Author Archive

siʔaɬ (Chief Seattle’s) speeches to back-translate: Part 1 of 3

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wəx̣t hayu masi kʰapa ukuk lalang-tayi Peter Bakker, yaka munk-kəmtəks nayka qʰa pus nanich ixt ɬush skul-pipa…

Cree influence on Chinuk Wawa?

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A smart & interesting question was asked the other day by Luke Etxeberria in the “Chinook Jargon” group on Facebook.

1786: Alexander Walker on the PNW coast (part 2 of 2)

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Here’s part 2 of 2 in our examination of a really neat historical document of early contact…

1786: Alexander Walker on the PNW coast (part 1 of 2)

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For another early-contact account of “Nootka” (and south-central Alaska), we have a superb edition of…

Chxí ~ ‘recent past’ is tenseless!

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(Don’t read this unless you want to talk fluent Jargon.)

1897: An Old-Time Salutation

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Chinook spellings unique to one person are the evergreen hallmark of honestly learned Jargon!

1941: Frank Drew’s Chinuk Wawa song…a Wám-Háws-Tánis-Sháti?

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Huge thanks to my reader “Joe” for pointing this one out!

1897: BS Jargon / OA Fechter

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A well-received social event social event staged by the Yakima Commercial Club’s married male members for the benefit of everyone else included some laughable BS in Jargon.

1856: A Double Dose (California CPE)

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Just another day at police court–with that other West Coast pidgin.

1817: Roquefeuil on the PNW coast, relying on English

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I think this particular book tells us more about how some Native people spoke some English with sailors by 1817…