nsk ISO 639

Naskapi, ᐃᔪᐤ ᐃᔨᒧᐅᓐ‎ (Iyuw Iyimuuun), ᓇᔅᑲᐱ‎ (Naskapi) Autonyms

Naskapi

  • Geography

    CA Newfoundland and Labrador provinces: Natuashish on the mainland, an isolated community in Labrador (Eastern Naskapi dialect); Quebec province: Kawawachikamach about 10 km northeast of Schefferville at watershed (Western Naskapi dialect).
  • Language Cloud

A language of Canada

nsk
Innu Aimun, Iyuw Imuun, Naaskaapii iyuw iyimuuun, Naskapi Innu
Naskapi, ᐃᔪᐤ ᐃᔨᒧᐅᓐ‎ (Iyuw Iyimuuun), ᓇᔅᑲᐱ‎ (Naskapi)
1,210 (2016 census). Ethnic population: 1,300 (2017 N. Jancewicz). 900 Western Naskapi, 400 Eastern Naskapi.
Newfoundland and Labrador provinces: Natuashish on the mainland, an isolated community in Labrador (Eastern Naskapi dialect); Quebec province: Kawawachikamach about 10 km northeast of Schefferville at watershed (Western Naskapi dialect).
Canada
4 (Educational). Language of recognized indigenous peoples: Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach.
Algic, Algonquian, Cree-Montagnais
Western Naskapi (Kawawachikamach), Eastern Naskapi (Mushua Innu, Natuashish).
Vigorous in both dialects. Slowly shifting to English [eng]. Used by all. Most also use English [eng]. Some also use French [fra]. Also use Innu [moe].
Literacy rate in L1: Western Naskapi: 50%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%. Ongoing community language program in Western Naskapi. All children through in kindergarten through grade 6 can read and write in the language (2017 N. Jancewicz). Taught as subject in primary schools (Golla 2007). Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2007.
Latin script [Latn]. Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics script [Cans], used by Western Naskapi.
Naskapi culture was nomadic and completely dependent on the migratory habits of caribou. Caribou hunting and land use still seen as important. Innu Aimun refers to both Eastern Naskapi dialect and Innu (Montagnais) [moe] but not Western Naskapi. Some linguists have referred to dialect spoken at Natuashish as Eastern Naskapi but currently refer to it as Innu Aimun or Mushuau Innu Aimun.
OLAC resources in and about Naskapi