Fwd from Liland: Re: eulachon (was: The word for communion (fwd))

[Alan H. Hartley]

Here's the OED entry:

EULACHON. Also ulikon, ulicon, ulken; and oolakan, -chan, etc.
[ad. Chinook jargon ulâkân.]
A small fish of the northwestern parts of North America, ascending the
rivers in immense numbers to spawn; the candle-fish.
1807 P. Gass Jrnl. 187 In the afternoon some of the natives came to
visit us, and brought some of the small fish, which they call Ulken...
At noon our fishermen returned with some ulken and sturgeon.
1866 J. K. Lord Naturalist in Vancouver Isl. I. 88 A fish..called by the
natives Eulachon or Candle-fish.
1880 Libr. Univ. Knowl. (N.Y.) I. 205 All the early navigators and
explorers..have spoken of the immense numbers of salmon, cod, halibut,
mullet, ulicon, etc.
1885 Simmonds Animal Food Resources ix. 318 The ulikon or oulachan
(Thaleichthys pacificus, Gerard)..has long been an ichthyological
curiosity... It is a small silvery fish, averaging about fourteen inches
long, and in general appearance much resembling a smelt.
1888 Goode Amer. Fishes 476 They [sc. trout] are taken in Frazer River
at the time of the eulachon run, but they probably then ascend the river
to feed upon the eulachon, and not for spawning purposes.
1955 Sci. News Let. 8 Jan. 32/1 The candlefish, or eulachon, of
America’s north Pacific coast is prized by Indians as food and for its
oil.

The Hdbk. N. Amer. Indians VII (1990) p. 50 gives the etymology as
Chinook Jargon ulâkân or directly from its etymon Chinook
ú&lbar.x&dotbl.an, and says on p. 25 "The eulachon (Thaleichthys
pacificus), commonly called hooligan in British Columbia and also known
as candlefish or Columbia River smelt, is a species of smelt that runs
in a number of larger streams, generally in early spring."

Alan