ick clune query

[Mike Cleven]

Terry Glavin wrote:
>
>  . . .which sounds a lot like "ikt, klone" (one for three) to me.
> but i promised i'd asked smarter peoplle for advice.
> any thoughts much appreciated?
> please see below:
>
> Hi Terry,
>
> It is a long time since last you helped me with a Chinook phrase.  Would
> you mind if I asked again?
>
> Ronsdale is publishing a memoir of a Victoria woman.  Somewhere in the
> 1870s, she recounts the story of an Indian coming to her house to sell
> "gumstick"  -- highly resinous wood used for starting fires.  When the
> Indian appears, he says "Ick Clune" and holds out the gumstick which he
> wants to sell.  I suspect that Ick may mean one, but I have not been able
> to figure out "Clune."  Does it refer to the gumstick? or is it some sort
> of greeting?  Or?
>
> Any ideas?

Myself I'd guess that it means "one [unit of currency] for four
[sticks]"; either that or "one [stick] for four [units of currency]".
If there's only one stick, then I suppose four [units of currency].  The
unit of currency was probably a penny in 1870 - you could still buy a
lot of things for a few pennies in those days (e.g. a can of peaches
might cost 3 or 4 cents).  Wouldn't have been a dollar, which was a fair
bit of dough in those times, that's for sure; perhaps a shilling or a
farthing but I don't think BC was using British currency at the time.

--
Mike Cleven
http://www.cayoosh.net (early BC history)
http://www.hiyu.net (Cayoosh Jargon phrasebook/history)