S'Klallam Language
/skəˈlɑːləm ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/noun
The Indigenous Salishan language traditionally spoken by the S'Klallam people of the northwestern Olympic Peninsula and nearby regions.
Did you know?S'Klallam is also called Klallam, while its own Indigenous name is Nəxʷsƛ̓ay̓əm; the language belongs to the Northern Straits branch of the Salishan family.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact period
S'Klallam
Nəxʷsƛ̓ay̓əm
“The traditional Indigenous name for the S'Klallam people and their language; commonly glossed as “strong people,” though detailed analysis varies by source.”
18th–19th Century
Northern Straits Salish
S'Klallam
“An Indigenous ethnonym used for the people whose language is spoken on the northwestern Olympic Peninsula and surrounding waterways.”
19th Century
English
Klallam
“An English spelling and shortened form of S'Klallam, used in missionary, ethnographic, and administrative records.”
20th Century
English
Klallam language
“The established English designation for the Northern Straits Salish language of the S'Klallam people.”
Modern English
English
S'Klallam language
“A modern name used in linguistic, educational, and tribal revitalization contexts.”
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