Yet more from Jones, Robert F. (ed.) "Annals of Astoria"

[Dave Robertson]

Lhaxhayam,

Continuing through Duncan MacDougall's log books:

Page 78:  <Wishram and Wasco, of the Penutian linguistic stock>:  Why not specify *Chinookan* family?  The editor fails to make the most relevant connection between these tribes and the ones around Fort Astoria.  (The latter he doesn’t seem to characterize as belonging to ‘Penutian’, but this is somewhat hard for me to verify on re-reading, as that term isn’t in the Index).

Page 85-86, 97, 108-109, 112, 126:  <[Archibald] Pelton>:  This American man would appear to have been a vivid presence in early Fort Astoria times, known well to the Indians as to the Whites.  At first mention in the Logbook, on Tuesday, April 28th, 1812, , Pelton excites no special mention, being described only as having “been detained” among the Clackamas Chinookan-speaking “Cathlapootle Nation” a couple of months previously.  In successive entries, however, his deranged behavior and repeated episodes of escaping into the woods or to Indian camps, then reappearing at the fort after prolonged absence, earn him a representation as a lunatic.  It would seem that the hypothesis of Chinook Jargon <pelton>, Grand Ronde /piltEn/ “crazy”, having an etymology in this man’s name deserves serious consideration!

Page 86:  <Kelemooks> and <clemels>:  “Visited by 3 Canoes with the chief of the _Chelwits_, who traded (as well as a few Kelemooks) about 38 Beaver skins…”  The footnote to this paragraph asserts that “’Kelemooks’ may have been an alternative rendering of clemels, the elk skin armor”.  I suggest an identification rather with the “Clemax”, that is Tillamook, ethnic group.

Page 110:   The “Neweeties” from Vancouver Island are visiting the local Chinookans.  “Great numbers of Neweetie Indians are now in Bakers bay [sic] near the Ship, where they arrived but a few days since…”  The footnote describes this as “apparently an annual event, connected with the ususal pattern of salmon runs”.

Page 117:  <Waltop>/<Wattop>:  “…traded some Gum, Mats, Waltap, etc., etc.”  The footnote discusses the difficulty of determining what this item was, and astutely draws a connection with the <whattap>, “a tough, fibrous root used in sewing bark canoes”, mentioned in Ross Cox’ journal.  I’m tempted to see in the “l”/”t” alternation a parallel with the (nasal) sonorant/stop variation that’s currently being discussed on the CHINOOK list, viz. Lushootseed, Quileute, and Makah.

-- Dave
--
"Asking a linguist how many languages she knows is like asking a doctor how many diseases he has!" -- anonymous



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