Translation of HM Ball CJ letter

[Leanne Riding]

I got about halfway through and then went for a coffee...
Funny though mine came out different, a lot angrier.

I'll put what I had next to yours..

PS. I had misread the name at the top as Blanchet so I used Blanchet's 
dictionary (which is contemporary anyway), and where I could not find a 
word I used one of his sources, Hale. I think actually Hale would have 
been a better choice for the whole thing.

"I'm worried sick. You haven't written me. Over three months, I don't 
know if you have a roof over your head, if you're dead. I guess I don't 
know if you have been sick, I'm getting angry to be honest. And now your 
two boys say unkind childish words. Ballie is getting angry with you, 
Mama. I feel winter will end soon in New West, and you sneak off with 
your boyfriend, and seek his little [...] River, "do some hanky-panky", 
and drink Brandy and Soda. I'm worried sick. Always five..."

-- and that's as far as I got. I'll do the rest now.

Here's the breakdown.


>  Nika hyhu sick tumtum mika

Nika hyhu sick tumtum mika
I much "sick heart" (I'm really worried).

> halo mamook paper copa nika,

halo mamook paper copa nika,
You not "make paper" with me (You haven't written me).

> yawa [or yarku]

> klun moon nika halo kumtux

Yawa  kleen moon nika halo kumtux
Over three months I not know

[ Re "Yawa": if spelled (yawa) "Past" ["Yah-wá, there;beyond" (Blanchet, 
21) or if spelled (yarku) "This way" ["Yukwa, or yakwa, C., here, 
hither, this way." (Hale, 52) ]


> mika midlight copa mika house,

mika midlight copa mika house,
you stay in you house,

> or mika mameloose, spose nika

or mika mameloose, spose nika
or you dead, maybe I

> halo kumtux ankuttie mika sick,

halo kumtux ankuttie mika sick
not know was you sick

["was" ["Ahnkuttie, ahnkottie, C. formerly, anciently, ago. Moxt sun 
ahnkuttie, two days ago" (Hale, 40)]]

> nika chaco hyhu silex delaite,

nika chaco hyhu silex delaite.
I become very angry truly.


> pe alta misika mox tenas-man

pe alta misika mox tenas-man
and now your two boys


> papoose wawa, wake closhe

papoose wawa, wake closhe
"baby talk", not good. (say unkind childish words?)

> Ballie chaco silex copa mika

Ballie chaco silex copa mika
Ballie is angry with you

> mama.  Nika tumtum wake syah cupit cold illahee copa

mama. Nika tumtum wake syah capit cold illahee copa
mama. I feel not far ends winter in (I feel the winter will end soon)

["far" ["Siah", N. far, far off. Wake siah, not far, near. (Hale, 50)]]
["far" ["Kopet, kwapet", C. to stop, leave off; finished; enough. Kopet 
tomalla, day after to-morrow. Kopet kumtux (no longer know), to forget. 
(Hale, 45)]]


> New West?  pe mika, pe mika man clatiwa konamok mika papoose, copa 
> cavern [?], pe

New West. pe mika, pe mika man clatiwa konamok mika papoose, copa 
[couvrier?] pe
New West. And you, and "you man go together you baby", [undercover?] and 
(maybe "sneak off with your boyfriend"?)

["go" ["Klatawa, N. to go, walk." (Hale, 45)]]
["together" ["Kunamoxt, C. both, together. Kunamoxt kahkwa, both alike." 
(Hale, 45)]]


> nanitch yaka tenas Chuck

nanitch yaka tenas Chuck
looking for his little [...] Chuck

["looking for"["Nanitsh, N., to see, look, seek." (Hale, 49)]]

> Brusette, pe mamook muck-a-muck, pe muck-a muck

[...], pe mamook muck-a-muck, pe muck-a-muck
[...], and make dinner, and drink

["mamook muck-a-muck", which means "make dinner", might also mean "make 
merry" or "have fun". There are complaints about the word mamook being 
degraded (have to locate that source) so the phrase could also mean 
"hanky-panky".]


> Blandy pe-pop-chuck.  –

Blandy pe-pop-chuck. -
Brandy and Pop-water.

> Nika hyhu sick Tumtum.

Nika hyhu sick tumtum
I very "sick heart". (I'm really worried)

> Quanishum quinum pride

Quanishum quinum...
Always five...

["Kwanesum, C. always, forever" (Hale, 46)]

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 4360 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/chinook/attachments/20040325/6e612613/attachment-0001.bin>