Russian and Siberian but not Chinook Jargon!

[David Robertson]

Hello,

When reading books on the history of Alaska, you'll often come across the
word "tyone" meaning "head chief".  This note is intended to clear up the
origin of that word.

Without checking any dictionaries, and thus speaking from the thin ice, I
will suggest that the word in question is the same as the well-known
Russian word "toyon".  (Stress on the second syllable; therefore the first
syllable, by the rules of Russian, sounds like "ta".  In other words, this
sounds like what we write as tyone in English.)

The Russians borrowed the word from Siberians, more specifically from
Mongol ethnic groups, I believe.  One original form of the term was
"noyon", if memory serves.  It's long been used in reference to indigenous
chieftains.

So:  No relation to "tyee" [tayi] in Chinook Jargon.  Just a chance
similarity.  (Those again!)  If there were a relation, we'd have evidence
that CJ was spoken up to the Arctic Circle and beyond in Alaska.

Best,
Dave



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