Monthly Archive: January, 2014

Shinook and other Native loans to English

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A friend on Facebook brought up the subject of how people pronounce the word “Chinook” in English. I gave him more of a response than he was asking for—the perils of conversation with… Continue reading

Blazing the way, by Emily Denny

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Blazing the Way: Or, true stories, songs and sketches of Puget Sound and other pioneers. By Emily Inez Denny. Seattle: Rainier Printing Company, Inc. 1909. I enjoyed noticing on page 33 of this… Continue reading

Lines by a sitkum tutchman

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This is a weird interjection into the “Lines to a Klootchman” / “Lines by a Klootchman” poetic volleyfest. The only thing Chinook Jargon about it is the title: Lines by a “half (=fake?)… Continue reading

The first rule of Tolo Club is

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…you don’t invite high school girls to Tolo dances. Tolo is a girls-invite-boys dance whose name came from Chinook Jargon “to beat” [at one’s own game I reckon].  Nowadays it’s mostly a high-school… Continue reading

Lines to a klootchman

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Here’s the masculine original “Lines to a Klootchman” to which the “answer song” poem was written.  It will help you make sense of that poem, where some real queer-looking Chinook Jargon happens. In… Continue reading

Lines by a klootchman

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From the Steilacoom (Washington Territory) Puget Sound Herald, Friday, October 14, 1859, front page I reckon. This one’s what was in early 1960s pop music called an “answer song” 🙂 (If you don’t… Continue reading

The return of the Iron Pulpit

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I just ran into a fine blog post–but missed the exhibition it reports–at the blog of UBC Press: The return of The Iron Pulpit: Missionary Printing Presses in British Columbia. Go. Read it.… Continue reading

Chinook Jargon 2013 in review

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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for the Chinook Jargon blog! Here’s an excerpt: A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,200… Continue reading

From Bulmer’s Preliminary geographical notes on the US

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This blog’s reader Sam Sullivan sent in a draft translation of some really compelling material — a unique early attempt at education in Chinook Jargon: “From Bulmer’s Chinook, Vol. 5: Preliminary Geographical notes… Continue reading

New Year’s blessings

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This time of year I’m counting the blessings life brings my way: Jack Nisbet’s “Boundaries” columns are one of the biggies for me. It’s amazing, when I pause to think of it, that… Continue reading