Gitxsan language
| Gitxsan | |
|---|---|
| Gitxsanimaax, Gitxsanimx | |
| Native to | Canada |
| Region | Skeena region, British Columbia |
| Ethnicity | 5,680 Gitxsan |
Native speakers | 1,020 (2016 census) |
Tsimshianic
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | git |
| Glottolog | gitx1241 |
| ELP | Gitsenimx̱ |
Gitxsan | |
Gitksan is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
| People | Gitx̱san |
|---|---|
| Language | Gitxsanimaax |
| Country | Gitx̱san Lax̱yip |
The Gitxsan language /ˈɡɪtsæn/, or Gitxsanimaax (also rendered Gitksan, Giatikshan, Gityskyan, Giklsan and Sim Algyax), is an endangered Tsimshianic language of northwestern British Columbia, closely related to the neighboring Nisga’a language. The two groups are, however, politically separate and prefer to refer to Gitxsan and Nisga'a as distinct languages. According to the Report on the status of B.C First Nations Languages there are 523 fluent speakers, 639 that understand or somewhat speak and 344 learning speakers.
Gitxsan means "People of the Skeena River" (Ksan being the name of the Skeena in Gitxsan).