Hul’q’umi’num’
/həlˈkʷəmiːnəm/noun
Hul’q’umi’num’ is a Coast Salish language spoken traditionally on southeastern Vancouver Island and nearby regions of British Columbia.
Did you know?Hul’q’umi’num’ belongs to the Salishan language family, whose traditional oral cultures preserved history, law, spirituality, and identity through spoken language.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact era
Hul’q’umi’num’
Hul’q’umi’num’
“The Indigenous name used for the language by its speakers; its exact internal literal translation is not securely established in general etymological references.”
19th Century
English
Cowichan
“An English colonial label associated especially with the Cowichan peoples and region, often used in older descriptions of the language.”
19th–20th Century
English
Halkomelem
“A broader English linguistic designation for a Coast Salish language continuum including Hul’q’umi’num’, hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, and Hun’qumi’num’ varieties.”
20th Century
Linguistics
Hul’q’umi’num’
“The name became increasingly standardized in linguistic and community contexts for the Vancouver Island variety.”
Modern English
English
Hul’q’umi’num’
“A recognized name for the language and for revitalization, education, cultural, and language-reclamation work among its speaker communities.”
Explore more surprising origins