'ankerchers

[Tom Larsen]

One possibility of where the final [m] came from  -  Lower Chinook, 
according to Boas, did not distinguish [m], [b], and [w], by which I 
assume he means that they were allophones of the same phoneme (although 
Boas himself didn't believe in phonemes).  Lower Chinook also did not 
have [f].  It would not be too far fetched to think that a native 
speaker of Lower Chinook would have pronounced the English word 
"handkerchief" substituting for the final /f/ the Lower Chinook phoneme 
which most closely resembles English /f/, which would probably be the 
phoneme pronounced [m] ~ [b] ~ [w].  This of course also assumes that 
the English word "handkerchief" was introduced into Chinook Jargon by 
speakers of Lower Chinook (or perhaps some other language which also 
didn't distinguish these sounds?), which again would not be too hard to 
imagine.

We see a similar phenomenon with the Jargon word "lamiyay" 'old woman', 
which comes from the French word(s) "la vieille". Again, Lower Chinook 
did not have had a phoneme /v/, so a speaker of that language would have 
substituted the nearest Lower Chinook phoneme, which would be the one 
pronounced [m] ~ [b] ~ [w].

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*Tom Larsen*
Database Management and Catalog Librarian
Portland State University Library
PO Box 1151
Portland, OR 97207-1151

Phone: 503-725-8179
Fax: 503-725-5799

email: larsent at pdx.edu



Dave Robertson wrote:
> Just a quick note that may not be awfully on-topic:
>
> In recent reading of stuff by Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson, I
> find versions of a word spelled <'ankercher> for "handkerchief".  It also
> turns up WW Jacobs's writing.  And it's a Lancashire dialect word:
> http://www.mawdesley-village.org.uk/dialect.html.  
>
> Having the interests I have, I'm reminded of Jargon <hankachim>,
> <hakatshum>, and so on.  Still don't know where that final <m> came from!
>
> --Dave R
>
> 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!
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