Shabon/sabon - soap or debts? Waking up confused.....

[Dave Robertson]

Klahawiam, Maik Klivin pi kanawi klaksta,

We didn't seem to ever get that question resolved.  Due to ambiguities in
the "Kamloops Wawa" Chinook Jargon shorthand, it's impossible to
distinguish what might've originally been a French <j> sound from what we
often write on this list as <sh>.  So the source of the word <shabon>
in "K.W." is hard to determine.  I still am guessing it's most likely from
French <j'abonne>.  It certainly doesn't mean "soap", given contexts like
<yaka mamuk ilo kanawi nsaika shabon>, "He forgives all our debts."

Maybe I'll post to the CREOLIST group, since there are quite a few people
there who have knowledge of French-lexified contact languages.

Best,
Dave