CJ grammar -Reply

[Tony Johnson]

Gregory pi kanawi-Laksta,

>>> Gregory Robison  <grobison at SWIFTUGANDA.COM> 02/11/99 08:13am >>>
Kampala, 11 February 1999

Tony: Sorry for the misunderstanding about my view of CJ grammar.  I
didn't
mean to imply that it didn't have any, only that (to the limited extent
of
my experience) it seemed to be less complete than that of a primary
language
of a linguistic community.

No need to be sorry, your opinion that its grammar is limited is
naturally true, however...

This would be normal, I think, if it were an
ancillary code (trade language or other special-purpose mode of
communicating).  If you've got another language of long-standing in the
community, and in which the myths and place-names and proverbs and
histories
of the people are already passed on and recounted, and which all the
living
generations speak fluenty, it is likely that this language will be more
nuanced, have a broader, richer lexicon, and be the language of choice
for
doing heavy-duty work such as, say, writing an epic poem or making a
funeral
oration.

In Grand Ronde Chinuk-wawa functioned in all of the ways mentioned
above, including the telling of myths.  Certainly it is not as complex
as the older languages brought here, but it was adequate for the
community activities above.

I read somewhere that Chief Seattle and his generation of
leaders
(at least on the Sound) disdained CJ precisely because it wasn't a
sufficiently large canvas on which to display their considerable
oratorical
skills.  Chief Seattle (like Charles de Gaulle and many other chiefs
proud
of their eloquence) worked strictly through translators. (...and I can
already hear the eager footfalls of Dave at this very moment as he goes
to
his impressive library to pluck the volume that will either confirm or
correct this fuzzy and no doubt incorrect memory of mine.)

I believe that is a typical sentiment in areas where linguistic
diverstiy was not as profound as on the G.R. reservation.  Puget Sound,
while full of dialects, was (basically) one language family with more or
less mutual intelligibility.  The Plateau area is another example.,
amongst the large group of Sahaptian speakers Chinuk was known, but not
very important.  Residents of coastal Indian communities in Western
Washington and Oregon had reason to consider it more important, and in
Grand Ronde's case essential.

I think Silverstein's point -- although I'm not saying that this was his
insight; I think it was common thinking among pidgin/creolists -- was
that
when a pidgin creolizes (i.e., becomes some group's first language),
then it
usually has to acquire the full (or a fuller) grammatical feature set
that
it didn't have to have before.

It is clear that these were in fact occuring here in Grand Ronde.  Henry
Zenk's dissertation titled "Chinook Jargon and Native Cultural
Persistence in the Grand Ronde Indian Community, 1856-1907: A specials
Case of Creolization" addresses this fact.

How it does this -- what forms come into
being, or which older, existing forms are suddently pressed into service
for
newly-needed grammatical functions -- is the interesting part, and that,
among other things, was what I thought he was looking at in the Jacobs
texts.  (Incidentally, my brush with Silverstein was also to dispute his
views -- although this was so long ago I can't remember his point or
mine!
Also, I appreciate the Sarah Grey Thomason reference. Thanks!)

I would guess, too, that in the course of your fascinating and ambitious
project at Grand Ronde you might be faced with similar needs: if the CJ
that
is recalled by the core of speakers behind the renaissance of the
language
is in fact a pidgin version of CJ, and not a creole (if indeed there was
a
creolized version that we could examine today), then some fundamentally
new
grammatical forms will probably have to be invented or imported or
improvised somehow.

I'm sorry that I will have mostly anecdotal and trivial contributions to
make to this fascinating discussion group.  Thank-you for including me!

Klahowya,
Greg


The Chinuk-wawa that we know does not in my mind have any desperate need
for grammatical additions, although it will be very interesting to see
where the newest generation that we are/will be training takes this
language.

I have continued addressing your comments primarily because I am
concerned that there is a misunderstanding in the general public and the
linguistic proffession about the level of communication possible in
Chinuk-wawa.  As stated above Chinuk was considered adequate to carry
out all of the daily activities in the Grand Ronde community.  Another
good example of its abilities is Franz Boas conducting all of his field
work on Lower and Kathlamet Chinook in Chinuk-wawa.  As many of you know
his understanding of Chinookan was quite thorough and it was gained
though the communicating entirely in Chinuk-wawa!

I should mention that my own opinion of Chinuk-wawa as a teenager was
tainted by the prevailing negative opinions surrounding it.  I however,
have "seen the light" and am in fact quite defensive of it and its
importance (and it potential importance).  Forgive me for this.

Hayu mehrsi pi LaXayEm

Tony A. Johnson
Grand Ronde, OR