Oowekyala

Oowekyala /uːˈwiːkjələ/,[2] also Ooweekeeno and ’Wuik̓ala in the language itself, is a dialect (or a sublanguage) of Heiltsuk-Oowekyala, a Northern Wakashan language spoken around Rivers Inlet and Owikeno Lake in the Central Coast region of the Canadian province of British Columbia, spoken by the Wuikinuxv, whose government is the Wuikinuxv Nation.

Oowekyala
’Wuik̓ala
RegionNorthern Central Coast Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
EthnicityWuikinuxv people
Native speakers
6 (2014, FPCC)[1]
Wakashan
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
Glottologoowe1239

The name is also spelled Wuikala, Wuikenukv, Oweekeno, Wikeno, Owikeno, Oowekeeno, Oweekano, Awikenox, Oowek'yala, Oweek'ala.

Sounds

Consonants

The 45 consonants of Oowekyala:

Labial Alveolar Velar Uvular Glottal
centrallateralsibilant plainlabial plainlabial
Plosive voiced b dd͡l[3]d͡z ɡɡʷ ɢɢʷ
voiceless p tt͡ɬt͡s kkʷ qqʷ
ejective pʼ tʼt͡ɬʼt͡sʼ kʼkʷʼ qʼqʷʼ
Fricative ɬs xxʷ χχʷ
Sonorant short m nl jw ɦ
long mː nːlː
glottalized mˀ nˀlˀ jˀwˀ ʔ

Phonologically, affricates are treated as stops, and nasals and approximants are treated as sonorants. Additionally, /ɦ/ and /ʔ/ are treated as sonorants.

Vowels

Oowekyala has phonemic short, long, and glottalized vowels:

  Front Central Back
short long glottalized short long glottalized short long glottalized
Close i iː iˀ       u uː uˀ
Mid       ə          
Open       a aː aˀ      

Phonotactics

Oowekyala, like Nuxálk (Bella Coola), allows long sequences of obstruents, as in the following 7-obstruent word:

[t͡sʼkʷʼχtʰt͡ɬʰkʰt͡sʰ]  'the invisible one here-with-me will be short'   (Howe 2000: 5)
[kxlqsɬt͡sxʷ] kxlqsłcxv - you struck a match for me [4]

References
  1. Heiltsuk at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. William C. Sturtevant, 1978. Handbook of North American Indians: Northwest Coast
  3. Not [d͡ɮ]. Howe (2000:24)
  4. "OOWEKYALA SEGMENTAL PHONOLOGY DARIN MATHEW HOWE. B.A. (Hons.), University of Ottawa, 1994 M.A., University of Ottawa, PDF". docplayer.net. Retrieved 2018-08-13.

Bibliography
  • Boas, Franz. (1928). Bella Bella texts. Columbia University contributions to anthropology (No. 5).
  • Boas, Franz. (1932). Bella Bella tales. Memoirs of the American Folklore Society (No. 25).
  • Hanuse, R., Sr.; Smith, H.; & Stevenson, D. (Eds.) (1983?). The Adjee and the Little Girl. Rivers Inlet, BC: Oowekyala Language Project.
  • Hilton, Suzanne; & Rath, John C. (1982). Oowekeeno oral traditions. Ottawa: National Museums of Canada.
  • Howe, Darin. (1998). Aspects of Heiltsuk laryngeal phonology. Ms., University of British Columbia.
  • Howe, Darin M. (2000). Oowekyala segmental phonology. (Doctoral dissertation, University of Ottawa).
  • Johnson, S.; Smith, H.; & Stevenson, D. (1983?). What time is it? Rivers Inlet, BC: Oowekyala Language Project.
  • Johnson, S.; Smith, H.; & Stevenson, D. (1983?). Fishing at Rivers Inlet. Rivers Inlet, BC: Oowekyala Language Project.
  • Johnson, S.; Smith, H.; & Stevenson, D. (1983?). Qaquthanugva uikala. Rivers Inlet, BC: Oowekyala Language Project.
  • Johnson, S.; Smith, H.; & Stevenson, D. (1983?). Sisa'kvimas. Rivers Inlet, BC: Oowekyala Language Project.
  • Johnson, S.; Smith, H.; & Stevenson, D. (1983?). ’Katemxvs ’Wuik’ala. Rivers Inlet, BC: Oowekyala Language Project.
  • Johnson, S.; Smith, H.; & Stevenson, D. (1984?). Oowekyala words. Rivers Inlet, BC: Oowekyala Language Project.
  • Lincoln, Neville J.; & Rath, John C. (1980). North Wakashan comparative root list. Ottawa: National Museums of Canada.
  • Poser, William J. (2003). The status of documentation for British Columbia native languages. Yinka Dene Language Institute Technical Report (No. 2). Vanderhoof, British Columbia: Yinka Dene Language Institute.
  • Rath, John C. (1981). A practical Heiltsuk-English dictionary. Canadian Ethnology Service, Mercury Series paper (No. 75). Ottawa: National Museum of Man.
  • Stevenson, David. (1980). The Oowekeeno people: A cultural history. Ottawa, Ontario: National Museum of Man (now Hull, Quebec: Museum of Civilization). (Unpublished).
  • Stevenson, David. (1982). The ceremonial names of the Oowekeeno people of Rivers Inlet. Ottawa, Ontario: National Museum of Man (now Hull, Quebec: Museum of Civilization). (Unpublished).
  • Storie, Susanne. (Ed.). (1973). Oweekano Stories. (Special Collections: E99). Victoria: British Columbia Indian Advisory Committee.
  • Windsor, Evelyn W. (1982). Oowekeeno oral traditions as told by the late chief Simon Walkus, Sr. Hilton, S.; & Rath, J. C. (Eds.). Mercury series (No. 84). Ottawa: National Museum of Man.
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