Kwak'wala
/ˈkwɑːk.wə.lə/noun
The Indigenous Wakashan language traditionally spoken by the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples of coastal British Columbia.
Did you know?“Kwak'wala” is a modern standardized spelling; older English sources often called the language “Kwakiutl,” confusingly using the name of one community for a much broader linguistic and cultural tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact era
Kwak'wala
Kwak̓wala
“Indigenous name for the language; its internal morphology and earliest historical development are not securely recoverable from English-language sources.”
19th Century
English
Kwakiutl
“Colonial English label derived from the name of the Kwaguʼł community, later extended inaccurately to the language and neighboring peoples.”
Late 19th–20th Century
English
Kwakiutlan
“Older scholarly classification and spelling associated with the language and its speakers.”
20th Century
Linguistics
Kwakiutlan / Wakashan
“The language was classified within the Wakashan family, alongside neighboring languages of the Pacific Northwest.”
Late 20th–21st Century
English
Kwak'wala
“A widely used contemporary English spelling reflecting Indigenous naming preferences and distinguishing the language from the colonial label “Kwakiutl.””
Explore more surprising origins