So two chiefs and a Catholic priest travel to Europe… (part 1)

[Edited December 1, 2014 by Dave — Dale McCreery has requested that I add a guide to the probable pronunciation of this Chinook Wawa, so for an illustration of that, I’m adding it in a Grand Ronde-style spelling to this first installment.  

Please note that reconstructing “Kamloops” pronunciation is hard work: read on if you care to know why.  

There are no audio recordings except some hymns and oral-history interviews taped decades later; I have to take into account the shortcomings of the alphabet this stuff was written in, plus what is known of the best Chinook Jargon pronunciations, plus the history of the Jargon’s migration up to the BC interior, plus Le Jeune’s probable pronunciation and that of the Salish speakers who were his audience.  For starters!]

In late summer and the fall of 1904, two Aboriginal chiefs and a priest traveled together to Europe, and they left a remarkable 64-page document of it…in Chinook Jargon!

I’m presenting this in installments, providing some solid reading material for our community of speakers and learners, and some entertainment and historical testimony for everyone else.

(Because it’s so extensive, I’m going to skip the word-for-word glossing that I’ve sometimes done, and just tumble out the Chinook with an English translation of each line.)

Here is page 1…

<No. 211.> Siptimbir <1904.>

námba mákwst hə́ndrəd táłəm pi íxt, septémbər táwsən náyn hə́ndrəd pi lákit
No. 211     September 1904

Kamlups Wawa.
kémlups wáwa
Kamloops Speaks.

<Vol. XIII. No. 2. September 1904.>

<Kamloops Wawa.>

Klahawiam kanawi tilikom kopa Kamlups, kopa
łax̣áwyam kánawi tílikəm kopa kémlups.  kopa
Hello everyone at Kamloops, at 

Shushwap, pi kopa kanawi British Kolombia Ilihi.
shə́shwap, pi kopa kánawi brítish kələ́mbiya ílihi.
Shuswap [Lake], and in all of the province of British Columbia. 

Naika mitlait alta kopa saia ilihi. <7000>
náyka míłayt álta kopa sayá ílihi.  sínmakwst táwsən
I’m sitting right now in a distant country.  7000

mails saia kopa Kamlups. Pi naika mamuk ukuk
máyəls sayá kopa kémlups.  pi náyka mámuk úkuk
miles away from Kamloops.  And I’m writing this 

Shinuk pipa kopa msaika, siisim kopa msaika
chinúk pípa kopa msay̓ka, syə́tsəm kopa msáyka
Chinook writing to you folks, telling you 

kata naika chako iakwa kanamokst taii Lui kopa
qáta náyka cháko yəkwá kánamakwst táyi lúi kopa
how I came here together with chief Louis from 

Kamlups, pi taii Silista kopa Nikola.
kémlups, pi táyi selísta kopa níkola.
Kamloops, and chief Celestin [Chilliheetza] from Nicola [Lake].

Klunas tumolo nsaika mash ukuk ilihi, pi nsaika
t̓łúnas tumólo nsáyka másh úkuk ílihi, pi nsáyka 
Maybe tomorrow we’ll leave this place, and we

wiht kuli, pi nsaika tlap kopa lipap iaka ilihi, pi nsaika
wə́x̣t kúli, pi nsáyka t̓łáp kopa ləpáp yaka ílihi, pi nsáyka
will travel more, and we’ll get to the Pope’s country, and we 

alki nanish lipap. Wiht nsaika tiki nanich tlus Mari
áłki nánich ləpáp.  wə́x̣t nsáyka tíki nánich łús marí
will see the Pope.  We also want to see blessed Mary’s

iaka styuil haws kopa Lurd; wiht nsaika tiki nanish
yaka stíwił háws kopa lúrd: wéx̣t nsáyka tíki nánich
church at Lourdes, we also want to see 

Sint An iaka haha styuil haws; wiht nsaika tiki
sént án yaka x̣áx̣a stíwił háws; wéx̣t nsáyka tíki
Saint Anne’s holy church; we also want 

nanish Sint Antwan iaka ilihi; wiht nsaika tiki nanish
nánich sént ántwan yaka ílihi; wéx̣t nsáyka tíki nánich
to see Saint Anthony’s countrty; we also want to see 

tlus Mari iaka haws iaka mitlait kopa Nasarit ankati,
łús marí yaka háws yaka míłayt kopa násarit ánqati.
blessed Mary’s house that was located at Nazareth formerly, 

pi lisash lolo iaka kopa iht ilihi iaka nim Lorito.
pi lisásh lólo yáka kopa íxt ílihi yaka ném loréto.
but the angels brought it to a place called Loretto.

Pus nsaika kopit nanich ukuk kanawi, iawa nsaika
pus nsáyka kə́pit nánich úkuk kánawi, yəwá nsáyka
When we are done seeing this all, then we 

tomtom kilapai kopa Kamlups. Kanawi kah nsaika klatwa
tə́mtəm k̓ílapay kopa kémlups.  kánawi qax nsáyka łátwa
are thinking of returning to Kamloops.  Everywhere we go 

nsaika tomtom kopa msaika kopa styuil: tlus wiht
nsáyka tə́mtəm kopa msáyka kopa stíwił: łús wéx̣t
we are remembering you folks in [our] prayers: please also 

msaika mamuk kakwa: styuil ST pus iaka tlus nanich
msáyka mámuk kákwa: stíwił sáx̣əli táyi pus yaka łús nánich
you folks do the same: pray [to] God for him to take care 

nsaika pi nsaika tlus kilapai kopa msaika.
nsáyka pi nsáyka łús k̓ílapay kopa msáyka.
of us and [for] us to return safely to you folks.