Chukanut Mtn derivation?

[David Robertson]

I've already replied off-list, but thought it'd be worth posting this
also.  Chuckanut, found widely in Whatcom County, Washington, is a name
from one of the local Salish languages as far as I know.  That means
either Nooksack, or the Samish or Lummi dialects of Northern Straits.
(Terminology is pretty confusing in this geographic area.  Linguists have
been debating boundary lines between various languages and dialects in
northern Puget Sound for several years now.)

There sure are CJ place names around Bellingham.  One source that I didn't
mention to Kelvin is Grant Smith's paper on CJ place names in Washington.
It's good but I feel there's always room for more detailed work on this
subject.  The more you check local histories, for example, the more place
names and personal names you'll find that are Chinook Jargon.  They may
not be known nowadays, but they're some of the best evidence for linking
CJ to the landscape because they were used when Jargon was widely known.

Chapter XLI of 'History of Whatcom County, vol. 1' by Lottie Roeder Roth
(Pioneer Historical Publishing Co., Chicago & Seattle, 1926) lists
geographic names of the county.  It cites Edmond Meany's book 'Origin of
Washington Geographical Names', which would be good to check as well.  On
a quick scan of Roth, I find the name Siwash only.

(Tangential notes--page 967 of Roth says early settlers called
the 'hiaqua' shell money 'siwash dollars'.  The same page
etymologizes 'potlatch' as a Nooksack Salish word 'patshatl'
meaning 'gift'.  Page 968 says early settlers called the long food trays
used in Native potlatches 'stick-pans'.  Interesting material toward a
study of NW English regionalisms.)

--Dave R.

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