Shuswap is a Salishan language spoken in central and southern British Columbia in Canada, mainly between the Fraser River and the Rocky Mountains. In 2014 there were about 200 native speakers of Shuswap, another 1,190 people understood or spoke it to some extent, and 1,140 were learning it. Most of the native speakers are elderly. The community with the largest number of speakers and learners was Eskʼetemc by Alkali Lake.
Shuswap is also known as Secwepemc or Secwepemctsín, and there are two dialects Eastern Shuswap and Western Shuswap.
Efforts to revitalize the language include classes for children and adults, and the production of a dictionary, grammar and other learning materials. In 1991 a school where children are taught Shuswap through immersion was set up near the town of Chase by Shuswap Lake. Shuswap language classes have been offered at Thompson Rivers University since 2013.
There are several ways to write Shuswap, including a spelling system devised and used by Aert H. Kuipers, a Dutch linguist, in his 1974 book, The Shuswap Language. Another was devised by Randy Bouchard of the British Columbia Language Project. There is also a spelling system ursed by the Shuswap Language Department.
Download an alphabet chart for Shuswap (Excel)
Hear the sounds of Shuswap:
Wʔéx k°əx° mtnʔúq̓wy mck̓lép ltwtwwíwtəs méʔe. Yγíʔ γscúns k°əx° lx̌péʔes lck̓éwlx: «X°úy̓ meʔ néskt tsp̓stwéx°mstm meʔ qít̓mkt mk̓°úlmkt tkswéwλ, meʔ k̓éxmkt». Yγíʔ γsq°əcécs k°əx° lx̌péʔes, kícx k°əx° nx̌yúm tpésəλk°e sp̓stwéx°mstm. Kícx k°əx° lx̌péʔes, yγíʔ lx̌péʔes k°əx° γck̓éwlx yγíʔ γsk°éns lsménxs, yγíʔ γsnínk̓ms, yγíʔ γsxpəq̓°qín̓ms.
Source: Hunting and Fishing with Grandfather by Seymour Petel
Wellenwi7kt, re s7eskʼetemc te Secwepemc re senxeteqs te qelmucw ne Eskʼetemculúcw. Re s7eskʼetemc tskwenstes re xwexweyte to stem ne Eskʼetemculúcw. Ta7k tskʼwen te Kupementk stqʼeyʼs es kencitels te stsenqʼyelʼkʼs re tmicwkt ell re ctkʼwenm7iple7tenkt.
Re s7eskʼetemc ri7 Kupkukpi7 ell nekʼwestutmens re stkʼ wenm7iplemʼes elksentsuts. M ta7k skllekstmentem es kecmentem re stsenqʼyelʼkʼs re tmicw, re sewllkwe ell xwexweyt re stem ne Eskʼetemculúcw, ell re stkʼwenm7iple7kt ne tmicw. Re Tqeltkukpi7 kectels te stkʼwenm7iple7tem es yucwemintem, es 7elksentem ell es lecekstmentem re tmicw, re sewllkwe ell xwexweyt to stem ne Eskʼetemculúcw ne Qelmucw ey te stʼ7ek. Te stsutkt ri7 le q7eses te stkwenm7iple7 te skukpi7stem, te smelcetwecw ell te qemqemt te sw7ec, yiri7 re stkwenm7iple7s re tmicw.
We, the Eskʼetemc, of the Secwepemc Nation are the Original people of Eskʼetemcúlucw. Eskʼetemc hold collective title and rights to Eskʼetemculúcw, no elected governments have authority to infringe our title lands or on our communal rights.
As a sovereign and self-governing People, Eskʼetemc declares our right to self-determination. We have never ceded, surrendered or given up our sovereign title and rights over the lands, waters and resources within Eskʼetemcúlucw, nor the exercise of our laws on the lands. Our rights and responsibilities are laws, which were given to us by the Tkel Kukpi7 to protect, maintain and enhance the lands, waters and resources within Eskʼetemcúlucw for future generations.
Source: Eskʼetemc Declaration of Title & Rights
Information about Shuswap | Numbers
Information about Shuswap
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuswap_language
http://www.languagegeek.com/salishan/secwepemctsin.html
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/shs
http://www.native-languages.org/shuswap.htm
https://www.firstvoices.com/explore/FV/sections/Data/Secwepemc/Secwepemctsin/Secwepemc/learn/alphabet
http://www.maps.fphlcc.ca/secwepemctsin
Shuswap learning resources
Coeur d'Alene, Comox, Halkomelem, Klallam, Lushootseed, Lillooet, Nooksack, Nuxalk, Okanagan, Saanich, Salish, she shashishalhem, Shuswap, Squamish, Nlakaʼpamux (Thompson)
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 01.06.25
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