Tillicum
/ˈtɪlɪkəm/noun
A person, friend, or companion, especially in Pacific Northwest usage.
Did you know?Tillicum entered regional English through Chinook Jargon, a historic trade language that brought Indigenous words into everyday Pacific Northwest speech.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact period
Chinookan
tilixam
“A person or people; the Indigenous source form associated with the later Chinook Jargon word.”
18th–19th Century
Chinook Jargon
tilikum
“Person, people, friend, or companion.”
19th Century
English
tillicum
“A person or companion, adopted into Pacific Northwest regional English.”
20th Century
Pacific Northwest English
tillicum
“A friend, companion, or fellow person; also used in cultural and regional names.”
Modern English
English
tillicum
“A regional or culturally marked term for a person, friend, or companion.”