Nisga’a
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A language of Canada
2,360, all users. L1 users: 860 (FPCC 2014). 1,380 semi-speakers (FPCC 2014). L2 users: 1,500. Ethnic population: 5,430 (FPCC 2014).
British Columbia province: Aiyansh (Ay’ans), Canyon City (Gitwinksihlkw), Greenville (Laxtalts’ap or Gitxat’in), Kincolith (Gingolx) villages on lower Nass river valley.
7 (Shifting). Language of recognized indigenous peoples: Nisga’a Village of Gingolx, Nisga’a Village of Gitwinksihlkw, Nisga’a Village of Laxgalt’sap, Nisga’a Village of New Aiyansh.
Variation within Nisga’a not great enough to be considered dialects. High degree of inherent intelligibility between Nisga’a and Gitxsan [git].
VSO; prepositions; genitives after noun heads; articles, adjectives, numerals before noun heads; relatives without noun heads; question word initial in sentence; 3 or 4 prefixes, 1 inflectional suffix; word order distinguishes subjects, objects, indirect objects, given and new information, topic and comment; verb affixes mark person and number of subject and object unless obscured by phonological rule; pronominal system is fully ergative; morphological passives, but not by construction; direct causatives indicated by suffixes, indirect (jussive) by prefix; CVC; nontonal.
Schools try to teach oral and written Nisga’a. Taught as subject in primary schools since 1976 (Golla 2007). Taught as subject at local community college and University of Northern British Columbia (Golla 2007). Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible portions: 1890–1897.
Nisga’a consider Gitxsan [git] ethnically distinct. Christian.