ville - O kan agan ▁is ▁highly ▁end anger ed ▁and ▁is ▁rarely ▁learned ▁as ▁either ▁a ▁first ▁or ▁second ▁language . ▁About ▁ 1 5 0 ▁deeply ▁fl uent ▁speak ers ▁of ▁Col ville - O kan agan ▁Sal ish ▁remain , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁whom ▁live ▁in ▁British ▁Columbia . ▁The ▁language ▁is ▁currently ▁mor ib und ▁and ▁has ▁no ▁first - language ▁speak ers ▁younger ▁than ▁ 5 0 ▁years ▁of ▁age . ▁Col ville - O kan agan ▁is ▁the ▁second - most ▁spoken ▁Sal ish ▁language ▁after ▁Sh us w ap . ▁ ▁History ▁and ▁description ▁Histor ically , ▁Col ville - O kan agan ▁origin ated ▁from ▁a ▁language ▁which ▁was ▁spoken ▁in ▁the ▁Columbia ▁River ▁Bas in ▁and ▁is ▁now ▁term ed ▁Pro to ▁Southern ▁Inter ior ▁Sal ish . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁initial ▁expansion ▁of ▁Col ville - O kan agan ▁prior ▁to ▁European ▁contact , ▁the ▁language ▁developed ▁three ▁separate ▁dialect s : ▁Col ville , ▁Ok an agan , ▁and ▁L akes . ▁ ▁A ▁low ▁degree ▁of ▁dialect ic ▁diver gence ▁exists ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁voc ab ul ary ▁and ▁grammar . ▁ ▁Vari ation ▁is ▁primarily ▁conf ined ▁to ▁pron unci ation . ▁ ▁The ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁Col ville - O kan agan ▁words ▁are ▁from ▁Pro to - Sal ish ▁or ▁Pro to - Inter ior ▁Sal ish . ▁ ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁Col ville - O kan agan ▁words ▁are ▁shared ▁with ▁or ▁borrow ed