29-09-2007 00:48:27

Books on Chinook Jargon

The following books and glossaries are hosted on other sites. Jeffrey Kopp maintains a list of online dictionaries and a bibliography as well.

Books

Blanchet, Francis Norbert. Dictionary of the Chinook jargon: to which is added numerous conversations, thereby enabling any person to speak Chinook correctly. Portland, Or.: S. J. M^cCormick. Francis Norbert Blanchet lived 1795-1883. He was a missionary.

Demers, Modeste. Chinook dictionary, catechism, prayers and hymns. Ed. Francis Norbert Blanchet & Louis Napoléon St. Onge. Montreal, 1871. This copy was owned by Louis Napoleon St. Onge and has a few marginal notes jotted in by him. Modeste Demers lived 1809-1871, Francis Norbert Blanchet lived 1795-1883, and Louis Napoléon St. Onge lived 1842-1901.

Eells, Myron. Hymns in the Chinook jargon language. Portland, Or.: Geo. H. Himes, 1878. Reverend Myron Eells lived 1843-1907, and was a Missionary of the American Missionary Association at the time this was published. This book is cited by John McLean in his 1896 Canadian savage folk: the native tribes of Canada Eells talks about it in an article called "Church and Sabbath-School Work at S’Kokomish, W. T." in The American missionary 37.3 (Mar. 1883). 84.

Gibbs, George. A Dictionary Of The Chinook Jargon, Or Trade Language Of Oregon. Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1863. This dictionary was very influential in its day.

Good, John Booth. A vocabulary and outlines of grammar of the Nitlakapamuk or Thompson tongue (the Indian language spoken between Yale, Lillooet, Cache Creek and Nicola Lake) together with a phonetic Chinook dictionary, adapted for use in the province of British Columbia. Victoria, B.C., 1880. John Booth Good lived 1833-1916.

Hale, Horatio. An international idiom: a manual of the Oregon trade language, or "Chinook jargon." London: Whittaker & Co., 1890. Horatio Hale lived 1817-1896.

Hibben, Thomas N. Dictionary of the Chinook jargon. Victoria, B.C.: T.N. Hibben & Co. Also, an 1877 version published within Guide to the province of British Columbia for 1877-8. Later 1889 edition. The first mentioned edition did not have a date, but the other two were published in 1877 and 1889 respectively.

Phillips, Walter Shelley. The Chinook book: A Descriptive Analysis of the Chinook Jargon in Plain Words, Giving Instructions for Pronunciation, Construction, Expression and Proper Speaking of Chinook with All the Various Shaded Meanings of the Words. Seattle: R.L. Davis Printing Company, 1913.

Pilling, James Constantine. Bibliography of the Chinookan languages (including the Chinook jargon). Smithsonian Institution. Bureau of Ethnology. Washington: G.P.O., 1893. Pilling lived 1846-1895.

Shaw, George C. The Chinook Jargon and how to use it: A complete and exhaustive lexicon of the oldest trade language of the American Continent. Seattle: Rainier Printing Company, Inc., 1909. As his chief authorities, Shaw cites Myron Eells, George Gibbs, Horatio Hale, Charles M. Buchanan, Dr. Franz Boas, Alexander Francis Chamberlain, Rev. Paul Gard, W. S. Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. H. S. Alfred, and "Indians (numerous), Puget Sd., Neah Bay and West Coast". HTML version. PDF version.

Tate, Charles Montgomery. Chinook as spoken by the Indians of Washington Territory, British Columbia and Alaska: for the use of traders, tourists and others who have business intercourse with the Indians: Chinook-English, English-Chinook. Victoria, B.C.: M.W. Waitt. Canadiana dates this publication tentitavely 1889.

Chinook jargon. "Old employee, formerly of the Hudson Bay Company."

Pocket dictionary of the Chinook jargon: the Indian trading language of Alaska, the Northwest Territory and the northern Pacific coast. San Francisco: Downing & Clark, 1898.

Vocabulary of the Chinook jargon: the complete language used by the Indians of Oregon, Washington Territory and British Possessions. San Francisco: Hutchings & Rosenfield, 1860.

The Duployan Shorthand

Le Jeune, Jean-Marie Raphaël. Chinook First Reading Book: including Chinook Hymns, Syllabary and Vocabulary. Kamloops, 1893. Le Jeune lived 1855-1930.

Le Jeune, Jean-Marie Raphaël. "Chinook Rudiments." Kamloops Wawa 1739 (3 May 1924). Le Jeune lived 1855-1930.

Le Jeune, Jean-Marie Raphaël. Chinook and shorthand rudiments: with which the Chinook jargon and the Wawa shorthand can be mastered without a teacher in a few hours. Kamloops, B.C., 1898. Le Jeune lived 1855-1930.

Le Jeune, Jean-Marie Raphaël. Chinook hymns. Kamloops, B.C., 1892. Kamloops, B.C., 1893. The hymns are written in the Duployan Shorthand. Le Jeune lived 1855-1930.

Le Jeune, Jean-Marie Raphaël and Paul Durieu. Chinook vocabulary, Chinook-English: from the original of Rt. Rev. Bishop Durieu, O.M.I., with the Chinook words in phonography. Kamloops, B.C., 1892. Le Jeune lived 1855-1930, and Durieu lived 1830-1899.

Le Jeune, Jean-Marie Raphaël. Practical Chinook vocabulary: comprising all & the only usual words of that wonderful language arranged in a most advantageous order for the speedily learning of the same, after the plan of Right Rev. Bishop Durieu O M.I., the most experienced missionary & Chinook speaker in British Columbia. Kamloops, B.C.: St. Louis’ Mission, 1886. Le Jeune lived 1855-1930, and Durieu lived 1830-1899. A note written on the title page spells his name "John Mary Le Jeune."

Le Jacq, Jean-Marie J. and Jean-Marie Raphaël Le Jeune. Our Lady of Lourdes. Kamloops, B.C.: St. Louis’ Mission, 1893. Le Jacq lived 1837-1899 and Le Jeune lived 1855-1930. This document is written in the Duployan Shorthand.

Le Jeune, Jean-Marie Raphaël. Prayers in Shushwap. Kamloops, B.C.: St. Louis’ Mission, c.1893. Le Jeune lived 1855-1930. This document is written in the Duployan Shorthand.

De Volpi, Charles Patrick . British Columbia : a pictorial record, historical prints and illustrations of the province of British Columbia, Canada, 1778-1891. Don Mills, Ontario: Longman Canada Ltd., 1973. 17. Have a look at 1885, where the use of this writing system in B.C. is attributed first to Father Morice at Stuart Lake. However, I have been told that this information is incorrect.

Glossaries

Anderson, Alexander Caufield. "Chinook Jargon." Hand-book and map of the gold region of Frazer’s and Thompson’s rivers : with table of distances ; to which is appended Chinook jargon--language used, etc. San Francisco, California: J.J. LeCount, 1857. A.C. Anderson was not pleased with the vocabulary. I can not make out his note, but he seems to say that a better vocabulary has been compiled by [illegible] Institute.

Boddy, Alexander Alfred. "The Chinook DIalect." By ocean, prairie and peak: Some gleanings from an emigrant chaplain’s log, on journeys to British Columbia, Manitoba, and eastern Canada. 1896. Quote: "I purchased at Mr. Hibben’s store in Government Street, a Chinook Dictionary of the Indian trade language of the North Pacific Coast."

Dunn, John. "A few specimens of the language of the Millbank and Chinook Tribes." History of the Oregon Territory and British North America fur trade: with an account of the habits and customs of the principal native tribes on the northern continent. London : Edwards and Hughes, 1844. Dunn gives a brief side-by-side comparison of the two languages.

Franchère, Gabriel, 1786-1863. Bibaud, Michel, 1782-1857. "Quelques mots de la langue Chinouque ou Tchinouke." Relation d’un voyage á la côte du nord-ouest de l’Amérique septentrionale, dans les années 1810, 11, 12, 13 et 14. p. 204. A very early list of Chinookan words.

Macdonald, Duncan George Forbes. "Chapter XII: Chinook Jargon and English Equivalents." British Columbia and Vancouver’s Island : comprising a description of these dependencies : their physical character, climate, capabilities, population, trade, natural history, geology, ethnology, gold-fields, and future prospects : also an Account of the Manners and Customs of the Native Indians. 3rd Edition. London, England: Longman, Green, 1863. I’ll say that quite frankly this is one of those nasty books that disturbs my sleep.

Muir, John. Travels In Alaska. Project Gutenberg, 2005. Plain text. djvu version. John Muir has a little Jargon list at the very end of his account which takes place 1879-1890. These were words that he found useful in Alaska. For the curious here is another description of Hootchenoo or Hoochanoo manufacture.

Palmer, Joel. "Words used in the Chinook Jargon." Palmer’s Journal of travels over the Rocky Mountains, 1845-1846. Cleveland, Ohio: A.H. Clark, 1906. Joel Palmer lived 1810-1881. This word list is followed by another, called "Words used in the Nez Percé language."

Richardson, Albert Deane. "Chapter XLI. The Chinook Jargon." Beyond the Mississippi: from the great river to the great ocean. Life and adventure on the prairies, mountains, and Pacific coast. Hartford, Conn., American publishing company; Newark, N.J., Bliss & company. 502-503. Richardson lived 1833-1869. The note at MOA Michigan says that this book was published circa 1869.

Ross, Alexander. "Chinook Vocabulary." Ross’s Adventures of the first settlers on the Oregon or Columbia River, 1810-1813. Cleveland, Ohio, A. H. Clark, 1904. 321-329. Alexander Ross lived 1783-1856. In the appendix, two seperate wordlists are provided: one deemed to be Chinook, and the other deemed to be a more general "lingo". The notes read: "Reprint, including facsimile of t.-p. of original London edition of 1849." A London edition is here.

Stannard, M. Excerpt from Memoirs of a Lady Nurse. London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1873. 170-171. Ms. Stannard called Chinook Jargon speakers ‘Cherokee or Chenook’. She does not mention where she obtained her words.

Stuart, Granville. "A dictionary of the Chinnook jargon: in use among the tribes of Oregon, Washington Territory, British Columbia, and the north Pacific coast, with critical and explanatory notes." Montana As It Is. New York: C. S. Westscott and Co., 1865. 99-130. Granville Stuart lived 1834-1918.

Winthrop, Theodore. "A partial vocabulary of the Chinook Jargon." The canoe and the saddle : adventures among the northwestern rivers and forests, and Isthmiana. Boston : Ticknor and Fields, 1866, c1862. 299-302. Winthrop lived 1828-1861.

"Chinook Jargon." Dictionary of Indian tongues: containing most of the words and terms used in the Tshimpsean, Hydah, & Chinook : with their meaning or equivalent in the English language. Victoria, B.C.: Hibben & Carswell, 1862. 18.

Articles

Bauquier, Joseph. "Le Jargon Chinook." Revue des Langues Romanes 2. La Société l’ètude des Langues Romanes. Montpeller, 1879; Nendeln/Lichtenstein: Kraus/Thomson, 1970. 172-175. A brief description in french, describing the origin of a few of the Jargon words.

Eells, Myron. "The Chinook Jargon." The American Anthropologist 7 (1894): 300-311. Myron Eells lived 1843-1907. Reviews by Jamie Lemerand (Lawrence University) and David L. Maltese (University of Florida).

Jacobs, Melville. "Texts in Chinook Jargon." University of Washington Publications in Anthropology 7.1 (Nov. 1936): 1-27.

Phillips, George S. "The Chinook Jargon and the Oregon Indians." The Ladies’ repository: a monthly periodical, devoted to literature, arts, and religion 10.4 (Oct. 1872): 299-301. A publication of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Cincinnati. Some examples are given. The Chinook Jargon is thoroughly lambasted in this issue, and compared to ‘Thieves’ Latin’ of England, or ‘Cant’, as the Gypsy language was believed to be. Here’s a contemporary description of Cant under the heading "Slang" The American cyclopædia, New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1873-76.

The origins of Chinook Jargon

Jewitt, John Rodgers. "A list of words in the Nootkian Language, the most in use." A narrative of the adventures and sufferings of John R. Jewitt: only survivor of the ship Boston during a captivity of nearly three years among the Indians of Nootka Sound : with an account of the manners, mode of living and religious opinions of the natives. Ed. Richard Alsop. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 1816. 206-208 John Jewitt lived 1783-1821. He was captured on 22 March, 1803. More information about this book is provided in the article "Other Perspectives on the northwest."

Kerr, Robert. "Vocabulary of the Language of Nootka, or King George’s Sound. April, 1778." A general history and collection of voyages and travels, arranged in systematic order: forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time. Edinburgh : London : W. Blackwood ; T. Cadell, 1824. Robert Kerr lived 1755-1813. The words he lists here have the note "April, 1778."

Ray, Verne Frederick. Lower Chinook Ethnographic Notes. Seattle: University of Washington, 1938. The introduction of this book argues for the existence of a pre-contact Jargon.

The lives of the speakers

Clutterbuck, Walter J. and James Arthur Lees. "Chapter XXXI. The Flatbows." B.C. 1887 : a ramble in British Columbia. London, England: Longmans, Green, 1888. 343. This anecdote gave me a chuckle.

Emmerson, John. British Columbia and Vancouver Island : voyages, travels & adventure. Durham, England: W. Ainsley, c1865. 67. Emmerson was one of countless Cariboo Gold Rushers who experienced extreme hardship and disappointment. Chinook Jargon is used in each encounter with native people. Here he relates how the words "King George" and "Boston" were thought to have positive and negative connotations.

McAdam, J. T. . Canada : the country, its people, religions, politics, rulers, and its apparent future : being a compendium of travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Montreal, Quebec: unknown, 1882. 323. Just a shout out to Tete Jaune Cache...

Meliss, E. "Siwash." Overland monthly and Out West magazine. 20.119 (Nov. 1892). 501-506. This article is interesting mainly for its mention of Alaskan and British Columbia natives employed on "hop ranches" in Puget Sound, otherwise it is as patronizing as any from that age.

Roper, Edward. "On the Fraser." By track and trail : a journey through Canada. London, England: W.H. Allen, 1891. 325. Here’s an English traveller having a grand time learning Chinook Jargon and making use of his "Jargon Book." Here’s a puzzle for you -- which Jargon Book was it? (Give up???? Flip to page 208 to find out) Turn to page 218 for a mention of the manner in which a Chinese cook, known as Charlie, spoke Chinook Jargon (a couple more examples and a drawing of Charlie follow). Also, a curious note about the then-beleived origin of the word "Klahowya." The rail ride in contains interesting examples of how myths held by waves of newcomers tended to override the facts of the oldtimers in the region (and still do). Some of the people he spotted living on the Fraser could have been Kanakas (Hawaiians), another fact that was then disappearing into the mists of time.

North American English

Schele De Vere, Maximilian. Americanisms; the English of the New world.. New York: Charles Scribner & CO., 1872. Maximilian Schele De Vere lived 1820-1898.

Trumbull, James Hammond. "On some words derived from languages of the N. American Indians." Reprinted from Transactions of the American Philological Association, 1872. American Philological Association.