Definition

Proper noun 1. A member of a First Nations people: A person belonging to an Indigenous people whose traditional territories are in the coastal region of northwestern British Columbia, Canada, and southern Alaska, USA. 2. The language of this people: A language family, often classified as a branch of the Penutian hypothesis, spoken by the Tsimshian people.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun (referring to a person or people):
  • The artist is a Tsimshian from the community of Lax Kw'alaams.
  • Tsimshian traditions include complex potlatch ceremonies.
• Proper noun (referring to the language):
  • She is working to revitalize the Tsimshian language.
  • Fewer than 200 fluent speakers of Tsimshian remain.

Advanced Usage

• The term Tsimshian can refer broadly to the cultural group, but specifically denotes the Coast Tsimshian peoples and their language. Related groups include the Southern Tsimshian (Sgüüx̣s) and the Nishga (Nisg̱a'a) and Gitksan (Gitxsan) peoples of the interior.
• In anthropological and linguistic contexts, Tsimshian is used to describe artifacts, art styles (noted for totem poles and formline design), and social structures characteristic of these peoples.

Variants and Related Words

• Tsimshianic (adjective): Pertaining to the Tsimshian peoples or their languages.
  • The Tsimshianic language family includes Coast Tsimshian, Southern Tsimshian, and Nisg̱a'a.
• Sm'algyax: The name for the Coast Tsimshian language in the language itself.
  • He is taking a course to learn Sm'algyax.

Synonyms

• Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast (broad, descriptive synonym for the ethnic group).
• There are no direct synonyms for the proper noun Tsimshian, as it is a specific ethnonym.

Related Phrases

• Tsimshian mythology: The body of myths and traditional narratives of the Tsimshian people.
  • The story of Txamsem is a central figure in Tsimshian mythology.
• Tsimshian territory: Refers to the traditional lands and waters of the Tsimshian nations.
  • The proposed pipeline crosses sensitive Tsimshian territory.

Noun

1. a Penutian language spoken by the Tsimshian
2. a member of a Penutian people who lived on rivers and a sound in British Columbia