?Did we know of this website? 2 Chinook Jargon prayers

[Dave Robertson]

Good evening,

Amazing what you find when you search in a brand-new way.  I did a websearch
for "nesika" and scored hits for "Nesika Bay" in Oregon, "Nesika Beach" in
Washington, and for a couple of Jargon prayers at a Catholic-looking
website:

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/pater/JPN-chinook.html

Herewith the text, my suggested readings and notes appearing in [square
brackets]:

              CHINOOK WAWA ( Chinook Jargon, Chinook Pidgin, Tshinul
[Tshinuk] Wawa )

                        Spoken along the Pacific coast from Oregon to
Alaska, USA.
                                           U.S.A. - Canada

Nesika Papa klaxta mitlite kopa Sahalee,
kloshe kopa nesika tumtum mika nem.
Nesika hiyu tikeh chahco mika illahee;
Mamook mika kloshe tumtum
kopa okoke illahee kahkwa kopa S[a]halee.
Potlatch konaway nesika mesahchee,
kahkwa nesika mamook kopa klaska
spose mamook mesahchee kopa nesika.
Wake lolo nesika kopa peshak pee marsh
siah kopa nesika k[o]noway mesahchee.
Kloshe kahkwa.

[Line 1:  Haven't I seen /lhaksta/~<klaxta> elsewhere in Puget Sound-area CJ
also used as a relative pronoun?  This prayer is probably from Myron Eells
or another Protestant missionary.]

Contributed by Jeffrey L. Dyer - E-mail jdyer at lincolnberean.org



                                             Hail Mary!  [a facsimile of
this text scanned from a book accompanies the following]

Klahawiyam Mali,
maika pati [i.e. patl] kopa lagrace,
Sahalé-Tayé kanamokst maika,
maika ilep tlous kopa kanawé kloutchémin,
ilep tlous maika tanas Jesu.

O tlous Mali,
iaka mania [i.e. mama] kopa Sahalé-Tayé,
mamouk stiwilh kopa Sahalé-Tayé pous nsaika,
massachi télikom, alta pi alke pous nsaika chako memelous.
Tlous pous kakwa.

[This prayer is obviously Catholic, with French-language influence, and
contains at least one word, <stiwilh> "pray(er)", from a Coast Salish
language or languages.  If I had to guess I'd say this prayer was composed
in Jargon on Vancouver Island by the first bishop of Victoria & Vancouver's
Island, Modeste Demers, some time in or after 1842.  But I don't have to
guess.]

Contributed by David G. Landsnes, MD - E-mail dgwlmd at superlink.net

                                             Hail Mary!



Source: "AVE MARIA in 404 lingue"
Ordine Equestro del San Sepolcro di Gerusalemme, Milano (1931).
Contributed by David G. Landsnes, MD - E-mail dgwlmd at superlink.net