Sound shifts; Michif as Metis language

[Mike Cleven]

At 08:17 PM 2/2/99 -0800, David Robertson wrote:
>
>On Fri, 29 Jan 1999, Mike Cleven wrote:
>
>> Can't see how the "sha" sound - which is common in the region's languages -
>> would have shifted to "sia"
>
>...that's an extremely common sort of sound shift among the languages of
>the world...e.g. Malay/Indonesian pronunciation of the extremely numerous
>Arabic loanwords containing "sh" in those languages...
>
>
>
>Michif dictionary (the Metis language)
>...*a* Metis language, I'd venture :-)  The reason for saying this is,
>seemingly the voyageurs spoke a "Missouri patois" / "Northwestern patois"
>of French, and very many of these fellows were Metis.  Now, the most
>distinctive language of Metis people in 1999 is Michif, which is a
>Cree-French 'mixed language'.  (French words, Cree grammar, to put it in 5
>words or less.).....

The Canadian Metis organizations are pretty specific about it being THE
Metis language.  At least the Prairie organizations anyway, and maybe those
in northern Ontario.  "Metis" in BC has a broader meaning that's not as
tied up with "traditional Metis culture".  Metis French is another
matter.....and different from Saskais or Franco-Manitobaine......