Kwak’wala
/ˈkʷakʷəlɑ/noun
Kwak’wala is an Indigenous Wakashan language traditionally spoken by the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples of coastal British Columbia.
Did you know?Kwak’wala is one of the Northern Wakashan languages, and its traditional speakers are collectively known as the Kwakwaka’wakw—often translated as “those who speak Kwak’wala.”
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact
Kwak’wala
Kwak’wala
“The Indigenous name of the language spoken by Kwakwaka’wakw communities on the northern and central coast of British Columbia.”
19th Century
English
Kwakwiutl / Kwakiutl
“Older English spellings used by colonial writers for the Kwakwaka’wakw peoples; these forms were based on names recorded in the region.”
Late 19th Century
English
Kwakiutl language
“A former English label for the language, derived from the name of one Kwakwaka’wakw community and later used broadly.”
20th Century
Linguistics
Kwakiutlan
“A scholarly classification term associated with the language family now more commonly called Northern Wakashan.”
Modern English
English
Kwak’wala
“The preferred contemporary English spelling for the language, using an apostrophe to represent a consonant feature in the Indigenous orthography.”
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