Didactic dialogues in CW dictionaries, Part 8B (Prosch’s 1888/1912 ms. dictionary
Dleit naika wawa masi kopa Alik Kod, yaka wawa kopa okok kopa naika web-sait.
Monthly Archive: May, 2025
0 Comments
1892, OR: A Chinook Jargon inscription in an autograph album
Colleen Bayley Harrington, in the Facebook “Chinook Jargon” group, posted this treasure and let me write about it here:
Loanwords in Karuk (NW California)
None are from Chinuk Wawa, but all tell us interesting stuff about Pacific NW language contact!
1890s, BC: kíkwəli-háws takes on new life
In 1896, BC Indigenous people and others still remembered traditional underground “pithouses”, which in Chinook Jargon were known as kíkwəli-háws.
1868, WA: A Lost Chapter of Judges
Here’s a totally fascinating political satire from Territorial days here in Washington.
1897, BC: Awesome background on lakamín, in French, with humor!
Here’s a funny, maybe true, story from British Columbia’s frontier era that’s focused on lakamín, a cultural trait and a word that are important to Chinook Jargon.
1865, OR: Treaty-making between Northern Paiutes and USA
A little more evidence of Northern Paiute speakers in Chinook Jargon-speaking environments.
1858, BC: “The Indians Friendly!” — Arrival of the “Sea Bird”
“The Indians Friendly” was one of several stacked-up breathless headlines from the start of a gold fever.
1878, WA: Hoko Eyetems
Just a few words, but fun!
“Subject pronoun, subject pronoun” is probably really old in Jargon
With that settled, the next question may be whether this comes from casual French, as I suspect, meaning it dates to Fort Astoria/Fort Vancouver days, but not earlier.