Heiltsuk–Oowekyala language


Heiltsuk–Oowekyala is a Northern Wakashan language spoken in the Central Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, spoken by the Wuikinuxv and Heiltsuk peoples. It has two dialects, Heiltsuk and Oowekyala, which unlike other Wakashan languages are tonal. It has no traditional name, so the hyphenated construction Heiltsuk–Oowekyala is used by linguists. Ethnologue calls this language "Heiltsuk", with the Bella Bella dialect labelled "Northern Heiltsuk" and the Oowekyala dialect labeled "Southern Heiltsuk".
Heiltsuk is spoken by the Bella Bella and Haihais peoples; Oowekyala by the Wuikinuxv.

Phonology

Heiltsuk–Oowekyala, like Nuxalk, allows long sequences of obstruents, as in the following 7-obstruent and 8-obstruent words from the Oowekyala variety: c̓k̓ʷx̌tƛkc 'the invisible one here-with-me will be short' or tpxʷpsƛkc 'the invisible one-here-with-me will be squeezed pleasantly' like the Nuxalk kxlqsłcxʷ 'you struck a match for me'.

Writing system

The spelling adopted by the Heiltsuk Education Cultural Center was designed by John C. Rath, linguistic consultant Heiltsuk Cultural Center in the 1970s and 1980s.
bpp̓mṃ́ṃm̓ṃ̓dtt̓nṇ́ṇn̓ṇ̓zcc̓ꟛ
ƛƛ̓ɫlḷ́ḷl̓ḷ̓gkk̓xyíiy̓i̓gvkvk̓v
xvwuúw̓u̓ǧvqvq̓vx̌vǧqq̓x̌háah̓a̓-

In Rath's spelling, the lambda letters ꟛ, ƛ, ƛ̓ can be replaced by dh, th, t̓h if they are not accessible on the keyboard. Similarly, ɫ can be replaced by lh.
abcc̓ddhghikkvk̓k̓vllhl̓mm̓nn̓
pp̓qqvq̓q̓vsttht̓t̓huww̓xxvx̌x̌vyy̓
zǎǧǧvələmən-------------