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PHILOLOGY. 



It may appear singular that some English words should be employed (such as man, 

 sun, moon, stick, snow, warm, &c.), which, it would seem, might have been supplied, 

 like the other similar terms, from the Indian languages. The reason is probably to be 

 found in the fact that the corresponding terms in those languages are so exceedingly 

 rugged in sound as to be impracticable to even English organs of speech. The Tshinuk 

 translation of the above-mentioned terms would be kotyJilikum, 6ty.la/., dkutydame.n, 

 if.tebay.usty.u, tylkapa, and agatylaq. In some cases, where the Tshinuk term is less 

 difficult, both that and the English are in use, and equally well understood ; as, tsok and 

 u-ata, for water, t$is and kol, for cold, olapitski and paia, for fire. The word father 

 has three synonyms derived from three languages, papa, from the French, dluman 

 (old man), from the English, and lilikiim-mama from the Tshinuk ; (the proper word 

 in the latter is mama, but as this is found to be ambiguous, from its different meaning in 

 English and French, the word tilikum, men, is prefixed). We are reminded of our own 

 language, in which we have the common term dad (or daddy) derived from the Welsh 

 or ancient British, the word father, of Saxon origin, and the word papa, which we, like 

 the Chinooks, have borrowed from the French. 



The origin of some of the words is rather whimsical. The Americans, British, and 

 French are distinguished by the terms Bostun (or Boston), Kititshotsh (King George), 

 and Pasaiuks, which we presume to be the word Frang,ais, corrupted to Pasai (as neither 

 f, r, nor the nasal n can be pronounced by the Indians), with the Tshinuk plural termi- 

 nation vks added. The word for blanket is probably from the same source (fratifaiset, 

 French goods, or clothing). Foolish is expressed by Pilton, which was the name of a 

 Canadian who became deranged at Fort Vancouver ; he was the first person whom the 

 natives had ever seen in that state, and his strange appearance and actions made such 

 an impression upon them, that thenceforward any one who conducted in an absurd or 

 irrational manner was said to act kaku-a Pilton, "like Pilton;" but the word is now 

 commonly used without the preceding particle. 



In the phonology of the language one point is peculiarly interesting, as illustrating the 

 usual result of the fusion of two or more languages. As the Jargon is to be spoken by 

 Chinooks, Englishmen, and Frenchmen, so as to be alike easy and intelligible to all, it 

 must admit no sound which cannot be readily pronounced by all three. The gutturals 

 of the Tshinuk (/. and q) are softened to h and k ; tyl becomes kl at the beginning of a 

 word, and tl at the end ; and some of the harsh combinations of consonants are simplified 

 by omitting one or two of the elements. Thus we have tiikeh for titqey., klitl for tylitf.1, 

 kkish for tyldush, tsok for tyltsoqua, &c. On the other hand, the d,f, g, r, v, z of the 

 English and French become in the mouth of a Chinook, t, p, k, I, w and s. The 

 English j (dzh) is changed to tsh ; the French nasal n is dropped, or is retained without 

 its nasal sound. Examples of all these, and of other changes, will be seen in the voca- 

 bulary ; and we may compare them with the similar effect produced by that combination 

 of Saxon and French which formed our modern English tongue. 



In the pronunciation of a few words there are some slight variations. The short vowel 

 u (or u) is frequently uttered like a short i, and sometimes like a short a; sunumakst 

 (sunumakst) seven, is pronounced by some persons sinimakst, by others sdndmakst ; 

 kwuniim, five, is changed to kwiniim and kwaniim ; tid, heavy or tired, is often pro- 

 nounced til, &c. In many words it is impossible to decide whether o or u should be 

 written ; as, mamuk or mdmok, to make, memelust or memclost, to die, tsok or tsuk, 



