1909, Tacoma, WA ad: I will cultis potlach clams! Hiack chockwa!

“Clams”, from the English plural, was incontestably a Chinuk Wawa word.

We’ve seen clams many, many times by now in Chinook Jargon.

“Hwlhuw’ut tsun tse’ tthu s’axwa’ ”
— I am going to shuck clams’ in Hul’q’umi’num Salish
(image credit: Kw’umut Lelum)

The reason for pointing that out at this moment?

It’s because I want you to know that the entire phrase “cultis potlach clams” (not just the first 2 words), in the post-frontier advertisement below, is in Jargon.

“Clams” is not English here.

It’s one of those words that (among my many original contributions to Pacific NW language history) I’ve often pointed out were omitted from dictionaries — because they were thought of as English.

Which is funny in a way. For instance, the word got so Indigenized that there are PNW languages that pronounce their borrowing of it as t’ɬéms!

Those with ears to hear it will also find today’s ad interesting in other Chinook-y ways.

It uses idiosyncratic spellings, always a sign that someone was writing from their own real-world experience of talking the language.

And so it’s a further fascination that it uses a spelling chockwa for ‘come’. This is one of our rare documented instances of that variant of cháku outside of Grand Ronde, Oregon!

Come On Good People!

The mayor of Dash Point, the farmers’ friend,
will cultis potlach clams at Dash Point next Tues-
day, while his office force does likewise with land;
Homes, Farms, Waterfront, Acreage, Improved and
unimproved, Lodging Houses, Hotels, Restaurants,
Groceries, Bakeries, Saloons, etc.

YES, THAT’S WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO

Give them away. We have all kinds of property,
in all sections of the county, at all prices. We have
special bargains in North End homes, and lodging
houses for sale or trade. Call and examine our long
list.

Hiack Chockwa

CHURCHILL INFORMATION BUREAU

952½ Pacific Ave.              Rooms 18-19

— from the Tacoma (WA) Times of July 17, 1909, page 6, column 3

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