Kwakiutl

[ kwah-kee-oot-l ]

noun

1. Also called Kwa·kwa·ka'wakw [kwah-, kwah, -ki-w, uh, k]. a member of one of the First Nations of Vancouver Island and the adjacent coast of mainland British Columbia.
2. Also called Kwak'wa·la [kwah, -kwah-l, uh]. the Wakashan language of the Kwakiutl.

adjective

1. of or relating to the Kwakiutl or their language.

Kwakiutl

/ ˌkwɑːkɪˈuːtəl /

noun

1. -utl-utls a member of a North American Indian people of N Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland
2. the language of this people, belonging to the Wakashan family

Word History and Origins

Origin of Kwakiutl¹

First recorded in 1845–50; from Kwakiutl Kwagu'ł, a place name

Example Sentences

South of these are the Kwakiutl, with descent wavering in a curious fashion between the male and female systems.

From Project Gutenberg

Even among the Kwakiutl, in their transitional state, the totem mark now is "in many cases a crest."

From Project Gutenberg

The northern Kwakiutl are divided, says Dr. Boas, into "septs" and "clans."

From Project Gutenberg

Further south than the Tsimshian dwell the Kwakiutl, of whom the most southerly are called "the Kwakiutl proper."

From Project Gutenberg

The main arguments for original paternal descent among the Kwakiutl are three in number.

From Project Gutenberg