Bill Kaihumua weds a queen of the Quiniaults
Image credit: evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu
The intersection of Chinook Jargon and Hawaiian Pidgin English? What language did the blissfully wedded couple talk at home?
The Hawaiian Gazette of November 26, 1907 reports (page 8) on the nuptials of Maggie Charley and Bill Kaihumua, with quite a bit of levity in tone.
When a “male kanaka and one male Quiniault [Quinault Indian of southwest Washington state], the latter being a cousin of the dusky bride, had made some attempt to sever” their engagement, Mr Kaihumua “proceeded to change the location of some of the features of the two interlopers by applying a brick massage”.
The couple were encouraged by a judge to marry “[a]fter indulging in much pidgin English and some mikky-wawa, all same Boston man, in the Hawaiian tongue, with which the judge is very familiar”.
The only real hitch in their getting hitched was this accident: “Owing to a cross being effected between a Northern Pacific freight train and a cow, some necessary papers from the county seat were a missing quantity until Friday…”
Most of the bolded stuff above just happens to be shared between Chinook Jargon and Hawaiian Pidgin English–“the Hawaiian tongue”. But I’m curious about mikky…
Hello. It occurs to me that “micky” could be a rendering of maikaʻi, meaning “good.” But I know nothing of Chinook Jargon.
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hayu masi (thank you very much) David, this may be a clue to the intended meaning! I appreciate your commening on this article. Dave R.
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Thanks are actually due to John Lutz, who sent me the link given my interest in Hawaiians in the area. Let’s keep in touch–we have a common interest in language in the area. I am translating some Hawaiian documents penned in Victoria, and come across puzzling bits. It could be that Chinook Jargon and Wawa are the key.
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