Lushootseed

[ luh-shoot-seed ]

noun

1. a Coast Salish language spoken by approximately 20 peoples from northern Oregon to central British Columbia.

adjective

1. of or relating to Lushootseed, a Coast Salish language spoken from northern Oregon to central British Columbia, or to its speakers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lushootseed¹

First recorded in 1975–80; from Lushootseed xʷəlšucid, dxʷləšúcid, txʷəlšucid “language of the Puget Sound region,” a self-designation, derived from -ləš- “Puget Sound region” + dxʷ- ... -úcid “language”

Example Sentences

LaPointe wears two silver customized name necklaces, one in English and one in her Indigenous language of Lushootseed.

From Seattle Times

She was given her traditional Skagit name, taqʷšəblu, after her great-grandmother Vi taqʷšəblu Hilbert, a linguist who helped preserve the Lushootseed language.

From Seattle Times

In Lushootseed, Puyallup people are known as puyaləpabš, meaning “people from the bend at the bottom of the river.”

From Seattle Times

In the year since Chief Seattle Club opened the ʔálʔal Café, staffers say the business is living up to its Lushootseed name, which means “home.”

From Seattle Times

Gobin said she still doesn’t speak Lushootseed well, but she’s watching her grandchildren learn.

From Seattle Times