The Chinook Jargon and how to Use it: A Complete and Exhaustive Lexicon of the Oldest Trade Language of the American Continent |
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
alki ample become boat chako chee Chehalis chikamin Chinook Jargon chuck cole Columbia cooley cultus delate Dictionary dolla Eells elip English Example expressed French gives halo haul heehee hiyu horse huloima hyak hyas iktas illahee Indian iskum kahkwa keekwulee kilapie kimta klale klatawa klatawa kopa klootchman kloshe kopa kloshe nanitch kokshut konoway kopa yaka kopet kuitan kumtuks kunamokst kunjih kwass land language lemah mahkook mahsh mama mamook mamook tumtum means mesachie mika mimoluse mitlite mokst muckamuck nesika nika Nootka Note Okoke origin papa person piah potlatch Puget Sound river saghalie tyee sail says sick sitkum siwash skin skookum solleks speak spellings spirit spose stick stone tahtlum tenas tikegh tillikums trade tribes tumtum tupso tzum verb vocabulary wake siah Wash wawa weght wind words yaka
Popular passages
Page ix - Even before their day. the coasting trade and warlike expeditions of the northern tribes, themselves a seafaring race, had opened up a partial understanding of each other's speech; for when, in 1792, Vancouver's officers visited Gray's Harbor, they found that the natives, though speaking a different language, understood many words of the Nootka. On the arrival of Lewis and Clarke at the mouth of the Columbia, in 1806, the new language, from the sentences given by them, had evidently attained some...
Page x - Clark, in 1804. But when, at a later period, the white traders of Astor's expeditions, and from other quarters, made permanent establishments in Oregon, it was soon found that the scanty list of nouns, verbs, and adjectives then in use was not sufficient for the more constant and general intercourse which began to take place. A real language, complete in all its parts, however limited in extent, was required; and it was formed by drawing upon the Chinook for such words as were requisite, in order...
Page x - ... the more constant and general intercourse which began to take place. A real language, complete in all its parts, however limited in extent, was required; and it was formed by drawing upon the Chinook for such words as were requisite, in order to add to the skeleton which they already possessed the sinews and tendons, the connecting ligaments, as it were, of a speech. These consisted of the numerals (the ten digits and the word for hundred), twelve pronouns (I, thou...
Page xiii - Columbia, where they were quite separated from their kindred to the north by the Chinookan tribes. Beginning on the north side of Shoalwater Bay, Salishan tribes held the entire northwestern part of Washington, including the whole of the Puget Sound region, except only the Macaw territory about Cape Flattery, and two insignificant spots, one near Port Townsend, the other on the Pacific coast to the south of Cape Flattery, which were occupied by Chimakuan tribes.
Page x - Cliihailish, and others — were alike harsh in pronunciation, complex in structure, and each spoken over a very limited space. But, as the harbor of Nootka was at that time the headquarters or chief emporium of the trade, it was necessarily the case that some words of the dialect there spoken became known to the traders, and the Indians, on the other hand, were made familiar with a few English words. These, with the assistance of signs, were sufficient for the slight intercourse that was then maintained.
Page x - British fur companies, were brought more closely in contact with the Indians than any others of the foreigners. They did not merely trade, they travelled, hunted, ate, and, in short, lived with them on terms of familiarity. The consequence was, that several words of the French language were added to the slender stock of the Jargon.
Page x - Nootka was at that time he headquarters or chief emporium of the trade, it was necessarily the case that some words of the dialect there spoken became known to the traders, and that the Indians, on the other hand, were made familiar with a few English words. These, with the assistance of signs, were sufficient for the slight intercourse that was then maintained. Afterwards the traders began to frequent the Columbia River, and naturally attempted to communicate with the natives there by means of the...
Page x - The number of words constituting the Jargon proper has been variously stated. Many formerly employed have become in great measure obsolete, while others have been locally introduced. Thus, at the Dalles of the Columbia, various terms are common which would not be intelligible at Astoria or on Puget Sound. In making the following selection, I have included all those which, on reference to a number of vocabularies, I have found current at any of these places, rejecting, on the other hand, such as individuals,...
Page ix - American settlers in Oregon. Its advantage was soon perceived by the Indians, and the Jargon became to some extent a means of communication between natives of different speech, as well as between them and the whites. It was even used as such between Americans and Canadians. It was at first most in vogue upon the lower Columbia and the Willamette, whence it spread to Puget Sound, and with the extension of trade, found its way far up the coast, as well as the Columbia and Fraser rivers; and there are...
Page ix - English were then brought in, and for the first time the French, or rather the Canadian and Missouri patois of the French, was introduced. The principal seat of the company being at Astoria, not only a large addition of Chinook words was made, but a considerable number was taken from the Chihalis, who immediately bordered that tribe on the north, — each owning a portion of Shoalwater Bay.
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Chinook Jargon and how to Use it: A Complete and Exhaustive Lexicon of the Oldest Trade Language of the American Continent Shorey Indian Series |
| Author | George Coombs Shaw |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Rainier Printing Company, Incorporated, 1909 |
| Original from | Harvard University |
| Digitized | Jan 30, 2008 |
| ISBN | 084660065X, 9780846600657 |
| Length | 65 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |