Nootka Sound
/ˈnuːtkə saʊnd/noun
A large inlet on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
Did you know?The name Nootka was popularized by Captain James Cook in 1778, but the Indigenous people now generally called the Nuu-chah-nulth traditionally refer to the inlet as Mowachaht territory around Yuquot.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-1778
Nuu-chah-nulth
Nuu-chah-nulth
“A confederation of Indigenous peoples of western Vancouver Island; the name is commonly interpreted as “all along the mountains and sea.””
1778
English
Nootka
“A name recorded and popularized by Captain James Cook for the Indigenous people and region; its precise source and original interpretation remain debated.”
1778
English
Nootka Sound
“Cook’s geographical name for the major inlet on Vancouver Island’s west coast.”
Middle English
English
sound
“A channel or strait of water, from Scandinavian nautical vocabulary.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
sund
“A swimming passage, strait, or narrow stretch of navigable water.”
Modern English
English
Nootka Sound
“The established modern name of the inlet, though many Indigenous communities favor names reflecting Nuu-chah-nulth languages and history.”