Tillamook language

Tillamook is an old language that is no longer spoken. It belonged to a group of languages called Salishan and was used by the Tillamook people who lived in northwestern Oregon in the United States. The last person who could speak Tillamook fluently was a woman named Minnie Scovell, and she passed away in 1972.

Because Tillamook was in danger of being completely forgotten, some researchers from the University of Hawai'i worked hard to save it. They spoke with the few people who still remembered the language and wrote down many words and ideas. Their work resulted in a special book, a dictionary, that has 120 pages filled with Tillamook words and their meanings. This helps people today learn about the Tillamook language and the culture of the Tillamook people.

Phonology

Vowels

The Tillamook language had special vowel sounds made with rounded lips. These sounds were part of a single sound group.

Consonants

Internal rounding

Tillamook had special consonant sounds made by rounding the inside of the mouth. These sounds were different from normal rounded sounds because they did not use the lips. Instead, the tongue shaped the sound. This created a special resonance for some sounds, and the language used special symbols to show these unique sounds. The sound made with this method was similar to another special sound in the language.