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Kwakʼwala dialect

Kwakʼwala

Also known as: Kwakiutl

The largest Wakashan language, of the Kwakwakaʼwakw peoples on northern Vancouver Island and the adjacent BC mainland. Famous to anthropology through Franz Boas's field documentation.

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Frequently asked questions

What language is Kwakʼwala?

Kwakʼwala is a dialect of the Kwakʼwala language.

Where is Kwakʼwala spoken?

Kwakʼwala is primarily spoken in Canada.

Which region is Kwakʼwala associated with?

Kwakʼwala is part of the North America region on DialectAtlas.

Is Kwakʼwala known by other names?

Yes — Kwakʼwala is also referred to as Kwakiutl.

Nearby dialects

See on the atlas →
Nuu-chah-nulth

176 km away

A Wakashan language of the western coast of Vancouver Island. Internally diverse across 14 Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations; central to the early study of Pacific Northwest art and music.

Halkomelem

309 km away

A Coast Salishan language of the lower Fraser river valley and southeastern Vancouver Island. Around 200 fluent speakers across Upriver, Downriver, and Island dialect groups.

Lushootseed

439 km away

A Salishan language of the Coast Salish peoples around Puget Sound in western Washington. Critically endangered; subject of an active revitalisation through the Tulalip and Muckleshoot tribes.

Tlingit

983 km away

A Na-Dené language of the Tlingit people of south-eastern Alaska and adjacent British Columbia and Yukon. Famous for its complex consonant system, including ejective fricatives.

Blackfoot

1,027 km away

A Plains Algonquian language of the Blackfoot Confederacy across southern Alberta and northern Montana. Around 5,000 speakers; one of the most divergent Algonquian languages.

Plains Cree

1,412 km away

The westernmost Cree variety, spoken across Saskatchewan and Alberta. The most populous Cree dialect and the basis of much published Cree literature.

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