Sequim Press, Part 1 (“Jamestown Pepah Wahwah”, 03/24/1922)
Thanks to a comment by Bob Walls, I’m launching a mini-series on the (Northern Dialect) Chinook Jargon writings of A.N. Taylor in the Sequim (WA) Press.
As Bob pointed out to me, Taylor tended to title & introduce each of his local news dispatches from nəxʷsƛ̓áy̓əŋ (S’Klallam Salish) territory in the Jargon.
Image credit: Jamestown Tribe
I’ll interpret such stuff for you as we go along.
JAMESTOWN PEPAH WAHWAH
‘Jamestown Writings’…Cole snass chaco copo Jamestown
…’Snow fell at Jamestown’klone polaklie kimtah okook sun.
‘three nights before today.’Julia Pilchuck klosh kumtuks, yaka
‘Julia Pilchuck [‘Redwater’] knew it well; she’delate klosh wawa.
‘really called it right.’
— from the Sequim (WA) Press of March 24, 1922, page 3, column 3 (via Newspapers. com)
This is identifiably Northern-Dialect Chinuk Wawa. The spelling and/or pronunciation copo for the general preposition seems to be only found in the Northern Dialect. Cole snass (‘cold rain’) for snow is both Central Dialect (from the Columbia River, earlier) and Northern (later).
