Is this a Chinuk Wawa name?

[Leanne Riding]

I would say yes, Sapellell is definitely Chinuk Wawa. Clark 
mentioned it this way in 1805:


"... those beeds the trafick with Indians Still higher up this 
river for roabs, Skins, cha-pel-el bread,  [7] beargrass &c. who in 
their turn trafick with those under the rockey mountains for 
Beargrass, <guarmash> Pashico roots & robes &c."

Note reads: " "Cha-pel-el" is the Chinookan term a-sáblal, "bread" 
(etymology obscure); the term in Chinook jargon is saplíl. It is 
cous, Lomatium cous (Wats.) Coult. & Rose, then new to science. It 
was an important foodstuff in this region and eastward. On the 
return trip in 1806 cous would also become a useful food source for 
the party. Cutright (LCPN), 283–84, 288–89, 370, 373; Hitchcock et 
al., 3:548–49"

November 1. 1805. Journals of Lewis and Clark Expedition Online, 
University of Nebrasca. Accessed 5/3/05. Url omitted due to length.


and in 1806:


"about 4 oClock P M all the Indians left us, and returned to their 
Village. they had brought with them Wappato, & pashequa roots 
Chapellel cakes, [3] and a Species of Raspberry for Sale, none of 
which they disposed of as they asked Such enormous prices for those 
articles that we were not able to purchase any."

Note [3] reads: "3. Sometimes the men begin it with "sh." It is 
from the Chinookan a-sáblal, "bread," and is cous, Lomatium cous 
(Wats.) Coult. & Rose. Hitchcock et al., 3:548–49. See November 1, 
1805. (Return to text.)"

April 7, 1806. Journals of Lewis and Clark Expedition Online, 
University of Nebrasca. Accessed 5/3/05. Url omitted due to length.


There were numerous mentions since whenever Lewis, Clark and their 
men talk about cows in this region they are most likely talking 
about Cous. There was an entry that I can not find right now, where 
it was decribed that the root could be cooked into a "mucilage" 
which improved its taste.

Gabriel Franchere also mentioned it in his journal a few years later:


"When we made our first voyage up the [Columbia] river the natives 
gave us square biscuits, very well worked, and printed with 
different figures. These are made of a white root, pounded, reduced 
to paste, and dried in the sun. They call it Chapaleel : it is not 
very palatable, nor very nutritive."


In the old CJ books this word is associated with both wheat and (I 
think) with soft texture substances described as 'klimmin' or 
'klimmin-klimmin'. Could be a very nice, feminine name.

I have wondered, is the word for berries, 'olallie', part of this word?

For the Wawa plant word collectors, there is a berry called 
soopolallie (Shepherdia canadensis) which can be whipped into a 
foam which has been called "Indian Ice Cream." It is also called 
soapberry. I don't think that is what the name means though.


=( : ] )-[--<

- Leanne
- homepage: timetemple.com


On Monday, May 2, 2005, at 03:28 , David Robertson wrote:


Is this Sapellell a Chinuk Wawa name?

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