Practice texts, cont.

[zenk at USWESTMAIL.NET]

The little 1891 text send in by Jim I thought very nice:  the Jargon seems "straight," such as might be done by someone who had actually used the language (as opposed to someone just cobbling something together, Gibbs in hand).  The one thing I stumbled over was the line:

"Hias warm illahee okoke sun pe conaway ictas chaco pilpil, wake siah.

Because to me, pilpil means 'blood'.  Of course, it can't mean that, so must be used in the sense 'red-red':  I had first thought (looking at the date) perhaps with reference to fall foliage, but on reading Dave's translation see yes, more likely with reference to the strawberries and cherries being all red=fully ripe.  I might be inclined to translate:

'(It's) real summery today and all of (this) stuff (i.e., the strawberries and cherries and the like) are getting completely red, pretty near.'

So Jim, where'd you find this little gem?

Here's another little Oregon pioneer item, from "Indians of Oregon," by Rev. T. M. Ramsdell (Oregon Historical Society ms 852, dated April 29, 1907).  Writing about the epidemics that revaged western Oregon Native populations during the 19th c., Rev. Ramsdell quotes an "old Indian" as follows:

"Hiyu siwash, ankate, copa conaway illahee, caqua tipso; pe alta wake siya halo; wake lele conaway siwash mimeloose."

Well, not too difficult.  Albeit not so cheerful, either.  Henry



On Fri, 10 November 2000, Dave Robertson wrote:

>
> Here's a little something provided by the ever-resourceful Jim Holton (thank
>  you, Jim):
>
>
> LhaXayEm!
>
> Here's my sense of how to translate the 1891 text posted as a practice
> exercise a couple of weeks ago:            --Dave
>
> "Dear 'Old Cracking Snap' [granddaughter's nickname],
>
> "I would like you to come to my house and eat strawberries and cherries and
> all [kinds of] fine things.
>
> "The weather is very warm these days and everything is becoming ripe; that's
> not far off.  Tell your mom and dad I would really like to see you [kids].
> I'm very sad there are no little ones in the house.
>
> "So come soon to see me and you [kids'] grandmother.  I would like to see
> [you] soon.  (?)
>
> "I am always [your grandpa]."
> --------------------------original------------------------
>
> "Nov. 27, 1891
>
>  "Hias Close Ole Cracking Snap,
>
>  "Nika tickey mesika chaco copa nika house pe muckamuck Strawberries pe
>  cherries pe conaway hias close ictas.
>
>  "Hias warm illahee okoke sun pe conaway ictas chaco pilpil, wake siah.
> Wawa
>  mesike papa pe mama nika hias ticky nanich mesika.  Nika hias sick tumtum
>  halo tenas tillicum copa house.
>
>  "So hiack chaco nanich nika pe mesika grandmother.  Nika tumtum hiack ticky
>  close nanich.
>
>  "Quansum nika [grandpa]"
>
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


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