Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
/ˈsqʷχʷuʔməʃ/noun
The autonym of the Squamish people, their language, and the associated cultural nation of southwestern British Columbia.
Did you know?The form “Squamish” is an English approximation of Sḵwx̱wú7mesh; the numeral 7 represents a glottal stop in the Indigenous orthography, not a number.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact period
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
“The traditional autonym used by the Squamish people; its internal historical analysis is not securely expressed by a simple English translation.”
18th–19th Century
English records
Squamish
“An anglicized rendering of the Indigenous name, used in colonial maps and records.”
19th Century
English
Squamish
“The name applied to the people, their territory, the language, and locations in southwestern British Columbia.”
20th Century
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Sníchim
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
“Standardized Indigenous spelling revived and maintained through Squamish language and cultural revitalization.”
Modern English
English
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh / Squamish
“The Indigenous autonym and its established English exonym, respectively, with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh increasingly preferred in official and cultural contexts.”