Shaina man mamuk kansih kakwa
Which Chinese language is this? “The Chinese count like this:” (Kamloops Wawa issue #31, 19 June 1892, page 122) Shaina man mamuk kansih kakwa, <1.> iit <6> lawk ∫ Sondi lat bai… Continue reading
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A weird duck from Duflot de Mofras
Eugène Duflot de Mofras authored another of the French-language sources that are less well-known in the Pacific Northwest, but very valuable for researching our history. It’s his 1844 book “Exploration du territoire de l’Orégon, de… Continue reading
In which Jesus has his henchmen score some “moolah”
[Edited 04/23/16 as I learned more about mules and donkeys.] Not to be an ass, but here’s the spoiler: an interesting word for “mule” gets used in the Kamloops Wawa‘s first telling of the… Continue reading
A long(,) lost Jesuit manuscript of Jargon?
Nous avons vu, entre les mains d’un Père Jésuite de Saint-Paul, un dictionnaire manuscrit assez volumineux sur la langue Tchinook, qu’il s’était, pendant quinze années, donné la fastidieuse peine de rédiger pour l’usage… Continue reading
Chinook Jargon for 2015 (from 1892): “leftovers”
I found something that’s definitely usable in 2015, in an 1892 Chinook newspaper — it’s their “leftovers”. In previous years, I’ve read my way through every one of the 250 or so issues… Continue reading
I love you: An old love letter, and emotions, in Chinuk Wawa
One of the most frequently asked questions! “How do you say ‘I love you’ in Chinook?” If you go Grand Ronde style, you can say “Nayka q’at mayka”. That’s definitely romance. In the… Continue reading
How to say “copy machine” in Chinuk Wawa
(Just don’t say kaupy machine.)* Here is the moment when Chinook Jargon office work was born 🙂 As pictured above, issue #9 of the young Kamloops Wawa newspaper set several standards for the new literate culture that… Continue reading
A toast to the Queen in 2015
I’d like to point you to someone else’s blog post, where he tells of deciding to make a traditional yearly toast to the Queen more reflective of BC’s history. Read Mike Scoretz’s “Chinook Jargon… Continue reading
Another new Chinook Jargon discovery confirmed: LAMALA for “bottle”
LAMALA = “bottle”. I’ve already blogged today on another subject, and I’ve already blogged about the word that’ll be in focus here — so this will be brief. Looking at issue #4 from… Continue reading
A map of Fraser River gold-rush placenames is illuminating
In 2012, Andrew Nelson and Michael Kennedy published a good article in the highly readable journal, BC Studies, that they titled “Fraser River Gold Mines and Their Place Names”. (BC Studies 172 (Winter 2011-2012):105-125.) It comes… Continue reading