Origin of Klahowya

[Erik]

Klahowya kloshe Sikhs,
Nesaika mamook Chinook Tenas Wawa!!!

Hiyu laly ahnkuttie, kunsih chako Lewis pe Clark okook kloshe illahee kopa Tchinouk tillikum.  Clark klatawa mamook nanitch klap.  Kunsih yaka kilapai chako kunamokst, klaska wawa:

"Clark How Are You?"

Tchinouk tillikum, klaska mamoook kwolan, klaska tumtum "greeting".  klaska mamook wawa "Kla How Ya".

Ekahnum Kopet

============

Hello good friends, we do Chinook Jargon.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the conference.  Sadly I was not able to go; I was really looking forward to it, but a recent car accident has caused a serious disruption to my life.

Yesterday I was talking with a Chinook friend (I am also part Chinook) and greeted him with "Klahowya".  He surprised me by telling the following story.

A long time ago, when Lewis and Clark came to the land of the Chinook people.  Clark went out on a scouting trip.  It's not clear if the Chinooks met Clark and came back with him, or if they were already in camp when Clark returned.  But in either case, upon Clark's return he was greeted with: 

"Clark How Are You?"

The Chinooks observed this and understood it to be a form of greeting.  They then did their best to imitate it (sans "r") and it became "Kla How Ya"

Mamook HeeHee,
-- Erik
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