Lummi (''Xwlemi Chosen'', ) is a

dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of Linguistics, linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety (linguisti ...

of the

North Straits Salish language North Straits Salish is a Salish language which includes the dialects of *Lummi (also known as W̱lemi,Ćosen, Xwlemiʼchosen, xʷləmiʔčósən) ''(†)'' * Saanich (also known as Senćoten, sənčáθən, sénəčqən) *Samish (also known as ...

traditionally spoken by the

Lummi The Lummi ( ; Lummi: ''Xwlemi'' ; also known as Lhaq'temish (), or ''People of the Sea''), governed by the Lummi Nation, are a Native American tribe of the Coast Salish ethnolinguistic group. They are based in the coastal area of the Pacific No ...

people of northwest

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Although traditionally referred to as a language, it is

mutually intelligible In linguistics, mutual intelligibility is a relationship between languages or dialects in which speakers of different but related varieties can readily understand each other without prior familiarity or special effort. It is sometimes used as an ...

with the other dialects of North Straits. Lummi language is still spoken on the Lummi reservation and is taught at Ferndale High School, Lummi Nation School, Vista Middle School, Horizon Middle School, Skyline and Eagleridge Elementary Schools, and the

Northwest Indian College Northwest Indian College (Xwlemi Elh>Tal>Nexw Squl) is a Public college, public Tribal colleges and universities, tribal Land-grant university, land-grant community college in Bellingham, Washington. It was established by the Lummi Nation and is ...

Phonology

* phonemically occurs only rarely within vocabulary. * Vowel sounds may also be heard as more mid or open as .

Phonology

References

Further reading