Definition

1. Noun:
   • A member of the Wakashan people living around Queen Charlotte Sound and on northern Vancouver Island: "Kwakiutl" refers to a person belonging to a specific Indigenous nation of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America.
   • A Wakashan language spoken by the Kwakiutl people: "Kwakiutl" also refers to the language traditionally spoken by this people.

Usage Examples

• Noun (referring to a person):
  • The Kwakiutl are renowned for their complex social system and spectacular potlatch ceremonies.
  • A master Kwakiutl carver created this totem pole.
• Noun (referring to the language):
  • Fewer people speak Kwakiutl fluently today.
  • She is studying Kwakiutl to better understand the oral histories.

Advanced Usage

• The term "Kwakiutl" is often used in anthropological and historical contexts. In contemporary use, many communities prefer more specific self-designations, such as the Kwakwaka'wakw peoples, which is a broader term encompassing the Kwakiutl and related groups.
• When used attributively (as an adjective), it describes things related to the people or their culture (e.g., , ).

Variants and Related Words

• Kwakwaka'wakw (n): The contemporary collective term for the related peoples, including the Kwakiutl, of northern Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland.
• Kwakiutlan (adj): A linguistic term relating to the branch of the Wakashan language family that includes Kwakiutl.

Synonyms

• For the people: Kwakwaka'wakw (broader, contemporary term).
• For the language: There are no direct synonyms, but it can be described as a Wakashan language.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Potlatch: A central and complex ceremonial feast with gift-giving, practiced by the Kwakiutl and other Pacific Northwest Coast peoples.
• Totem pole: A monumental carving, often depicting ancestral beings or symbols, for which Kwakiutl artists are famous.
• Transformation mask: A type of ceremonial mask that opens to reveal a second form, a significant art form in Kwakiutl culture.

Noun

1. a Wakashan language spoken by the Kwakiutl
2. a member of the Wakashan people living around Queen Charlotte Sound and on northern Vancouver Island