Some English glosses in Kamloops Wawa

Leanne Riding riding at TIMETEMPLE.COM
Sat Apr 24 13:04:57 UTC 2004


The dictionary by the Catholic missionary Demers is helpful to add 
dimension to these words. It's a great help looking at Demers' book 
because he was considered by Catholic missionaries to be a trailblazer. 
The Protestant missionaries, however, clearly avoided the Catholics, and 
were less likely to have been influenced by him.

Demer's and others' dictionaries often contain sermons, with chinook 
jargon solutions for the expression of catholic concepts. These phrases 
and expressions are often not in their word lists.

The edition I'm looking at was last edited by St. Onge. It's available 
online at Canadiana.


 >>> tlxop chok  (or maybe tlxwap chok)  "springs" [of water]

If the word "spring" was used in regards to the practical necessity of 
digging a well, I'd transate the word "tlxop", using Demers, to "deep" 
or "sunken". In other words, saying "tlxop chok" could imply 
"underground water", even to someone who had never heard the word 
before. On the other hand, depending on the local pronunciation, it 
could mean "found or discovered water". That might be more in keeping to 
a religious discussion, where a spring might need to miraculously burst 
out of a rock. But I'm more inclined to the former, "sunken".

Examples:

"Tlep, to sink." (Demers)
"Tlip, tlep, deep, abrupt." (Demers)
"Ḱlipsan, sunset." (Demers)
"Tlipsan, sunset." (Demers)
"Mamuk tlwhop, to dig a hole." (Demers)

Or:
"Tlap, to find, catch." (Demers)

A possible variant: klip chuck or klap chuck



>
> >>> tanas kuli chok  "brooks"

"Little rapids."

Example:
"Kuli tsok, rapids." (Demers).

A possible variant: tenas cooley chuck




> >>> kotin  "animals"  (maybe from Shuswap Salish--I'm not finding a 
> source for
> >>> it very easily in Kuipers' 1974 grammar)

This is from Demers. In the following example, the indication "(not 
used)" was probably made by one of Demer's editors. So while Demers was 
familiar with it in his time, later on the word was only included for 
historical reasons. I haven't seen it in any other Jargon word list.

Example:
"Koten (not used) animal." (Demers)



> >>> mamuk tlap  "[he] redeemed"
>

In this case I'd say that the literal meaning might be "make found,"  
with the sense of "to save one who is lost."

Example:
"Tlap, to find, catch." (Demers)



> >>> itlinwil  "ribs"
>

Demers included this word, probably in order to help other missionaries 
tell the biblical story of the creation of Eve from Adam's rib. This 
word might be related to the word for meat??

Example:
"Etlinwil, ribs." (Demers)
"Itluil, meat, flesh, body, verenda." (Demers)



> >>> kaltash stik  "bushes"
>

Another word useful in a bible discussion revolving around Moses, for 
instance about the incident of the burning bush. The word cultus is 
often interpreted as "bad". However, in those days a closer translation 
for it is often "inconsequential", "insignificant", "lesser", or 
"minor". In that sense, a bush is "less than a tree", "not quite a tree".

A possible variant: cultus stick



> >>> mash ayu chok  "[to] sweat"

"Lose lots of water". Become dehydrated.

Example:
"Mash, lost, thrown away." (Demers)
"Mash, to lose, throw away, give up, abandon, forgive, sell." (Demers)

A possible variant: Mash hiyu chuck



> >>> mamuk tsax ilihi  "[to] plow"

While the word "tsax" is unfamiliar to me, I find a striking similarity 
with Demers, definition for "to plough" (lit. to break earth). Perhaps 
the "x" is really a "k"?

Example:
"Mamuk tlak elehi, to plough." (Demers)
"Mamuk tlak, to take or pull off, to break." (Demers)

>
> >>> kwan  "mild"
> >>> kwan  "tame"


The best sense I can come up for "kwan" is "placid," as opposed to 
"kwass," which is more like "fearful." Both can be translated to "tame" 
but by different logical routes.

Example:
"Ḱwan, tame, quiet, gentle, meek." (Demers)

>
> >>> chaku stux  (or maybe stawx)  "/mash/ forgiven"  (yes, a Jargon 
> word + an
> English word)
>

This doesn't sound familiar to me, but here's a similar word from Demers:
"Mamuk stoħ, to absolve sins." (Demers)

Maybe stux and stoħ are the same? (and chako in the sense of "to become")

Example 2:
"Mash, lost, thrown away." (Demers)
"Mash, to lose, throw away, give up, abandon, forgive, sell." (Demers)


> >>> klaska chako komtaks  "were known"

Pretty straightforward "they are known."

>
> >>> tanas kopa tanas  "little by little"

Direct translation, "Little by little"

>
> >>> mamuk lapola  "[they] feasted"
>

"Lapola, meat broiled before the fire." (Demers)

>
> >>> kwanisim mitlait sahali ilihi  "eternal life"

"forever stay in heaven." By the way this spelling of sahali by the way 
is the one favored in Kamloops even to this day.

Example:
"Kwanesom, always." (Demers)
"Mitlaït, to be, have, put, be sitting, remain." (Demers)
"Ekusaħ or saħali elehi, heaven." (Demers)

>
> >>> kaw [sign of the cross] wawa  "covenant"

"cross speech." Or, the moment, when nailed to the cross, where Christ 
asks forgiveness for men's sins. This word is not included in Demer's 
dictionary but I can see why LeJeune might want to make mention of how 
he might express this.

Example:
"Lakloa, cross." (Demers)

>
> >>> kapho  "elder brother"

I can't find this exact word in Demers but it is common in other word 
lists.

Example:
"Apuho, elder brother or sister." (Demers)
"Kop-po, Older brother." (Palmer)
"Kahp´ho, C., elder brother, sister, or cousin." (Hale)

>
> >>> Isia  "Asia"
> >>> Afrika  "Africa"
> >>> Yurop  "Europe"
>

It's always interesting to have mentions of the outside world in the 
Jargon. General geograpical awareness is the obvious reasons to use 
these words, since there are issues which would might be brought up in 
sermons, for example: The Boer wars, Imperialism (leading to WWI), Boxer 
Rebellion etc. Also, missionaries in successful missions such as in 
Kamloops would have tried raise funds to send to other missions around 
the world, especially in areas where Christians might be persecuted.

> >>> Patriark  "Patriarchs"

Ie: Abraham, and other grand old forefathers shared by Christianity, 
Judaism and Islam.

Hayu masi Dave!

:)

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