Wakashan

[ wah-kash-uhn, waw-kuh-shan ]

noun

1. a family of Indigenous languages spoken in British Columbia and the state of Washington and including especially Kwakiutl and Nuu-chah-nulth.

Wakashan

/ wɑːˈkæʃən; ˈwɔːkəˌʃɑːn /

noun

1. a family of North American Indian languages of British Columbia and Washington, including Kwakiutl and Nootka
2. a speaker of any of these languages

Word History and Origins

Origin of Wakashan¹

First recorded in 1890–95; coined by J.W. Powell from Wakash, used as the name of a Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) subgroup but originally a misapplication of Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) wa·ka·š “bravo!” + -an

Example Sentences

The relationship of this family to the Wakashan is a very interesting problem.

From Project Gutenberg