Spotted in the wild (so to speak): Klipchuck Campground, a non-Northern name in a Northern place!
What does “Klipchuck” mean to you?
In Bright’s dictionary of Native American place names in the USA:
‘deep water’
We don’t really know the word t’ɬə́p for ‘deep’ in the Northern Dialect area, where I took these photos.
Instead, I’ve found phrases like haiyoo chokw (‘lots of water’) and keekwuli chokw (‘down-low water’) used.
Why, then, is this place called Klipchuck?
It’s because US Forest Service workers long ago were issued little Chinook Jargon dictionaries that were based on old-time Central and Southern Dialect Chinuk Wawa.
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! Free stuff! Teach Yourself northern-dialect Chinook Jargon! It’s free!
And join free Zoom sessions…
Contact me for the Zoom link.
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