1901, Sechelt: I’ll come back and shoot you when I know Chinook
Humor! Ar! Ar!
Image credit: Yarn
This is a good one.
So this priest walks into BC…
Satyurdi pulakli, pus kanawi tilikom
‘Saturday night, when everyone’mitlait kanamokst kopa katishism haws,
‘was together at the catechism house,’kanawi liplit tanas wawa, tlus wawa kopa
‘each of the priests spoke a bit, giving good words’tilikom Ukuk chi chako liplit wiht wawa
‘to the people. That “cheechako” priest spoke to’kopa klaska Iaka wawa Iht kaptin ankati
‘them, too. He said, “Once upon a time a captain’mitlait fait kanamokst kanawi solshirs, pi
‘was in a battle with all of the soldiers, but’ilo iaka mamuk pu, ilo iht iaka pu, taii
‘he wasn’t shooting, not once did he fire; the chief’kaptin wawa kopa iaka Ikta mamuk ilo iht
‘captain asked him, “Why haven’t you fired’maika pu Pi iaka wawa Wik naika mitlait
‘even once?” And he answered, “I have no’moskit, kakwa wik naika pus. Wiht
‘gun, that’s why I’m not shooting.” “I’m just’kakwa naika, wawa chi chako liplit Wik
‘like that,” said the cheechako priest, “I’m not’naika pu ikta wawa kopa msaika Iaka ukuk
‘shooting any words at you folks. It’s just that’wik naika mitlait moskit, wik naika komtaks
‘I have no gun; I don’t know how to’wawa kopa msaika. Wik naika komtaks Chinuk
‘talk to you. I don’t know Chinook.’Alki wiht naika chako nanich msaika, pi iawa
‘Some day I’ll come visit you, and then’alta naika mitlait moskit, naika pu kopa msaika
‘I’ll have a gun and I’ll shoot you!” ’
— from Kamloops Wawa #199[c] (December 1901), page 98
𛰅𛱁𛰃𛱂 𛰙𛱁𛱆𛰅𛱁 𛰃𛱄𛰙𛰃𛱄𛰙? qʰáta mayka tə́mtəm?
kata maika tumtum? Qu’en penses-tu?
What do you think?
And can you say it in Chinuk Wawa?
Hey! Teach Yourself northern-dialect Chinook Jargon!
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