CHINOOK JARGON : THE FIRST MINI-LANGUAGE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE
submitted by Frank

Chinook Jargon is a common language of trade representing fifty Indian languages from Oregon and Washington. Its origins may go back to the general acceptance of words by indigenous traders in the already extensive trade networks among these tribes before the penetration of Europeans.

After the founding of Fort Astoria in Oregon in 1811, the language was regularized. Many words from English and French fur traders and some that were just made up were added and some simple grammatical rules were imposed, among them for concepts unknown to the Indians, like gun and devil.

By far the best-known Chinook Jargon word to have seeped into general English usage is potlach, literally, to give away, but used by anthropologists for the gift giving festivals which underlay the Pacific Northwest Coast people's economic and political systems.

An international trade language did not develop for traders along the Silk Road, perhaps because there was not the sheer geographic density of languages that there was in the Pacific Northwest. Where there is such a density, such as Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific, there appears not to have been the trade. There were and are lingua francas, or dominant trade languages, that became commonly used in trade, such as Greek during the Roman Empire and English in the world today, but they are not languages *of* trade.

Besides Chinook Jargon, various pidgins have developed down through the ages, including a pidgin English, which was a mixture of Chinese, Indian, English, and Portuguese. As the language needed for trade increased, this was replaced as foreigners learned Chinese and Chinese English. In addition, as Armenian diaspora-based trading networks developed through all these methods, and extended from northern Europe past the Indian subcontinent. The Armenian language, Hayeren (their name for it), has its own alphabet (of 38 letters!) and is still spoken very little outside the Armenian population. However, none of these languages were specifically and consciously constructed to be language for trade.

What is remarkable is the small number of words making up Chinook Jargon, about 200, to conduct trade, though maybe 500 have been used for communication between two tribes but not all of them, at one time and place or another. No one should be suggesting that a new version of Chinook Jargon be created for the 21st century. There is little question that English will continue to dominate. Please browse through the list below and consider what beginning vocabulary words you might recommend to teachers of English everywhere. If others do the same and a consensus emerges over the beginning words, then just-in-time first English learners will know that others first English learners will know them too.

List of the Fewest Words Needed to Carry on Ordinary Conversation in Chinook http://www.rjholton.com/cj/phillipsfewest.htm [with my additions]

Thorough understanding of the following list of words, with their manifold meanings will enable anyone to carry on an ordinary conversation in Chinook. The words used in one locality only and the seldom-used words are omitted, and only the words in common, or general use, are included here.

KEY
yes: in Basic English
no : not in Basic English.
*  : partly in Basic English (or other comments)
** : not covered in Basic English (numbers, proper names, and exclamations). Its coverage of pronouns is special, and so I do not flag words that are not in BE with "no." For instance, he stands for he, she, or it.

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Editor comments -- [draft 2] - The ** item needs clarification.
Certain things are external to all languages and are included in the vocabulary of all languages, including Basic English. The Basic verbs and pronouns conjugate in full.

Proper names -- John, Boston, Eiffel Tower, etc.

Numbers are in fact Basic (To spell out the numbers in more restricted - one to twelve, -teen is considered a form of ten, the multiples of ten (twenty, etc) are Basic, therefore all the numbers in between are covered -- twenty (plus) one, et al. "Hundred", "thousand" are Basic as are a variety of fractions and ordinals.   ref

Calendar names -- Monday, January.

International words that have become common in all western languages -- many are words of travel and foods -- are familiar to most people such that they may be freely used in Basic communications without undo fear of not being understood. And in this day of Internet and Science, many more words are universal.  ref   ref2
    On the Basic International word list are some so common that even the Chinooks use -- rum,

Units of money, measures( feet, grams), time, geographic terms (degrees) , metric system (grams) , music, and all other international standards.

International symbols -- $, £ ©, %, @

Punctuation -- the sixteen common symbols.

Mathematical symbols.

Many name abbreviations (CEO, CIA, EU) are proper names (essentially, anything capitalized in English is considered a proper noun and accepted for Basic usage.) . Note that in practice, if an expression is used, then the audience is assumed to be primed to know that term. Example, to a scientific group, the name and symbols of chemical substances may be used.

Exclamations -- the most commonly used are included in Basic -- Oh! , Ah! , Attention!   ref

Onomatopoeia -- Ogden includes a selection of sound symbols -- buzz, hiss, tom-tom, pop.   ref

Foreign expressions -- although Ogden is silent on the subject, English accepts a selection of common expressions that I personally consider acceptable in Basic applications, especially if expressed in Italic type which commonly used to indicate that this is a foreign expression or abbreviation -- etc., i.e., ad hoc, coup d'etat

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Since Basic English words often stand for a number of Full English words, as do Chinook Jargon words, a Basic English equivalent will be just as good as the definition supplied at the website. Thus, Solleks, defined as "Mad, temper," neither of which is in Basic English, might as well have been defined as the Basic English word angry.

The thing to do is figure out what Chinook Jargon words can be specified in Basic English only as a phrase, to the limits of vagueness of both lists of words.

This list is updated to reflect the full content of Basic as indicated above in green .

yes	Ahncuttie	[before, time, past]
yes	Alta	Now.
yes	Alki	Time to come. [future]
*	A a a h!	Exclamation confirming a statement
*	A a a nah!	Almost same as a a a h.
*	A a a a e!	Wonder, sympathy, [deep feelings]
yes	Ats	Sister.
yes	Boston	White man. [separately]
yes	Bebe	Baby.
yes	Canim	Boat.
yes	Capo	Coat.
yes	Copo	With at, in, out, etc.
yes	Chaco	Come.
yes	Chickamun	Metal of any kind. [metal]
yes	Chick-chick	Wheel.
yes	Chuck	Water.
yes	Cultas	Bad.
yes	Calipeen	Gun.
*	Calitan	(1) Shot, cartridge [ball(s) for a gun]
		(2) arrow [pointed stick]
yes	Chee	New.
yes	Comtox	Understand. [be clear or certain about]
no	Chetwoot	Brown bear.
yes	Cole	Cold.
*	Chinoos	Tobacco. [cigarette]
yes	Cooley	Run, race. [run]
yes	Cosho	Pig.
yes	Delate	Very.
yes	Diaub	Devil. [bad man]
yes	Dly	Dry.
yes	Doctin	Physician. [medical expert]
yes	Dollah	Dollar [All money]
no	Ena	Beaver.
*	Esick	Paddle. [boat blade]
yes	Elip	Before, in front.
yes	Enati	Across.
no	Enapooh	Muskrat.
yes	Greece	Grease, fat. [fat, thick oil]
yes	Huloime	Different.
yes	Hyak	Quick, fast, hurry. [quick; quickly]
yes	Halo	No.
yes	Hahlakl	Open.
yes	Haul	Pull, drag. [pull]
yes	Heehee	Joy. [deep pleasure]
yes	Hoolhool	Mouse. [small rat-like animal]
yes	House	House.
yes	Humm	Stink. [bad smell]
yes	Hyas	Big. [of great size, great]
yes	Hiyu	Plenty. [enough or a great amount]
yes	Ict	One.
yes	Icta	What.
yes	Ictas	Things.
yes	Itlwillie	Flesh, meat. [skin, meat]
no	Itswoot	Black bear.
yes	Illahee	Land.
yes	Iskum	Get.
yes	Kah	Where.
yes	Kekwillie	Down.
*	Kahpo	Older brother. [older brother]
yes	Kullakulla	Bird.
yes	Kowmux	Dog.
yes	Kapswallie	Steal. [to take property (of another)]
yes	Kaupee	Coffee.
no	Keelapi	Up-side-down. [opposite, the other way round]
yes	Kuitan	Horse.
yes	Klale	Black, dark blue.
*	Klap	Find. [See, get, make discovery of]
no	Kliskwis	Mat made of rushes.
yes	Klone	3, three.
*	Kow	Tie, fasten. [join, knot]
yes	Kull	Hard, solid.
yes	Kwahtah	Quarter. (of a dollar)
yes	Kwaist	9, nine
yes	Kwan	Glad. [pleased, happy]
yes	Kwass	Afraid. [in fear, or in fear of]
yes	Kwinum	5, five.
*	Kwolan	Hear. [hearing, give ear to]
yes	Klaska	They, them.
yes	Klaxtah	Who, which
yes	Kahtah	How, why.
yes	Kahkwa	Like.
*	Kimtah	Behind. [at the back of or other side of]
yes	Klah	Clear of, clear. [clear]
*	Klahowya	How are you?
yes	Klatawa	Go.
yes	Klone	3, three
yes	Klonas	Perhaps, if. [if, possbily]
yes	Kly	Cry.
yes	Klosh	Good.
yes	Klootchman	Woman.
*	Kokshut	All broken up. [very sad]
yes	Konaway	All.
yes	Kunamox	Both. [the two]
yes	Konce	When, how much, how many?
yes	Kwonesum	Always. [at all times]
yes	Lamount'n	Mountain.
yes	Lalie	Short time. [short and time]
*	Lamessin	Medicine, drugs. [medical substance]
yes	Lapeep	Pipe.
yes	Lokut	4, four
no	L'ahb	Killikinick or kinnikinnick.
yes	Lahash	Axe.
*	Lagoom	Pitch. [put up; go forward suddenly; be moving up and down]
yes	Lacasset	Trunk, box. [box]
yes	Lope	Rope, string. [cord, line, string]
yes	Liplip	To boil. [boiling]
yes	Lesack	Bag, pocket. [both]
yes	Lepool	Grouse, chicken. [fowl]
yes	Lamah	Hand, arm.
yes	Latait	Head.
yes	Lapote	Door.
yes	Laplash	Board, lumber. [board, wood]
yes	Lepee	Foot.
yes	Lolo	Carry. [take]
yes	Mahkook	Trade, buy, sell. [trade]
yes	Mesahche	Vile, rotten. [bad, discusting, unpleasing]
yes	Mitlite	Live, stay. [living]
yes	Muckamuck	Eat, food. [take food, food]
yes	Mika	You, your. [you]
yes	Mesika	Yours, you-together.
yes	Memaloose	Dead, destroyed. [dead, destruction]
yes	Mamook	To do, act, move.
*	Mahsh	Throw away. [make waste]
yes	Mama	Mother.
yes	Mox	Two.
yes	Moon	Moon.
*	Moosmoos	Cattle or elk. [cows for cattle; nothing for elk]
yes	Moosum	Sleep.
no	Mowitch	Deer.
yes	Man	Man or male sex.
yes	Nah	Hello. [international]
yes	Nanage	See, seen. Will see.
yes	Nem	Name.
yes	Nika	I, me, my or mine.
yes	Nesika	We, us, our.
yes	Nowitka	Yes.
yes	Ollalie	Berry.
yes	Okeoke	That or this.
yes	Oleman	Old.
yes	Oiehut	Road.
*	Olo	Hungry. [in need of food]
*	Opoots	Rear, stern, tail. [back part, tail]
yes	Ow	Brother.
yes	Pe	And, but, than, or, etc.
*	Pelton	Crazy. [foolish, off one's head]
yes	Piah	Fire.
yes	Polikely	Night.
yes	Polalie	Powder, sand.
yes	Potlatch	Give-away. [Give away]
*	Pahtlum	Drunk. [drunk, foolish from drink]
yes	Pent	Paint.
yes	Papa	Father.
*	Pahseesee	Blanket. [bed cover]
yes	Pepah	Paper.
yes	Pil	Red.
yes	Poo	Shoot. [fire a gun]
yes	Pukkuk	Fight.
yes	Pusspuss	Cougar, cat. [cat, great cat]
yes	Sail	sail
yes	Sapolil	Flour, meal. [meal, grain meal]
yes	Seeowist	Eyes, face.
yes	Solleks	Mad, temper. [angry]
yes	Spose	If.
yes	Siah	Far, long distance.
yes	Sitkum	One-half.
yes	Skookum	Strong.
yes	Stone	Stone, stone-like. [stone]
yes	Sahale	Up, up above. [up, over]
no	Salmon	Salmon. [fish]
yes	Salt	Salt.
yes	Schappo	Hat.
yes	Shem	Guilt. [shame]
yes	Sukwah	Sugar.
yes	Sick	Sick. [Ill]
yes	Sinamox	7, seven
yes	Siawash	Indian of the Coast. [all proper nouns]
yes	Skin	Skin.
yes	Snass	Rain.
yes	Stotekin	8, eight.
yes	Sun	Sun or day.
yes	Stick	Tree, timber. [tree, woods]
no	Tahmahnawis	Magic. [tricks, act of control of unnatural events]
yes	Tilacum	Friend.
yes	Till	Tired, heavy. [tired, of great weight]
yes	Tenas	Little.
yes	Tika	Want. [need, desire]
yes	Tumtum	Heart.
yes	Tyee	Chief, head man.
yes	Tokum	6, six.
yes	Tatlum	Ten, 10.
no	Talapus	Coyote.
yes	Tanze	Dance. [Tanze is the German word for dance!]
yes	Tatoosh	Milk, breast. [milk, woman's chest]
yes	T'kope	White.
yes	Tomollah	Tomorrow.
yes	Twagh	Bright.
yes	T'see	Sweet.
yes	Tschug	Crack, split. [crack (crack); break to bits (split)]
yes	Tuckamonuck	One hundred.
yes	Tupshin	Needle.
yes	Tipso	Hair.
yes	T'zum	Mixed colors.
*	Ugh	Grunted exclamation of surprise, [International]
yes	Wake	None, not. [not, no one]
yes	Wawa	Talk.
yes	Wapato	Potato.
yes	Waum	Warm.
yes	Wind	Wind.
yes	Yahka	He, him, her.
yes	Yowah	Here or there. [here, there, round, near]

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Editor's comments. One wonders how a trade language cannot contain a greater facility for naming tools, clothes, weapons, pelts, and more foods?  Basic includes words considered missing in this list -- knife, shoes, bread, fur. In Basic English practice, a special word list of 50-words would be created for interaction with Chinook peoples. Such a list would likely include -- bear (then brown-bear and black-bear), blanket, coyote, deer, elk, Kiskwis [How?], killikinick, muskrat, salmon, tahmahnawis, and tobacco.