Another “or” in Northern Chinook Jargon!
Written as o again!
Here’s another find of English “or” borrowed into the Northern Dialect of Chinuk Wawa.
Image credit: Aleteia
Here again, I’m translating iaka — in reference to the “servant” at Catholic Mass, who’s helping the priest — as ‘their’, since that person can be of any gender.
Tlus nanich pus ilo iaka wah chok klahani kopa likalis(;)
good watch so.that not (s)he spill water out from chalice
‘Take care not to spill water out of the chalice;’tlus nanish wiht pus ilo klatwa iaka lima kopa likalis, o
good watch also that not go her/his hand into chalice, or
‘also be careful not to let their* hand go into the chalice, or’kopa liplit iaka lima.
onto priest his hand.
‘touch the priest’s hands.’
— from “Kamloops Wawa” #75 (April 23, 1893), page 66
This is at least our 3rd find of “or” in the Northern Dialect that I’ve shared in about the last week.
This same word is also found in Southern Dialect, probably dating back to about the same time period. (And definitely heard from elders born about that time.)
