Did you know Hulʻqʻumiʻnumʻ (Halkomelem) is severely endangered?

ALSO KNOWN AS		Halkomelem, Hul'q'umi'num', Halq'eméylem, hən̓q̓əmin̓əm, Hul’q’umin’um’, Holkomelem
CLASSIFICATION		Salishan, Central Salish
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		hur
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Island Nanaimo Cowichan Upriver Chehalis Tait Chilliwack Downriver Katzie Kwantlen Musqueam
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia” .

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
265
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
19,686
SEMI SPEAKERS
3051
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
http://maps.fphlcc.ca/halkomelem
(263 speakers, 992 semispeakers in British Columbia [2014].)

PLACES: USA; Canada;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: British Columbia, Canada

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~120
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
6700
SEMI SPEAKERS
~100

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

The principal use of the language is for religious ceremonies and songs.

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

The language is being revived on the Musqueam Reserve through a program based at the (closely adjacent) University of British Columbia. On the Tsawwassen Reserve language courses are offered for adults through Simon Fraser University; the Katzie Reserve has a program for elementary school children; and both the Tsawwassen and Katzie Bands have summer immersion camps in language and culture for children.

More on Orthography

literacy is restricted to language class settings.

PLACES: USA; Canada

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Spoken in southwestern British Columbia in a number of small communities along the lower Fraser River and on the east coast of Vancouver Island.

PLACES: USA; Canada

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
285
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
19,000
SEMI SPEAKERS
990
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
260 in Canada. 25 in United States.

DATE OF INFO: 2014 (FPCC)

MORE ON VITALITY

Older adults.

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Dictionary. Grammar. Language courses.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

Language preservation activities in all dialects.

PLACES: USA; Canada;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Southwest British Columbia, in many small communities along the lower Fraser river, the east coast of Vancouver Island. In US, Washington state.

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
375
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: USA; Canada

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
93
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
18,235
SEMI SPEAKERS
766

DATE OF INFO: 2018

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

0.5% speakers, 4.2% semispeakers, 6.8% active language learners

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
120
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
6,700
SEMI SPEAKERS
100?
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
6,700, of whom about 120 speak the language with some degree of fluency, and another 100 are passive speakers.

PLACES: USA; Canada

PLACES: USA; Canada

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
225
Native speakers worldwide

105 fluent and 512 semi-speakers. 1,901 language learners
Native speakers worldwide
SEMI SPEAKERS
512

		2012	First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia							First Peoples' Cultural Council	http://www.maps.fphlcc.ca/		2012. "First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia." edited by First Peoples' Cultural Council. Online: http://www.maps.fphlcc.ca/.		19,686	265		100-999	http://maps.fphlcc.ca/halkomelem (263 speakers, 992 semispeakers in British Columbia [2014].)	3051					Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					USA; Canada;	British Columbia, Canada	49.1900000, -123.0000000
		2007	North America	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	1-96	C. Moseley		London & New York: Routledge				Victor Golla	Golla, Victor. 2007. "North America." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by C. Moseley. 1-96. London & New York: Routledge.	HHOLD	6700	~120		100-999		~100	10-20		The language is being revived on the Musqueam Reserve through a program based at the (closely adjacent) University of British Columbia. On the Tsawwassen Reserve language courses are offered for adults through Simon Fraser University; the Katzie Reserve has a program for elementary school children; and both the Tsawwassen and Katzie Bands have summer immersion camps in language and culture for children.		Critically Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	The principal use of the language is for religious ceremonies and songs.	15	15	USA; Canada	Spoken in southwestern British Columbia in a number of small communities along the lower Fraser River and on the east coast of Vancouver Island.
0199255911		2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures			Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer		Oxford University Press	New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																	USA; Canada		49.1666666667,-123.0
		2016	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 19th Edition (2016)			Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	online	SIL International	Dallas, Texas		http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2016. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Nineteenth edition (2016). Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.		19,000	285	2014 (FPCC)	100-999	260 in Canada. 25 in United States.	990		English	Language preservation activities in all dialects.	Dictionary. Grammar. Language courses.	Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		Older adults.			USA; Canada;	Southwest British Columbia, in many small communities along the lower Fraser river, the east coast of Vancouver Island. In US, Washington state.
	3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger					UNESCO Publishing	Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub		375		100-999							Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					USA; Canada		48.7715,-123.6678
	3	2018	Report on the status of B.C. First Nations Languages					First People's Cultural Council		First Peoples' Cultural Council		Britt Dunlop, Suzanne Gessner, Tracey Herbert & Aliana Parker			18,235	93	2018	10-99		766					Severely Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	13	0.5% speakers, 4.2% semispeakers, 6.8% active language learners		15
		2008	North America	Atlas of the World's Languages	7-41	Chris Moseley and Ron Asher		Routledge	London			Victor Golla and Ives Goddard and Lyle Campbell and Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco	Victor Golla, Ives Goddard, Lyle Campbell, Marianne Mithun and Mauricio Mixco. 2008. "North America." In Atlas of the World's Languages, edited by Chris Moseley and Ron Asher. 7-41. Routledge.		6,700	120		100-999	6,700, of whom about 120 speak the language with some degree of fluency, and another 100 are passive speakers.	100?					Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					USA; Canada
	2nd edition	2010	Endangered Languages of the United States	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing	108-130	Christopher Moseley		UNESCO	Paris			Christopher Rogers, Naomi Palosaari and Lyle Campbell	Christopher Rogers, Naomi Palosaari and Lyle Campbell. 2010. "Endangered Languages of the United States." In Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing, edited by Christopher Moseley. 108-130. UNESCO.																	USA; Canada		48.7715,-123.6678
			World Oral Literature Project								http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			225		100-999							Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
		2022	Report on the Status of B.C. First Nations Languages (Fourth Edition)								https://fpcc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/FPCC-LanguageReport-23.02.14-FINAL.pdf	Gessner, Suzanne, Tracey Herbertn and Aliana Parker				105 fluent and 512 semi-speakers. 1,901 language learners		100-999		512	1,901

Hulʻqʻumiʻnumʻ (Halkomelem)

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

265

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~120

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

285

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

375

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

93

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

120

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

225

105 fluent and 512 semi-speakers. 1,901 language learners

Discussion

Hulʻqʻumiʻnumʻ (Halkomelem)

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

265

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~120

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

285

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

375

Severely endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

93

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

120

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

225

105 fluent and 512 semi-speakers. 1,901 language learners

Discussion

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Sources of information

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