Nawamuks, Nenamuks, Inamuks (fwd)--and ELAKAH

[drobert at tincan.tincan.org]

[Tony wrote last week:]
Qata mesayka?

I'll throw in a quick response...  I just saw that ilaki at the mouth of
the Columbia River.  This is unusual, but I was glad to see him.=20
"ilaki" is old Chinook for a sea-otter.  Ninamuks is proper jargon for a
river otter.  The "i" can be either as in "bit" or as in "beat."  The
"u" is as in "moon."

[me here]
To complicate things ever so slightly, I should mention that last weekend
in Winthrop, WA, I spied a folder advertising "Elakah!" canoeing
adventures in the San Juan Islands of Washington.  You've got to pick up =
a
piece of literature with as Jargon-looking a word as that...  So when I
did, inside it said that "e-LAH-kah" was the Chinook Jargon for a sea
otter. =20

-- When are we going to compile ALL the sources out there into an
authoritative CJ dictionary, with accurate guides to pronunciation and
alternate historical spellings? I'll be the first volunteer linguist for
the job! =20

Now's as good a time as any for me to learn about writing grant
proposals...

Nayka dimdim, hlush spus ilip nesayka munk [mamook] kopit iXt pepa, yaka
wawa, ikta kanawi c'em kopa Chinuk.  (I think we oughta first make a
single complete bibliography of publications on Chinook Jargon.) =20

Xluima iktas -- hayas masi kopa mesayka kanawi, kopa c'em kopa Chinuk!
Hlush spus nesayka wawa Chinuk kopa ukuk list, pi kopa Septemba kopa
Mission BC nesayka hlush kamtaks wawa kanamakst. (By the way, thanks to
everyone for writing in Chinuk!  This list is the place to do it, and
it'll get you ready for the Workshop in Mission, BC.)

Who's going to be the first to put sound files of Chinuk on their =
website?

Hlush wam san!  Have a glorious summer day,
Dave =20