NB: This page is currently being edited and annotated. Edited sections show the Chinook Jargon words in italics, with direct translations, comments and annotations in purple. Purple items in italics within parentheses are direct translations of Chinook words or compounds where such translations are necessary. Where the words are shown by Shaw with their direct translated meaning, and/or are native or English loan-words that require no further comment, they are omitted from the parentheses. In other words, if there are several items in Shaw's Chinook translation, only one or two may be translated by way of explanation within the parentheses following. There are numerous OCR mistakes in unedited sections, and I have left intact idiosyncracies in Shaw's text (or Harper's transcription of it) - double entries, odd capitalizations, the occasional misspelling, etc. Comments and corrections are welcome.
In working on some parts of the English-Chinook sections of the phrasebook, I have realized the divisions I have made for the Chinook-English sections do not correlate well for an easy-to-use organization for reference from English. Until that is figured out, I am posting a direct copy of Shaw's English-Chinook Reference (as rendered by Edward Harper Thomas), which is in alphabetical form. I am intending on having a CGI or Javascript translator system installed here in the future as well.
Shaw's usages here must be understood to reflect the state of English meanings in 1908 (Harper Thomas made no changes in his 1934 reprinting of this reference), as well as the state of the Jargon and Shaw's own context within the frame of reference of the United States and the Jargon as it was spoken there, as well as English ideom of the period. Shaw's own cultural biases are also often evident, and many of the concepts represented seem to be English-oriented ones that he felt a need to find translations of, rather than actual Jargon usages per se. I have therefore added comments and annotations to some of the items below, including literal renderings of some of the Chinook phrases provided in translation of English concepts; my additions are given in purple, Shaw's definitions in the regular black. In time, I will augment this abecediary to the point where it will no longer be a simple reproduction and annotation from Shaw.
CALF-tenas moosmoos.
DANCE, TO-tanse.
CALICO-tzum sail; sail. (spotted
fabric; fabric)
CALL, TO-wawa.
CALM-halo wind. This is
in reference to the elements. A variety of phrases might be used
for humans or animals.
CAN-skookum kopa. (big
towards, strong towards, capable of) I am reminded here of skookum's
meanings as genuine, solid, earnest, etc.
CANDLE-la shandel; glease piah. (grease
fire)
CANNOT-halo skookum kopa; howkutl.
(not capable of, not strong towards)
CANOE-canim.
CAP-seahpo.
CAPABLE-skookum kopa; skookum tumtum.
See above for can.
CAPSIZE-keelapie; killapie. (to
turn over, overturn) Killapie kopa chuck would be more specific.
CAPTIVE-elite. (slave)
CAPTURE-mamook kow. (to
make tied up)
CAR (r.r.)-piah chickchick.
(fire wagon) This word also came into use for automobiles, a reference
to which it is more suited. In reference to railroads, it would seem
better to describe the engine than a freight or passenger car.
CAREFUL-kloshe nanitch. (watch
well) This phrase also means good to look at and a variety
of other things.
CARELESS-kultus; halo kloshe nanitch.
CARPENTER-la plash man. (plank
man, board man) Also man yaka kumtux mamook house - man
he knows how to build a house.
CARROT-la calat.
CARRY, TO-lolo.
CART-chikchik.
CARVE-mamook cut. (to
make a cut)
CASCADE-tumwata.
CASH-dolla; chikamin.
CAT-pusspuss.
CATARACT-tumwata. The term
skookumchuck was used for river rapids.
CATCH-iskum; mamook kwotl. The
latter words mean to make wounded, to make struck, as in
hunting.
CAUTIOUS, (TO BE)-kloshe nanitch. (watch
well)
CEASE-kopet.
CEDAR-canim stick; lametsin stick; kpai; kalakwahtie
stick. (canoe stick; medicine stick;
clothing stick) The cedar was the source of the underbark known
as kalakwahtie, which was also used for making garments, which were
also called kalakwahtie.
CEDAR BARK-(inside) kalakwahtie.
CELESTIAL-kopa saghalie. The
use of saghalie to refer to the heavenly is supposed to have
been a "white man's invention" in the Jargon, resulting from efforts to
explain God and Heaven in the process of evangelization; formerly saghalie
only meant up or above. Kopa siah in some regions
might have also meant celestial or in the sky because the original Nootkan
meaning of siah was sky.
CERTAIN-delate.
CATTLE-moosmoos.
CERTAINLY-nowitka.
CHAIN-lashen; chikamin lope.
(metal rope)
CHAIR-la shase.
CHANCE-nika tumtum halo yaka chako kahkwa.
(I do not know how that happened)
CHANGE-huyhuy; mamook huyhuy.
This appears to be in the sense of exchange. To change clothes,
or to change into something else, would involve the use of the kilapie
or chako huloima (become strange/different).
CHEAP-wake hyas mahkook. (not
a big purchase) I would think that wake hiyu dolla or
wake hiyu chickamin would also suffice, as hiyu dolla or
hiyu chickamin are used to mean expensive.
CHEAT, TO-lalah; mamook pelton. (to
make a fool of, to befuddle)
CHEATED, (I am)-nika chako pelton. (I
have been made a fool of, I have become a fool) It occurs to
me that something like mamook klimmin tolo - to win smoothly, to win by
lying - would also work, as would the use of mesachie, klimmin
or kliminawhit with any of the words for gamble (see under 'g'),
depending on the context and the game. To be cheated in commerce
might be mesachie mahkook, cultus mahkook, mesachie huy-huy,
or cultus huy-huy, perhaps with the use of mamook as an auxiliary.
CHEEKS-seeowist; capala.
CHEER-hiyu kloshe wawa.
(many good words) Shaw seems to mean this in a verbal sense
- to cheer someone up, to give cheer - or in the sense of a crowd
saying hooray! Cheer in the sense of a state of mind
or mood would be klee (glee, happiness), so potlatch klee
or mamook klee would also work.
CHICKEN-la pool.
CHIEF-tyee.
CHILD-tenas.
CHILLY-tenas cole. This
term was also used to mean autumn.
CHOOSE-elip ticky. (want
first, want before)
CHRISTMAS-hyas Sunday; klismes. (Great
Sunday, big holiday)
CLAMS-ona; lukutchee; lakwitchee; clams, smetocks
(the large kind). Geoduck (pronounced gooey-duck)
also appears to be of native origin, and would have been in use by Chinook
speakers because of the popularity of this gigantic clam's flesh in the
region.
CLAY-illahee. (earth)
Perhaps also chuck illahee (wet earth) although this might
more mean mud. or a bog. The use of clay was relatively
unknown among coastal peoples, brick and pottery being unknown until the
coming of industry.
CLEAN-(adj.) halo illahee; (adj., v.)
mamook clean.
CLEAR UP, TO-chako klah
(to become open, as in weather or country)
CLERK-tzum man. (man
who makes marks)
CLIMB-klatawa saghalie. (to
go up)
CLOSE-v., mamook ikpooie.
(to make shut)
CLOTH- (cotton) sail. Presumably
sail would also have been used to describe canvas, since
all sails in the 19th century were made of hempcloth (canvas).
CLOTHES-iktas (things,
belongings, apparel)
CLOUDS-smoke; smoke kopa saghalie; cultus smoke. (fog/smoke
in the sky, harmless smoke/fog)
COAST-illahee wake siah kopa chuck. (land
not far from water, land next to water)
COAT-capo; kapo.
COFFEE-kaupy. This should
probably be pronounced much like English coffee or copy,
rather than kow-py.
COLD-cole.
COLOR-tzum; chym. (marking,
mark)
COMB-(n) comb.
COMB, TO-mamook comb.
COME, TO-chako; newah.
COME OUT OF THE WATER-chako klahanie kopa chuck.
COMMAND-(v.) mahsh wawa; (n) law. (to
put/send forth words)
COMMANDMENTS-saghalie tyee law. (God's
law)
COMMENCE-mamook begin; chee mamook. (make
begin, new make)
COMMON-kloshe kopa konaway; cultus. (good
everywhere; ordinary)
COMMUNION-Jesus yaka muckamuck.
(Jesus his food)
COMPLETE-mamook kopet. (to
make stop, to make end)
CONCEAL-ipsoot.
CONCEIVE-klap tenas.(to
find a little one, to find a child) Of course Shaw here means to conceive
a child.
CONCEIVE-(in mind) mamook tumtum. (to
make an idea, to have a thought)
CONCUR-(I), (nika) tumtum kahkwa. (I
feel alike, I feel the same way)
CONFESS, TO-yiem; wawa.
CONGREGATE-chako; klatawa kunamokst.
(to come; to go together)
CONJURER-siwash doctin; tamahnawis man.
CONJURING-tahmahnawis; mamook tahmahnawis.
CONSECRATE-potlatch kopa saghalie tyee. (give
to God)
CONTENTED-mitlite kloshe tumtum.
CONVERSATION-CONVERSE-wawa.
COOK-mamook piah; mamook piah muckamuck.
(make fire; make fire food)
COOKED- (pas.) chako piah. (to
become fired)
COPPER-pil chikamin. (red
metal) Pil chickamin also meant gold, which is interesting
because Old Germanic/Norse used the term "red-gold" to describe the precious
metal. In the Northwest case, it may be because pil chickamin
might refer to coloured metal in general (of which there is only really
copper and gold, at least in a natural state), or because of the bloodthirsty
associations that gold acquired in the course of the gold rush.
COPY-mamook tzum. (to
make marks) Shaw's reference here is to copying writing or copying
something down. Mamook kahkwa would be the term for make something
the same, make alike.
CORD-tenas lope; lope. (little
rope)
CORK-(-v.) ikpooie. (to
shut) The physical object of a cork would probably have
been adapted to cauk or coke., wine being eventaully a common
enough substance in the region.
CORN-esalth. Originally
used only for maize or Indian corn, which was cultivated in the Columbia
and Plateau regions.
CORRAL-kullagh; kullaghan. Kullaghan
also means fence or wall or enclosure.
CORRECT-delate.
COST-(how much) kunsih dolla? (how
many dollars?)
COTTON, GOODS-sail.
I think Shaw's use of goods here is in the sense of drygoods,
otherwise iktas would seem more appropriate. See note for
cloth above.
COUGAR-hyas pishpish. Pishpish
is a Puget Sound variant of puss-puss for cat; the more common
term for cougar would have been hyas puss-puss.
COUGH-hohhoh.
COUNSEL-cultus potlatch tumtum.
COUNT-mamook kwunnun; mamook kunsih; mamook tahnin.
(to make numbers; to make how many)
COUNTRY-illahee.
COUPLE-mokst. (two)
COURAGE-skookum tumtum. (to
feel big, to feel strong)
COUSIN-(see brother and sister). (English idem.)
By this Shaw means that cousin would have
been used as such within the Jargon as an English loan-word, and that the
Jargon for brother and sister was the same as that for cousin.
COVER-(v.) mahsh ikta kopa saghatie. (put
something over, put something on top of)
COVET-ticky kapswalla. (to
want to steal)
COW-klootchman moosmoos.
COWARD-halo skookum tumtum; kwass man. (does
not feel big, does not feel strong; man of fear, fearful man)
COYOTE-talapus. The term
kayoti was also used in some areas, and may predate colonization.
CRABAPPLE-powitsh; siwash apple. (Indian
apple)
CRACK-tsugh.
CRANBERRY-solemie; swamp olallie; pil olallie; siwash
isalk. (swamp berry; red berry)
CRAZY-pelton.
CREAM-kloshe tatoosh. (good
milk)
CREAM-COLORED-le clem. In
reference to a horse.
CREATOR-saghalie tyee. This
is only in reference to The Creator. One who creates might
be mamook man, chee mamook man, tumtum man, chee
iktas man, etc. (man who makes, man who makes new things, idea man,
new things man)
CREEK-tenas chuck. (little
water)
CREEP-tenas cooley. (run
little) The term klatawa ipsoot - travel hidden -
also occurs to me.
CROOKED-kiwa; tseepie; clooked; wake delate; hanikek.
CROSS-(n.) la cloa.
CROW-kahkah.
CROWD-hiyu tillikums. (many
people)
CRY, TO-cly.
CUP-ooskan, cup; lepot.
CURE-mamook kloshe. (to
make well) This term is also used for to fix as well as
to heal (someone). To heal in the passive sense - to
be healed - would be chako kloshe.
CURED-chako kloshe. (to
become well)
CURLY-hunlkih.
CURRANT-pil olallie; culant. (red
berry)
CURRENCY-papah dolla.
(paper dollar) Dollar coins were more common than paper currency
in the 19th Century Northwest, so dolla would have more likely referred
to a coin, with papah dolla being used to clarify a reference to
bills.
CURSE-(n.) mesachie wawa. (bad words,
evil speech)
CURSE-(v.) wawa mesachie. (to
speak evil) Mamook wawa mesachie or mahsh wawa mesachie
would have been used, although the latter could mean give evil orders.
CUT, TO tikope; mamook cut.
DANGER-mesachie mitlite. (there
is evil)
DARK, DARKNESS-polaklie.
DARKEN-mamook polaklie
(to make dark) Note that chako polaklie is to become
dark.
DASH-(v.) mahsh. Shaw here
must mean something like to dash salt on food, rather than dash
as in run.
DAUGHTER-tenas klootchman. (little
woman, female child)
DAWN-delate tenas sun; chee chako light. (straight
morning, true morning; new becoming light) The term chee towagh
- new shining - also comes to mind.
DEAF-ikpooie kwollan; halo kwolan.
(shut ears, without ears)
DEAFEN-mamook halo kwolan. (to
make without ears, to make shut ears)
DEAF MUTE-halo kwolan halo wawa.
(without ears without speech)
DEAR-(expensive) hyas mahkook.
DEAR-(loved) kloshe.
DEBATE-pight wawa. (fight
with words)
DEAD-memaloose; mahsh konaway yaka wind; yaka wind
chako halo. (all his breath thrown away; his breath does not come)
DECEIT-kliminawhit wawa. (liar
words, lying words)
DECEIVE-wawa kliminawhit mamook lalah. (to
speak lies to make a cheat)
DECIDE-mamook tumtum; klap tumtum.
(to make a thought, to form a thought; to find a thought)
DECISION-tumtum. (thought,
idea, feeling) The construction mamook kopet tumtum - to
complete a thought - also seems apt.
DECLINE-wawa halo. (to
say no)
DEED-mamook.
DEEP-klip; hyas keekwulee. 3366"
SIZE=-2>(very below)
DEER-mowitch.
DEFEAT-(v.) tolo. (to
win) Tolo must carry the connotation of to win against
someone; mamook keekwulee or mahsh keekwulee - to
make below or to put down, i.e. to lay low - are also
used to mean to defeat.
DEFEND-kloshe nanitch. (to
watch well, to be on guard) By this definition, Shaw must mean
the duties of a lookout, rather than the sense of to protect, which
would be iskum kloshe or something similar.
DEFER-mamook alki; mamook byby.
(do later, do soon)
DEFORMED-wake delate. (not
straight, not correct, not right)
DELIGHT-kloshe tumtum. (good
feeling, feeling good)
DELIGHTED-mitlite; chako kloshe tumtum.
(to be or to become feeling good)
DELIRIOUS-huloima latet; kahkwa clazy. (strange
in the head, like crazy)
DEMAND-wawa; skookum wawa.
(speak, big words, strong speech)
DEMON-skookum; lejaub; kahkwa ie jaub; mesachie tahmahnawis.
The meaning of skookum here is giant;
the term was used in certain parts of Washington for a giant sasquatch-like
creature with a single spike on its toe. The second two terms are
the devil, and like the devil, the last means evil spirit.
The Skagit-area word Tsiatko, which may be a cognate for Sasquatch
(Halkomelem sesqac) is missing from Shaw's list, even though its
meaning is roughly equivalent to the sense here for skookum.
DENY, DENIAL-wawa halo. (to
say no)
DENTIST-doctin kopa letah. (doctor
for teeth)
DEPART-klatawa. (to go)
DESCEND-klatawa keekwulee. (to
go below, to go beneath)
DESCRIBE-mamook kumtux.
(to make understood)
DESERT-(n.) illahee kah halo ikta mitlite. (land
where there is nothing) This appears to be the archaic sense
of the English desert, i.e. wilderness or desolation,
rather than a dry landscape, which would be illahee kah halo/wake chuck
mitlite.
DESERT-(v.) kapswalla klatawa, mahsh.
(to steal away; to throw away, to abandon)
DEVIL-diaub; yaub; lejaub.
DIABOLICAL-kahkwa lejaub.
DID-mamook.
DIE-memaloose; mahsh konoway yaka wind.
(let go of all his breath)
DIFFERENT, DIFFERENCE-huloima.
DIFFICULT-kull.
DIG-mamook illahee; mamook kokshut illahee.
(to work the earth, to make broken the ground)
DIG A HOLE-mamook hole; mamook tlwhop.
DILUTE-mahsh chuck kunamokst. (to put water
with something)
DIME-bit; mit.
DINE, DINNER-muckamuck kopa sitkum sun.
(eat at midday) This the archaic (or English)
sense of dinner as the midday meal.
DIRECT-delate.
DIRECTLY-alki; winapie; tshike. The
sense of directly here relates to time, rather than direction, i.e.
soon.
DIRTY-illahee mitlite; hyas humm.
(is earthy; greatly smelly/filthy)
DISAGREE-halo tumtum kahkwa. (to
not think alike, to not feel alike)
DISAPPOINT-mamook pelton. (to
make foolish, to make a fool of) I'm not sure what Shaw means
here; context would be important for the usage given.
DISBELIEVE-halo tumtum kahkwa. (to
not think like that, to not think like)
DISAPPEAR-chako halo. (to
become nothing)
DISCARD, DISCHARGE-mahsh.
DISCOVER-elip nanitch. (to
see first) My inclination here is to favour klap nanitch
- to find seeing.
DISHONEST-kumtux kapswalla. (knows
how to steal)
DISLIKE-halo ticky. (to
not want, to not like)
DISOBEY-halo iskum wawa; mahsh wawa.
(to not take words; to discharge words) Ironically, mahsh
wawa can also mean to give orders. No doubt this was occasionally
cause for confusion.
DISSENT-huloima tumtum.
(to think differently)
DISTANCE-(what) kunsih siah.
(how far?)
DISTANCE-siah.
DISTRESS-klahowya tumtum; klahowya. (to
feel miserable, misery)
DISTRUST-kwass. (fear)
See doubt below.
DIVE-klatawa keekwulee kopa chuck. (to
go beneath the water)
DOCTOR-doctin.
DOCTRESS-klootchman doctin. How
interesting that English has long since lost this usage, which apparently
was current in Shaw's mind, unless he was just pointing out that a female
doctor would be referred to differently to a male.
DODGE-hyak klatawa; klatawa yahwa yahwa.
(move quickly, move here and there)
DOG-kahmooks.
DOLLAR-dolla; tahla; chickamin.
DO-mamook.
DONATION-cultus potlatch. (valueless
gift, freely given) I believe the sense here is one of humility,
rather than the idea that things donated were only given because they were
worthless.
DOOR-la pote.
DOUBLE-mokst. (two)
DOUBLE-(minded) mokst tumtum. (two
minds/hearts)
DOUBT-halo delate kumtux.
(to not understand straight, to not believe as true)
DOWN-(adj.) keekwulee; whim.
DOWN-(n.) kalakala tupso. (bird
hair, i.e. feathers)
DOWNCAST-sick tumtum. (to feel
sick, to feel unwell)
DOWN HILL-keekwulee.
DOWN STREAM-mimie; cooley chuck. (runs
water)
DOXOLOGY-mahsie kopa saghalie tyee.
(thanks to God)
DOZEN-tahtlum pe mokst. (ten
and two) In later use in some areas, I would not be surprised
to know that an English loan-word tuzzin or something similar would
have been used.
DRAWERS-keekwulle sakolleks. (underneath
trousers)
DREAD-kwass. The escalated
sense of the English word dread might better be expressed by hyas
kwass.
DREAM-dleam; nanitch kopa moosum; moosum nanitch.
(to see in sleep; sleep vision)
DRENCH-mahsh kopa chuck; mahsh chuck kopa.
(put in water; put water on)
DRENCHED-(pas.) mitlite hiyu chuck; hiyu chuck mitlite
kopa. (to be much water; much water there
is on) The climate of the Coast would have made this a very common
expression; mitlite hiyu chuck would be also translatable as I'm
very wet or you're very wet.
DRESS-klootchman coat. (a
woman's coat)
DRINK, TO-muckamuck; muckamuck chuck; kaupy; whickey.
etc. Whickey must be a typographical
error in Shaw.
DRINKABLE-kloshe kopa muckamuck.
(good to drink) Also means good to eat, muckamuck
applying both to fluids and solids.
DRIP-chuck klatawa.
(water running)
DRIVE-mamook kishkish. Kishkish
was also used without the auxiliary.
DRIZZLE-tenas snass. (little
rain) Tenas makah was used in some areas.
DROWN-memaloose kopa chuck. (die
in the water)
DROWSY- ticky sleep. (want
sleep, need sleep) Ticky moosum and olo moosum
were also used.
DRUG-lametsin.
DRUM-(Indian) pompon.
DRUNK-(adj.) pahtlum dlunk. (fully
drunk) Pahtlum could be used by itself, as could dlunk.
DRUNK-(v.) chako pahtlum.
(to become drunk)
DRUNKARD-pahtlum man; man kwonesum pahtlum. (drunk
man, man always drunk)
DRY, DRYNESS-dly; dely. Also
halo chuck or wake chuck (no water). Dry
in the sense of thirsty was olo or olo chuck.
DUCK-(Mallard) hahlhahl; kwehkweh; hahthaht.
DUCKING-mahsh kopa chuck; klatawa kopa chuck.
(to throw in the water, to go in the water)
Shaw's sense here seems to be equivalent to the modern dunking.
DUG-mamook dig. (to make
a dig, i.e. to have made a digging)
DULL-halo tumtum; wake siah halo latet.
(no thought, not far from nothing in
the head)
DUMB-wake wawa; halo wawa. (no
speech) Here Shaw means someone who cannot or will not speak.
DURING-kopa.
DUST-polallie; tenas illahee; klimmin kliommin illahee.
(powder, little earth, very fine earth)
DWELL-mitlite.
DYE-(v.) mamook tzum. (to
make mark, to make coloured)
DYING-wake siah memaloose. (not
far from dead)
DYEING-mamook tzum. (to
make mark, to make coloured)