Jargon term for the Pacific Northwest

[Scott Tyler]

I believe the local Natives in Seattle area considered the North as being 
the South or lower or bottom part of the earth because this is where the 
cold came from and nights were longer. This concept was also with the 
Kwagiutl and other northern tribes.  Is there any truth to this?
Scott

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Crippen" <jcrippen at GMAIL.COM>
To: <CHINOOK at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG>
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 11:04 AM
Subject: Re: Jargon term for the Pacific Northwest


> On 5/21/07, J. Barnes <saghalie.illahee at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> I'm curiuous if the Jargon has a word meant to identify the Pacific
>> Northwest.  More specifically I'm wondering if the language developed a 
>> term
>> for the PacNW vis-a-vis the rainy climate.  Perhaps this is a querky
>> question but I notice that we develop slang terms for places based on
>> attributes or popular perception.
>
> Tlingit has a word for the NW that isn't in Alaska. It's simply
> "ixkée" or "Down Douth" in local English, in terms such as "ixkéedei"
> or "towards Down South". It seems to mean anything from Prince Rupert
> down to Seattle in stories about the Territory days. I don't think
> that it was much used by non-Tlingits, however.
>
> James
>
> To respond to the CHINOOK list, click 'REPLY ALL'.  To respond privately 
> to the sender of a message, click 'REPLY'.  Hayu masi!
> 

To respond to the CHINOOK list, click 'REPLY ALL'.  To respond privately to the sender of a message, click 'REPLY'.  Hayu masi!