Advertisements in Chinuk-wawa: Samples from the Chinuk Lu7lu 2000 binder

[Dave Robertson]

Lush pulakli; qhata mEsayka?

This material was handed out to you participants in the Chinuk Lu7lu 2000 without any explanation, and we didn't get around to discussing it.  So please turn to the last section in your binders, just before the dinosaurs (!), where there's a page that says "MORE NATIVE ADVERTISEMENTS".  These come from the _Kamloops Wawa_ newspaper, circa 1895.

First ad:
"Naika komtaks 'fiksim' kanawi ikta, sli, tintin, kyutan shus, drit naika blaksmit, pi naika Sawash, wik naika tiki ayu piyi kakwa Boston.  Naika Nitrishwawi kopa Soda Krik."  (Translation:  "I know how to fix everything, sleighs, bells, horseshoes, I'm a real blacksmith, and I'm Indian, I don't want a big fee like Whites do.  I'm Nitrishwawi from Soda Creek [British Columbia].")

#2 [accompanied by a picture of a saddle in the orginal ad]:  "Naika mamuk ukuk sadl kopa liplit iaka haws.  Tanas man kopa skul mamuk ukuk sadl.  Naika tlap sahali tomtom kopa ukuk sadl kakwa naika tiki aiak mash ukuk sadl kopa kaltash sadl pi kaltash but [?].  Pus klaksta [?] tiki hai ton sadl, tlus iaka makuk naika sadl pi alki iaka tlap sahali tomtom kopa ukuk sadl.  Naika Milmolist kopa Shugirkin."  (Translation:  "I made this saddle at the priest's house.  A schoolboy made this saddle.  I'm proud of this saddle, so I want to let go of it soon [in trade] for worn-out saddles and worn-out boots.  If anyone wants a high-tone saddle, he should buy my saddle and then he'll be proud of this saddle.  I am Milmolist from Sugarcane [BC].")

#3:  "Naika kamuks komtaks kanawi ikta.  Ayu naika tolo makmak kopa naika kamuks; kakwa ayu chikmin naika kamuks.  Alta naika tiki oihoi naika kamuks kopa skukum kyutan.  Naika nim Sho Spuhtkin [?]."  (Translation:  "My dog knows [how to do] all sorts of things.  I've gotten plenty of food with [the help of] my dog; my dog is equal to a lot of money.  Now I want to trade my dog for a strong horse.  My name is Joe Spuhtkin.")

#4:  "'Pus msaika tiki k'olan aias tlus myusik, tlus msaika klatwa kopa Wiyims Lik kopa liplit iaka haws:  Iawa msaika k'olan ayu myusik:  Ilo piyi, pi pus msaika k'olan ukuk myusik, msaika chako mash tomtom, msaika makmak pi kakwa wik msaika lost alta [?].'  Kakwa iaka tomtom Shimi Hasklit kopa Knim Lik...."  (Translation:  "'If you folks want to hear some really good music, you should go to Williams Lake to the priest's house.  There you [can] hear lots of music.  It's free [of charge], and [when] you hear this music, you'll get lighthearted [?], [and] you [can] eat and it's like you're not lost then.'  That's the opinion of Jimmy Hasklit from Canim Lake...."

Neat, huh?

There are some interesting words and idioms in these ads:  "fiksim" looks like classic 'American Indian Pidgin English'--whatever that is.  Sli, blaksmit, sadl, but, hai ton, myusik, lost are all distinct borrowings probably from the local English (and "high-tone" is a nice slangy word that wasn't learned in a classroom!).  Sahali tomtom and mash tomtom are creative uses of a pattern also known for example in Grand Ronde Chinuk-wawa for describing a state of mind or emotion.


Better yet, it's not inconceivable that these ads were received from local Indian people by the writer of _Kamloops Wawa_, Father J.-M. R. Le Jeune.  If so, they would be really excellent material for studying how some indigenous people spoke Chinuk.

Qhata mEsayka tEmtEm?
Dave































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