Dictionary of the Chinook Jargon, or, Trade Language of Oregon by George Gibbs


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Page 2

An analysis of their derivations gives the following result:

Chinook, including Clatsop 200
Chinook, having analogies with other languages 21
Interjections common to several 8
Nootka, including dialects 24
Chihalis, 32; Nisqually, 7 39
Klikatat and Yakama 2
Cree 2
Chippeway (Ojibwa) 1
Wasco (probably) 4
Kalapuya (probably) 4
By direct onomatopoeia 6
Derivation unknown, or undetermined 18
French, 90; Canadian, 4 94
English 67

I had no opportunity of original investigation into the Nootka proper, but
from the few words in different published vocabularies, and from some
imperfect manuscript ones in my possession of the Tokwaht, Nittinat, and
Makah dialects, have ascertained the number above given. Some of the
unascertained words probably also belong to that language. Neither was I
able to collate the Wasco or Kalapuya, but have assigned them on the
opinion of others. The former, also called Cathlasco, the dialect of the
Dalles Indians, is a corrupted form of the Watlala or Upper Chinook. With
the Chihalis, Yakama, and Klikatat, and the Nisqually, I had abundant
means of comparison.

The introduction of the Cree and Chippeway words is of course due to the
Canadians. None have been derived from the Spanish, as their intercourse
with the Nootka and Makah Indians was too short to leave an impression.
Spanish words, especially those relating to horses or mules and their
equipments, have of late come into general use in Oregon, owing to
intercourse with California, but they form no part of the Jargon. It might
have been expected from the number of Sandwich Islanders introduced by the
Hudson's Bay company, and long resident in the country, that the Kanaka
element would have found its way into the language, but their utterance is
so foreign to the Indian ear, that not a word has been adopted.

In the nouns derived from the French, the definite article _le_, _la_, has
almost in every instance been incorporated into the word, and the same has
in one or two instances been prefixed to nouns not of French origin.
Besides the words created by direct onomatopoeia, there are quite a number
which are really Indian, but have their origin in the similarity of sound
to sense.

Dr. Scouler's analogy between the Nootkan and "Columbian," or Chinook, was
founded on the following words:

_English._ _Tlaoquatch and Nutka._ _Columbian._
plenty, *aya, *haya.
no, *wik, *wake.
water, tchaak, chuck.
good, *hooleish, *closh.
bad, *peishakeis, *peshak.
man, *tchuckoop, tillicham.
woman, *tlootsemin, *clootchamen.
child, *tanassis, *tanass.
now, tlahowieh, clahowiah.
come, *tchooqua, *sacko.
slave, mischemas, *mischemas.
what are you doing *akoots-ka-*mamook, ekta-*mammok.
what are you saying *au-kaak-*wawa, ekta-*wawa.
let me see, *nannanitch, *nannanitch.
sun, *opeth, ootlach.
sky, *sieya, *saya.
fruit, *chamas, *camas.
to sell, *makok, *makok.
understand, *commatax, *commatax.

But of these, none marked with an asterisk belong to the Chinook or any of
its dialects. The greater part of them are undoubtedly Nootkan, though
there are errors in the spelling and, in some instances, in the meaning.
Of the rest, the Nootkan _tchaak_ and the Chinook _tl'tsuk_ alone presents
an analogy. _Klahowiah_ does not mean "now," nor do I believe it is
Nootkan, in any sense. It is, as explained in the dictionary, the Chinook
salutation, "How do you," "Good-bye," and is supposed to be derived from
the word for _poor_, _miserable_. _Mischemas_ is not Chinook, and is
probably not Nootkan. With the exception of Franchere, whose short
vocabulary was published by Mr. Gallatin, and Mr. Hale, all the writers
mentioned by Ludwig who have given specimens of the Chinook language, have
presented it in its Jargon form, more or less mixed with the neighboring
ones, and with corruptions of French and English words. Mr. Swan, among
others, has been led into this error. The place of his residence,
Shoalwater Bay, is common ground of the Chinook and Chihalis Indians, and
the degraded remnants of the two tribes are closely intermarried, and use
both languages almost indifferently.

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Books | Photos | Paul Mutton | Thu 28th Mar 2024, 11:10