Saanich language

language
name=Saanich
nativename=SENĆOŦEN "Sənčaθən"
familycolor=American
states=Canada, United States
region=British Columbia, Washington
speakers=20
fam1=Salishan
fam2=Coast
fam3=Central
fam4=Straits
fam5=North Straits
iso2=sal
iso3=str

Saanich (also Unicode|Sənčaθən, written as SENĆOŦEN in Saanich orthography) is the language of the Native American Saanich people. Saanich is a member of a dialect continuum called "Northern Straits" which is a Coast Salishan language. North Straits varieties are closely related to the Klallam language.

ounds

Vowels

There is considerable variation among the dialects in the mid vowels with IPA|/e/ ranging from IPA| [e] to IPA| [æ] and IPA|/ə/ being higher in palatal environments, rounded in labialized environments, and IPA| [ʌ] when stressed."¹The K with a bar has not yet been adopted by Unicode."

The glottal stop IPA|/ʔ/ is not always indicated, but may be written with a comma: ,.

Plain and glottalized resonants are not distinguished.

The vowel IPA|/e/ is usually written Á, unless it occurs next to an uvular consonant (IPA|/q qʷ qʼ qʷʼ χ χʷ ɴ ɴʷ/), where it is written A.

Grammar

Metathesis

In Saanich, metathesis is used as a grammatical devise to indicate "actual" aspect. The actual aspect is most often translated into English as a "be …-ing" progressive. The actual aspect is derived from the "nonactual" verb form by a CV → VC metathesis process (i.e. consonant metathesizes with vowel).

External links

* [http://www.cas.unt.edu/~montler/Saanich/Outline/index.htm An Outline of the Morphology and Phonology of Saanich, North Straits Salish] (1986) (Timothy Montler's site)
** [http://www.cas.unt.edu/~montler/Saanich/Outline/1.htm Phonology]
** [http://www.cas.unt.edu/~montler/Saanich/Outline/2.htm Morphology]
** [http://www.cas.unt.edu/~montler/Saanich/Outline/3.htm Sample text]
* [http://www.cas.unt.edu/~montler/Saanich/WordList/index.htm Saanich Classified Word List] (1991) (Timothy Montler's site)
* [http://www.languagegeek.com/salishan/sencoten.html SENĆOŦEN (Saanich, Northern Straits Salish)] (Chris Harvey's Native Language, Font & Keyboard)
* [http://www.sisb.bc.ca/index3.html Saanich Indian School Board]
* [http://www.firstvoices.ca/scripts/WebObjects.exe/FirstVoices.woa/3/wa/enterLanguageArchive?archive=3c39bcf779c644e3&wosid=WZ91RL9KfCr5EAIGt5ucig SENĆOŦEN Welcome page] (First Voices)

Bibliography

* Bill, Adriane; Cayou, Roxanne; & Jim, Jacquelin. (2003). "unicode|NEȾE NEḰȺ SḴELÁLṈEW̲"" [One green tree] ". Victoria, B.C.: First Peoples’ Cultural Foundation & unicode|ȽÁU,WELṈEW̲ Tribal School. ISBN 1-4120-0626-0.
* Mithun, Marianne. (1999). "The languages of Native North America". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23228-7 (hbk); ISBN 0-521-29875-X.
* Montler, Timothy. (1986). "An outline of the morphology and phonology of Saanich, North Straits Salish". Occasional Papers in Linguistics (No. 4). Missoula, MT: University of Montana Linguistics Laboratory. (Web version of the author's PhD dissertation, University of Hawaii).
* Montler, Timothy. (1996). Languages and dialects in Straits Salishan. "Proceedings of the International Conference on Salish and Neighboring Languages", "31", 249-256.
* Montler, Timothy. (1999). Language and dialect variation in Straits Salishan. "Anthropological linguistics", "41" (4), 462-502.
* Thompson, Laurence; Thompson, M. Terry; & Efrat, Barbara. (1974). Some phonological developments in Straits Salish. "International Journal of American Linguistics", "40", 182-196.
* [Claxton, Earl, Sr.] ; & unicode|STOLȻEȽ [Elliot, John, Sr.] . (1994). "Reef Net Technology of the Saltwater People". Brentwood Bay, B.C.: Saanich Indian School Board.