CW dialects (was Re: Questions about words)

[Francisc Czobor]

Klahawya!

Based on this and on my general impression reading various materials about CW, I have the feeling that this language had three main regional varieties (or "dialects"):

1. Lower Columbia CW, that became GRCW, but Siletz CW could be also assigned here; Chinookan background, uses Chinookan forms not known elsewhere (and the short pronouns...); probably it should be called more properly Lower Columbia - West Oregon CW.

2. Puget Sound CW, with more Salishan influence (from Lushootseed dialects like Nisqually, or from Klallam); for instance, words like chitwEt "bear", chotub "louse", kwichadi "rabbit", mali "forget", tuluks "mussel", etc.

3. British Columbia CW, with some specific usages (e.g. hayash itswEt = grizzly; cayoosh = horse, pony; kayuti  = coyote; papus = child, baby; scotty = crazy, etc.)

Kata mesayka temtem?
Francisc


hzenk at PDX.EDU wrote:
> On the other hand, there is an interesting entry in Boas's diary from
Siletz when he was there ca. 1890, to the effect that the "Chinook" there was
very different from that in BC, and he was having trouble communicating. He
evidently had forgotten that by 1932. (I'm repeating all this stuff from
memory; the diary I believe was edited by Rohner). Henry

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