Many fish a-finning....

[George Lang]

Too bad on me.  Though I admit I'm truly torn here.  Nothing I like more
than scribal errors, with the possible exception of imaginary newts.

Yet I feel obliged to add on the topic of the One and the Many, that
there was a  etymological shift similar to the one Alan et al.
hypothecize about Cathla-MANY FISH in the early years of the Nootka
Jargon, one which was not carried over to our own Jargon.

According to Moziño, Pedro Alberni had realized Maquinna's tendency
to listen with appreciation to flattery, and in order to induce him to visit
the Spanish, with whom he had broken all "familiar" communications
since the "tragic passing" of Callicum (long story here), the former
composed a verse with the few words he then knew of the [Nootka]
language, celebrating the greatness of Maquinna and the friendship
Spain bore with him....

Macuina, Macuina, Macuina
Asco Tais hua-cás
España, España, España
Hua-cás Macuina Nutka

Put to the tune of a popular Andalusian folk song which his men could
easily learn to chant, this ditty translates from the broken Nootka as

Maquinna, Maquinna, Maquinna
Great Prince and Friend
Spain, Spain, Spain,
Friend of Maquinna and Nootka.

_Tais_ we know, entered Jargon without a hitch.

 _Asco_ , not ultimately accepted into Jargon usage, did float around
for a while, though this is something I cannot prove in a court of
linguistic law (if anyone can help, do let me know).

Nootka _asko_ means ‘small fish in plenty’.  In the European Mind
(ahem, ahem) that was close to Great and to Many.  (Reference on
this forthcoming when I get to the right place.)

George