H.L. Mencken‘s famous 1945 book on “The American Language” (Supplement 1) gets into the subject of Chinook Jargon’s influence on our English, on pages 310-311. I hear a wisely skeptical voice in his… Continue reading
Blazing the Way: Or, true stories, songs and sketches of Puget Sound and other pioneers. By Emily Inez Denny. Seattle: Rainier Printing Company, Inc. 1909. I enjoyed noticing on page 33 of this… Continue reading
Here’s the masculine original “Lines to a Klootchman” to which the “answer song” poem was written. It will help you make sense of that poem, where some real queer-looking Chinook Jargon happens. In… Continue reading
From the Steilacoom (Washington Territory) Puget Sound Herald, Friday, October 14, 1859, front page I reckon. This one’s what was in early 1960s pop music called an “answer song” 🙂 (If you don’t… Continue reading
“Life at Puget Sound: With Sketches of Travel in Washington Territory, British Columbia, Oregon, and California, 1865-1881″ Boston: Lee and Shepard / New York: Charles T. Dillingham, 1884 The title and subtitle tell you… Continue reading
The excellent little North Columbia Monthly newspaper has a column “North of the Border” by Eileen Delehanty Pearkes. Each month, she explores Sinixt (Lakes) Salish people’s relationship with their environment. For July 2013, Pearkes focuses… Continue reading
Two Dianas in Alaska. By Agnes Herbert and A. Shikari (pseudonym). London : John Lane, The Bodley Head / New York : John Lane Company. MCMIX. These snide English ladies (one a member… Continue reading
The Daily Morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) Tuesday, March 27, 1888, column 3. I invite your interpretations of this text! Most of it’s quite clear. Some is new to me. — Dave Potlatch Club Ball.… Continue reading
Reader Sharon Seal has contributed more great Chinook Jargon material to share with you all. These are newspaper articles from Kittitas County, WA. (Non-Washingtonians: it’s pronounced KITT-ih-tass.) 1) “Big John Kitsap, Kittitas Indian,… Continue reading
From the same book as parts 1 and 2 (page 66): found in the 1864-1867 diary of Arthur S. Farwell, ‘later Surveyor-General’ for BC. (See also part 1, part 2 and part 4.)
