ʔayʔaǰuθəm (often written as Ayajuthem) is the ancestral language of the Tla’amin people. The name ʔayʔaǰuθəm means “to speak it well”.
For thousands of years, ʔayʔaǰuθəm has been the foundation of Tla’amin culture, identity, and worldview. It carries our teachings, laws, humour, and relationships to land and water. Many concepts expressed in ʔayʔaǰuθəm cannot be fully translated into English without losing meaning.
Part of the Coast Salish Language Family
Tla’amin Nation is part of the northernmost Coast Salish ʔayʔaǰuθəm‑speaking peoples. Our language belongs to the larger Salishan language family, which includes many related languages spoken throughout the Northwest Coast.
ʔayʔaǰuθəm is spoken by our Sister Nations:
- ƛoʔos (Klahoose)
- χʷɛmaɬku (Homalco)
- K’ómoks
While our Sister Nations share a common linguistic origin, pronunciations, expressions, and ways of speaking have evolved differently over time due to geography, family lineages, and local histories. There is no single “correct” way to speak ʔayʔaǰuθəm. Each family and community carries its own valid and meaningful ways of speaking.
Language as Teacher
ʔayʔaǰuθəm is a system of knowledge and language revitalization efforts teach us a lot about what our Ancestors were thinking and doing.
The language holds teachings about:
- Relationships between people, land, and water
- Family responsibilities and kinship
- Governance, law, and accountability
- Spirituality and ceremony
- Place names and history
Historically, ʔayʔaǰuθəm was complete in its oral form. Knowledge was passed on through listening, observation, repetition, and practice, without the need for a written system. Stories, songs, names, and teachings were carried through generations by families and Elders.
Introducing the Orthography
When written systems came into play writing ʔayʔaǰuθəm using the Roman alphabet presented challenges. Many sounds in the language do not exist in English, and English spelling conventions cannot accurately represent them.
Tla’amin orthography (International Phonetic Alphabet) was adopted to reflect these unique sounds as accurately as possible following the motto “one letter = one sound”. Orthography is used today because correct spelling supports correct pronunciation, and correct pronunciation honours our Ancestors.
Respecting how words are written and spoken is part of respecting the language itself.
Pronunciation Guide
The following is reproduced from Honoré Watanabe, “A Note on the Sliammon Language,” in Written as I Remember It: Teachings (Ɂəms tɑɁɑw) from the Life of a Sliammon Elder, by Elsie Paul, Paige Raibmon, and Harmony Johnson (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2014), xiv-xvi.
Consonants
The following consonants have equivalent or very similar sounds in English:
č like the first sound in “change” or the last sound in “catch”
g like the first sound in “gum”
h like the first sound in “hello”
ǰ like the first sound in “jam”
k like the first sound in “cut” or “kiss”
kʷ the “k” sound but with the lips rounded, as in the first sound of “quiz” or “quick”
l like the first sound in “light”
m like the first sound in “meet”
n like the first sound in “note”
p like the first sound in “pin”
s like the first sound in “sit”
š like the first sound in “sheep”
t like the first sound in “teacher”
θ like the first sound in “thin”
tᶿ the “t” and “th” sounds simultaneously, like the last sound in “eighth”
w like the first sound in “wine”
y like the first sound in “yard”
ʔ a silence created by closing the vocal cords, as in the middle of “uh-oh!” This sound is called a “glottal stop,” or sometimes less formally referred to as “catch-in-the-throat.”
The following consonant sounds are not found in English:
q like the “k” sound as in “kick” but pronounced farther back in the mouth
qʷ the “q” sound above but with the lips rounded into an “O” shape
xʷ like the first sound in “who” but with much more friction in the mouth
χ (also written x̣) like the “h” sound but with much more friction in the mouth, almost like the French “r”
χʷ (also written x̣ʷ) like the “χ” sound above but with the lips rounded into an “O” shape
ɬ like a whispered “l” but with much more friction in the mouth; the tip of the tongue is touching the front teeth as air is blown out along the sides of the tongue
ƛ the “t” sound and the “ɬ” sound in a quick sequence
čʼ, kʼ, kʼʷ, ƛʼ, pʼ, qʼ, qʼʷ, tʼ, tʼᶿ The apostrophe in these nine consonants indicates a certain “popping” effect. In the case of “p’,” for example, the lips are closed as for “p”; the popping effect is made by holding the breath and then releasing the air in a burst.
lʼ, mʼ, nʼ, wʼ, yʼ These five consonants are their corresponding consonants in combination with the glottal stop (ʔ). Depending on where they occur in a given word, they will be pronounced differently. If they come before another consonant or at the end of a word, then the “l,” “m,” “n,” “w,” or “y” sounds are cut off abruptly. If they are between two vowels, the “ʔ” comes before the “l,” “m,” “n,” “w,” or “y.”
Vowels
ɑ like the a in “father”
a like the French a in “patte”
ʌ like the u in “up”
e like the a in “aim”
ɛ like the e in “pet” or “bell”
u like the vowel in “choose” or “who”
ʋ like the u in “put”
i like the vowel in “beat” or “meet” but short
ɩ like the i in “bit” or “hit”
ə like the o in “lemon”
Also, two stress marks and two length markers may be used over or following a vowel:
á (acute accent) strongest stressed vowel of a word
à (grave accent) stressed vowel but not the strongest one in the word
aː (long) long vowel
aˑ (half long) half long vowel
ʔayʔaǰuθəm Revitalization Plan
ʔayʔaǰuθəm is being spoken, heard, and used in everyday life and Tla’amin has adopted an ʔayʔaǰuθəm revitalization plan which includes 5 goals
1. Preserve and expand the ʔayʔaǰuθəm language database
Continue documenting words and phrases, digitizing historical materials, and growing a strong, accessible language database to support learning now and into the future.
2. Strengthen language learning through immersion programs
Expand immersion opportunities for children and adults, including school-age programs, adult immersion, and partnerships with post-secondary institutions.
3. Build capacity for ʔayʔaǰuθəm teachers and language leaders
Support Tla’amin citizens to become fluent speakers, certified teachers, and language leaders through training, mentorship, and career pathways.
4. Embed ʔayʔaǰuθəm in community, governance, and daily life
Increase everyday use of the language through signage, public communications, government operations, community gatherings, and digital platforms.
5. Promote collaboration and innovation across Sister Nations
Work closely with Homalco, Klahoose, and K’ómoks to share resources, develop joint curriculum, and strengthen the language collectively across ʔayʔaǰuθəm-speaking communities.