David French, "Wasco-Wishram"

[David Robertson]

(khapa "Perspectives in American Indian Culture Change", ed. Edward
Spicer, U. Chicago Press, 1961)

p.370:  "Throughout this period [1750-1858] most of the communication
between Whites and Indians was in the trade language known as Chinook
Jargon (for example, Lee and Frost 1844: 153).  Although words from a
number of Indian languages had gone into the formation of this jargon, the
largest part of the vocabulary was drawn from Lower Chinookan.  *The
number of French and English words in the language increased during this
period; in general, these named such things as European plants, animals,
and manufactured articles.  As befitted their position as traders, Wasco,
Wishram, and Cascade Indians often spoke more than one dialect of
Chinookan and one or more of Sahaptin (Stuart 1935:  37, 51, 53).  By
1812, at least one man at Nixluidix [the principal Wishram "village"] knew
some English, and the number increased slowly during the period (Hunt, in
Stuart 1935: 305; Fremont 1845:197)."

p. 396:  "The multilingualism previously mentioned continued during this
period [1858-1920].  Many adult Wascos and Wishrams knew English and the
local type of Sahaptin in addition to their native speech and Chinook
Jargon.  (Sahaptins and Whites rarely, if ever, learned [Old] Chinookan,
incidentally.)  A few Wascos and Wishrams learned even more distant
languages, such as Nez Perce, which were useful for visiting and trading.
There was prestige attached to knowing languages and perhaps aesthetic
satisfaction; while serving as an army scout, one Wasco learned a certain
amount of Delaware from a fellow scout.  While this was not a 'practical'
accomplishment, it provided a basis for pride and prestige.

	"Linguistic materials gathered during the period (Sapir 1909;
Curtis 1911) reveal that a number of vocabulary items had been added.  No
single process dominated [Old] Chinookan linguistic acculturation.  There
were new coinages using native morphemes, borrowings from English and
Sahaptin, and the addition of new meanings to old forms."




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