"-er" / "-est" in a letter from Lillooet

[Bernard Schulmann]

Who is the writer?

Bernard

Dave Robertson wrote:
> In an 1894 letter from Lillooet I find a way of comparing that I haven't 
> noticed in the other shorthand letters so far.
>
> This writer has:
>
> "ukuk Liluit ilihi iaka drit klaawiam kupa kanawi ilihi"
> THIS LILLOOET PLACE IT VERY POOR than ALL PLACE
> "this Lillooet country is poorer than other countries"
> / "this Lillooet country is the poorest of all"
>
> The only kind of comparison or superlative I've found before uses the old 
> standby word, "ilip" (literally "before / in front of").  The "ilip" 
> construction is pretty mooshy, I mean you can't always tell if the person 
> meant "more than" or "the most".  
>
> So the "very X than" form is nice to find.  It's very clear than everything.
>
> Here's a reading selection for you from the Lillooet letter, with most of 
> the spellings left as found:
>
> "Maika komtaks ukuk Liluit ilihi iaka drit klaawiam kupa kanawi ilihi."
> YOU KNOW THIS LILLOOET COUNTRY IT VERY POOR THAN ALL COUNTRY
> "You know this Lillooet country is the poorest."
>
> "Wik-kata nsaika tlap mamok."
> NOT-HOW WE GET WORK
> "We can't get work."
>
> "Kakwa nsaika klaawiam."
> SO WE POOR
> "So we're poor."
>
> "...Kupit iht tanas man iaka piii kopa iaka pipa."
> ONLY ONE YOUNG MAN HE PAY FOR HIS NEWSPAPER
> "...Only one young man has paid for his newspaper."
>
> "...Iaka nim Bisil Klak Liluit."
> HIS NAME BASIL CLARK LILLOOET
> "...His name is Basil Clark, Lillooet."
>
> "Alki wiht iaka piii sks  pitc."
> LATER MORE HE PAY 6 BITS
> "Later, he's going to pay you six bits more."
>
> "...Alki pus Nu Ii mun iawa maika tlap shikmin kupa kanawi nsaika kupa 
> Liluit tilikom."
> LATER WHEN NEW YEAR MONTH THEN YOU GET MONEY FROM ALL US OF LILLOOET PEOPLE
> "...When it's the New Year (January), you'll get money from all of us in 
> the Lillooet tribe."
>
> --Dave R.
>
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>
>   

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