Pentlatch language

The Pentlatch or Pentl’ach or Puntlatch or Puntledge language is a Salishan language that was spoken on Canada's Vancouver Island in a small area between Comox and Nanaimo, British Columbia. The Pentlatch people formerly numbered at least 3,000 with at least 90 settlements in the area. The language became extinct in the 1940s after the death of the last fluent speaker in 1940.[2]

Pentlatch
Pənƛ’áč
Native toCanada
RegionVancouver Island
Extinct1940[1]
Salish
Language codes
ISO 639-3ptw
ptw
Glottologpent1242

There is one known semi-speaker (if not full speaker, source unclear), Qualicum Elder Bill Recalma. He and his son Jessie have been working together to help revive it. The Pentlatch celebrated a ceremony celebrating the language's reawakening due to their efforts.[3]

Variants

The name of this people and their language survives on the modern map as that of the Puntledge River, the Comox Valley locality of Puntledge and the name of the Pentledge 2 Indian Reserve, now allocated to the K'ómoks First Nation band government.[4][5]

References
  1. Pentlatch at MultiTree on the Linguist List
  2. Terry Glavin, "A lost world returns", Maclean's, November 11, 2020.
  3. "Last holder of 'extinct' Pentl'ach language brings it to life with Qualicum researchers". CHEK. 2022-06-17. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  4. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Reserve/Settlement/Village Detail "Pentledge 2"
  5. BC Names entry "Pentledge 2 (Indian Reserve)"


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