Salishan

[sey-lish-uh n, sal-ish-]

noun

a family of American Indian languages including Coeur d'Alêne, Kalispel, and other languages of British Columbia and the northwestern U.S.

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of this language family or its speakers.

Origin of Salishan

First recorded in 1885–90; Salish + -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for salishan

Historical Examples of salishan

He printed a Salishan grammar , and prepared a Salishan-English dictionary.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, v. 27
Various
Of the above tribes the Okinagan are now known to be Salishan.
Indian Linguistic Families Of America, North Of Mexico
John Wesley Powell
The tribe here referred to belonged to the Salishan stock; see Franchre's Narrative, in our volume vi, p. 340, note 145.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, v. 27
Various
The Cowlitz were a numerous and powerful tribe of Salishan stock, in the valley of the river of that name.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, v. 27
Various
This may also be said of some of the Salishan tribes, though others of the same stock have complicated systems.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 4
Various