▁from ▁the ▁neighbor ing ▁Sal ish , ▁Sah apt ian , ▁and ▁K uten ai ▁languages . ▁ ▁More ▁recent ▁word ▁borrow ings ▁are ▁from ▁English ▁and ▁French . ▁ ▁Col ville - O kan agan ▁was ▁an ▁exclus ively ▁or al ▁form ▁of ▁communication ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁when ▁pri ests ▁and ▁lingu ists ▁began ▁trans cri bing ▁the ▁language ▁for ▁word ▁lists , ▁diction aries , ▁gr amm ars , ▁and ▁transl ations . ▁ ▁Col ville - O kan agan ▁is ▁currently ▁written ▁in ▁Latin ▁script ▁using ▁the ▁American ▁Ph on etic ▁Al phabet . ▁ ▁In ▁Col ville - O kan agan ▁the ▁language ▁itself ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁n <0xCC> <0x93> s ə l <0xCC> <0x93> x cin <0xCC> <0x93> ▁or ▁ns y il x cn . ▁Spe akers ▁of ▁n <0xCC> <0x93> s ə l <0xCC> <0x93> x cin <0xCC> <0x93> ▁occupied ▁the ▁northern ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁Columbia ▁Bas in ▁from ▁the ▁M eth ow ▁River ▁in ▁the ▁west , ▁to ▁K oot en ay ▁Lake ▁in ▁the ▁east , ▁and ▁north ▁along ▁the ▁Columbia ▁River ▁and ▁the ▁Ar row ▁L akes . ▁ ▁In ▁Col ville - O kan agan , ▁all ▁ns y il x cn - spe aking ▁bands ▁are ▁grouped ▁under ▁the ▁eth nic ▁label ▁sy il x . ▁ ▁Col ville - O kan agan ▁is ▁the ▁her itage ▁language ▁of ▁the ▁Lower ▁Sim il k ame en ▁Indian ▁Band , ▁the ▁Upper ▁Sim il k ame en