas