Wik Ya?im, keschi hiyu nah.

[Jim Holton]

Nadja, here's my two cents, anybody feel free to jump in here also:

Nadja Adolf wrote:

> Na iktah elip Lush wawa - "Kata mayka wawa ____ kapa Chinuk" kapa "Kata wawa
> mayka kapa Chinuk"?
>
> What is the best talk - How you say ____ in Chinook" or "How say you in
> Chinook"?
>

Either way.  The first way follows the Subject-Verb-object pattern that you'd
expect with transitive sentences in Chinook Jargon.  The second one sort of
implies that there is a semi-colon being used.


>
> Keschi, Nah nayka wegt.
>
> But, I question again.
>
> Na iktah elip Lush wawa - "Yaka man yaka papa munk kahkwa" kapa "Yaka man
> yaka papa kahkwa munk."
>
> What is the best talk "his father did the same" or his "father same did"?
>

I've heard Henry, Tony, and some tape-ies use the first one.  Regarding the
second one, I'd think that the "kahkwa-munk" is a compound verb and might come
with a special meaning, but I could be making a distinction that doesn't exist.
Once again, I think the "correct" order for sentences that have direct objects
(in the case "the same") is subject - verb - object.


>
> Also, in my question "Nah iktah elip wawa" Is iktah the right word to use?
> Should I use "klaska" instead, or something else? My temptation was to use
> klaska, but I wasn't sure. Should there be a "yaka" in the first sentence?
> Is the "kapa" needed or is it surplus?

I think that "iktah elip wawa?" would be all that you have to say.  Using "na"
as a question indicator doesn't seem to add anything as "iktah" in the first
part indicates that it is a question.


>
> Is my email subject invalid? May one use na to mean a question as a noun, or
> just as an interrogative indicating a question?

Interrogative.  From what I've seen, the usage of "na" for questions might be a
little complex.  If you look at Thomas and many of the early dictionary makers,
"na" usually occurs after the noun or pronoun.  Although, I know,  there are
some examples of its usage in the beginning.  Also, I believe at GR, besides
"wigna" (i.e., wake na) it gets used at the end to indicate that the listener
has understood the sentence and doesn't necessarily make the statement itself a
question.  Most of the authors who mention "na" go out of their way to let you
know that you can totally avoid it and that it was never all that popular.


>
> Can someone recommend a grammar book or linguistics book so that a
> non-linguist can understand some of the terms that people use here?

Good request.  I'd personally be interested in this information.

Ok, as I said, anybody feel free to jump in here.

LaXayEm, Jim


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