Nutka
/ˈnuːt.kə/noun
A historical variant of Nootka, referring to the Indigenous Nuu-chah-nulth peoples, their language, or the region around Nootka Sound in British Columbia.
Did you know?“Nootka” was popularized after Captain James Cook interpreted a local expression as a place-name; the people are now generally called Nuu-chah-nulth.
Etymological Timeline
Before European contact
Nuu-chah-nulth
nuučaan̓uł
“An Indigenous ethnonym associated with the peoples of the west coast of Vancouver Island; its exact historical analysis is complex.”
1778
English
Nootka
“Captain James Cook recorded the name of Nootka Sound after contact with local Indigenous communities.”
18th–19th Century
English
Nutka
“A variant spelling used in European maps and descriptions of the region and its Indigenous inhabitants.”
19th Century
English
Nootkan
“A broader historical linguistic and ethnographic label derived from Nootka.”
Modern English
English
Nutka
“An uncommon historical or variant form of Nootka; Nuu-chah-nulth is the preferred modern name for the Indigenous peoples.”
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