Another one: Lemolo <=> Untrained Horse

[Leanne Riding]

While we are on the topic of horses, here's another interesting 
thought...

A while ago I read one of trader John Todd's journals. He often 
referred to some of his horses at Kamloops by a french word, 
'Marron'. 'Marron' seems to describe a horse color, literally 
'Chestnut' as we would also say in English. Yet there isn't there a 
horse color Le Malon (or something) in Chinook Jargon, while other 
horse color words exist, such as Le Kye and Le Clem and Le Gley.

However, the way John Todd used the word 'Marron' had little to do 
with color. The 'Marrons' which he mentioned were green, unbroken 
horses. So, the connection between this word, 'Marron', is not with 
any color words -- actually, it is probably the origin of the CJ 
word for wildness, 'Le Molo.' Lemolo, it has been proposed, is 
derived from marrón, a runaway slave. However, Lemolo is more of a 
cousin than offspring of 'marrón, runaway slave', Both words are 
abbreviations of 'cimarrón', implying wild, untamed, but meaning 
different things. In John Todd's world, a Marron was an untrained 
horse.

See how he uses the word:

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"Michel, Maron Blanc, & Cendre Nez Perces, & also three of the New 
Caledonia Bands the latter of course are to remain there."

"Cloudy & rather cool with drizzly rain Lolo & the cook breaking in 
marons."

"They take with them four hundred Salmonfor the use of that Post 
and, besides the horses for the loads & the saddle, they take also 
a few marons to drive a head."

"The people for Alexandria with their loaded horses made a start 
about midday as they take on with them a few Marrons for the trade 
of that place, which with their number of loaded horses, it is 
altogether too much for two men, particularly should they fall in 
with a body of Indns as they most likely will about Green Lake."

"Two of the men have taken a fancy to break in Marrons, Swanson & 
Simon Gale."

"Lolo arrived with about thirty Skins, and a young maron belonging 
to New Caledonia which had been left on the way by the Brigade 
coming in."

(http://142.36.5.21/thomp-ok/river-post/tomp-river.html)

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