Kiliwa
/kɪˈliːwə/noun
Kiliwa is the name of an Indigenous people of northern Baja California, Mexico, and their traditionally spoken language.
Did you know?The Kiliwa traditionally refer to themselves as Ko’lew, commonly glossed as “person” or “people”; the origin of the outsider name “Kiliwa” remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Colonial Period
Kiliwa
Ko’lew
“The Kiliwa autonym, commonly interpreted as “person” or “people”.”
18th Century
Spanish
Kiliwa
“A Spanish-recorded name for the Indigenous people and language of northern Baja California.”
19th Century
Spanish
Kiliwa
“The ethnonym used in regional records and descriptions of Baja California peoples.”
20th Century
English/Spanish
Kiliwa
“A conventional anthropological and linguistic name for the people and their language.”
Modern English
English
Kiliwa
“A proper noun referring to the Kiliwa people, their language, or their cultural tradition.”