Dictionary of the Chinook gon | Page 2

on the north,--each owning a portion of Shoalwater Bay. The
words adopted from the several languages were, naturally enough,
those most easily uttered by all, except, of course, that objects new to
the natives found their names in French or English, and such
modifications were made in pronunciation as suited tongues
accustomed to different sounds. Thus the gutturals of the Indians were
softened or dropped; and the f and r of the English and French, to them
unpronounceable, were modified into p and l. Grammatical forms were
reduced to their simplest expression, and variations in mood and tense
conveyed only by adverbs or by the context. The language continued to
receive additions, and assumed a more distinct and settled meaning,
under the Northwest and Hudson's Bay companies, who succeeded
Astor's party, as well as through the American settlers in Oregon. Its
advantage was soon perceived by the Indians, and the Jargon became to
some extent a means of communication between natives of different
speech, as well as between them and the whites. It was even used as
such between Americans and Canadians. It was at first most in vogue
upon the lower Columbia and the Willamette, whence it spread to
Puget Sound, and with the extension of trade, found its way far up the
coast, as well as the Columbia and Fraser rivers; and there are now few
tribes between the 42d and 57th parallels of latitude in which there are

not to be found interpreters through its medium. Its prevalence and easy
acquisition, while of vast convenience to traders and settlers, has
tended greatly to hinder the acquirement of the original Indian
languages; so much so, that except by a few missionaries and pioneers,
hardly one of them is spoken or understood by white men in all Oregon
and Washington Territory. Notwithstanding its apparent poverty in
number of words, and the absence of grammatical forms, it possesses
much more flexibility and power of expression than might be imagined,
and really serves almost every purpose of ordinary intercourse.
The number of words constituting the Jargon proper has been variously
stated. Many formerly employed have become in great measure
obsolete, while others have been locally introduced. Thus, at the Dalles
of the Columbia, various terms are common which would not be
intelligible at Astoria or on Puget Sound. In making the following
selection, I have included all those which, on reference to a number of
vocabularies, I have found current at any of these places, rejecting, on
the other hand, such as individuals, partially acquainted with the native
languages, have employed for their own convenience. The total number
falls a little short of five hundred words.
An analysis of their derivations gives the following result:
Chinook, including Clatsop 200 Chinook, having analogies with other
languages 21 Interjections common to several 8 Nootka, including
dialects 24 Chihalis, 32; Nisqually, 7 39 Klikatat and Yakama 2 Cree 2
Chippeway (Ojibwa) 1 Wasco (probably) 4 Kalapuya (probably) 4 By
direct onomatopoeia 6 Derivation unknown, or undetermined 18
French, 90; Canadian, 4 94 English 67
I had no opportunity of original investigation into the Nootka proper,
but from the few words in different published vocabularies, and from
some imperfect manuscript ones in my possession of the Tokwaht,
Nittinat, and Makah dialects, have ascertained the number above given.
Some of the unascertained words probably also belong to that language.
Neither was I able to collate the Wasco or Kalapuya, but have assigned
them on the opinion of others. The former, also called Cathlasco, the
dialect of the Dalles Indians, is a corrupted form of the Watlala or

Upper Chinook. With the Chihalis, Yakama, and Klikatat, and the
Nisqually, I had abundant means of comparison.
The introduction of the Cree and Chippeway words is of course due to
the Canadians. None have been derived from the Spanish, as their
intercourse with the Nootka and Makah Indians was too short to leave
an impression. Spanish words, especially those relating to horses or
mules and their equipments, have of late come into general use in
Oregon, owing to intercourse with California, but they form no part of
the Jargon. It might have been expected from the number of Sandwich
Islanders introduced by the Hudson's Bay company, and long resident
in the country, that the Kanaka element would have found its way into
the language, but their utterance is so foreign to the Indian ear, that not
a word has been adopted.
In the nouns derived from the French, the definite article le, la, has
almost in every instance been incorporated into the word, and the same
has in one or two instances been prefixed to nouns not of French origin.
Besides the words created by direct onomatopoeia, there are quite a
number which are really Indian, but have their origin in