Cayuse <=> "horses" in Spanish?

[David Robertson]

A few thoughts in brief, inspired by Sally's, Alan's and Leanne's messages:

"Kiutan", generally pronounced kee-yoo-tun, appears to have a solid
etymology in the Chinookan languages; see an old thread on this listserv,
which you can search for on our archives page.
(listserv.linguistlist.org/archives/chinook.html)

"Coyote" as a latecomer in NW speech is no surprise.  My impression of the
general pattern in Mexican/SW USA Spanish loanwords is that they were still
pretty exotic at the end of the 19th century.  You'll find BC and WA
sources from that time using words like "canyon" in their original Spanish
spellings (in that word, with a tilde-n in the middle).  You'll also find
that word and e.g. "rancheree" italicized or in shock quotes.  As
for "coyote" I think you'll find terms like "prairie wolf"(?) earlier
than "coyote" in the NW.  Another sign that "coyote" is a latecomer word up
here may be the amount of variation in its pronunciation, with people
saying ca-yo-tee, ca-yote, or ca-yoo-tee; I think that recently borrowed
words often tend to be the least standardized.  Here too is enough material
for a probably very interesting paper; the researcher should look
at "rodeo" and "lariat" also.

Sally's ideas on Interior Salish origins for "cayuse" are intriguing, and I
can imagine such forms as Salish folk-etymologies for terms they were
hearing in Chinuk Wawa (etc.), /qayus/ "Cayuse" and /likay/ "piebald".  I
suspect that the /q/ in "Cayuse" means it's a Pacific NW aboriginal word,
but it's not unbelievable that two such words in a contact language like
Jargon could have been subject to Salish speculation on their joint
origin.

(Coincidentally I was just talking the other day with someone about what
seems to me a strong propensity among certain speakers of NW languages to
folk-etymologize...this led to a discussion of the CJ word for "hat" which
could have both a Nootka/S.Wakashan and a French etymology, and has been
connected by some with the Nez Perce/Salish word for "white people", a big
mass of confusion unto itself.)

I would guess that spotted horses have been around in the (inland) NW for
quite some time.  The Appaloosa (<Palus tribe; Nez Perce) has been a known
quantity since way back when.  I can only guess at some connection between
Appaloosas and Cayuse ponies.  My wife, the horseperson of the family,
tells me Appaloosas are characteristically spotted.  Referring back to
Sally's idea about Interior Salish /q'ey-/, used in words meaning "to
write", this reminds me of Chinook Jargon <tzum> which can mean not
only "write" but "mark, marked, spotted": just think of "chum salmon",
which is said to come from CJ.

These notes are a bit scattered.  I'm trying to care for a couple of hungry
kids who also need to get outside and play...

--Dave R.

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