Dictionary of the Chinook Jargon

Chapter 5

The salutation above given probably originated in some whining reply to the first whites, and a distinction has since arisen between the two modes of spelling, which is, however, purely arbitrary.

~Klah-wa~, _adv._ Chinook, KLAWAKH. _Slow; slowly._ Ex. Klatawa klahwa, _go slowly._

~Klak~, _adv._ Chinook, KLAKW. _[To take] off._ Ex. Mamook klak stone kiuatan, _to castrate a horse;_ mamook klak l"a.s.siette, _take off the plates;_ klak kopa wayhut, _get out of the road._

~Klak-sta~, or ~Kluk"-sta~, _p.r.o.n._ Chinook, T"KLUKSTA. Ex. Klaksta mamook okook? _who made or did that?_ halo klaksta, _no one._

~Klak-wun~, or ~Kleh-kwan~, _v._ Chihalis, KLAKWUN._To wipe, or lick._ Klakwun l"a.s.siette, _to wipe a plate._

~Klale~, or ~T"klale~, _adj._ Chinook, TLEHL. _Black, or dark blue, or green._

~Klap~, _v._ Chinook, KLAP. _To find._ Ex. Mika na klap mika kiuatan? _did you find your horse?_ klap tenas, _to be with child._

~Kla"-pite~, _n._ Chinook, KLIPAIT. _Thread; twine._

~Klas-ka~, or ~Klus"-ka~, _p.r.o.n._ Chinook, KLUSKA. _They; thine; them._

~Klat"-a-wa~, _v._ Nootka, KLATTUNWAH (Jewitt); Nittinat, KLAToUKH. _To go._ Klatawa teahwit, _to walk; go on foot;_ klatawa kopa kiuatan, _to ride;_ klatawa kopa boat, _to sail;_ mamook klatawa, _to send._

~Kla-whap~, _n._ Chinook, KLHUAP. _A hole._ Mamook klawhap, _to dig a hole._

~Klem"-a-hun~, _v._ Chihalis, idem. _To stab; to wound; to dart; to cast as a spear; to hook or gore as an ox._ Nika klemahun samun, _I spear salmon._

~Klihl~, or ~Klilt~, _adj._ Chinook, KLIHL. _Bitter._ Not of universal use. Mr. Hale makes it KLITL, _sour._

~Klik"-a-muks~, _n._ Chinook, KLIKABUKS. _Blackberries,_ or more properly _dewberries._

~Klik"-wal-lie~, or ~Kloke"-wal-lie~. Chinook, KLIKWALI. _Bra.s.s wire; an armlet or bracelet of bra.s.s wire._ Mr. Anderson gives the original meaning as simply _bra.s.s._

~Klim-in"-a-whit~, _n., v._ Chinook, KLIMINAWHUT. _A lie; to lie._ Hyas k.u.mtuks kliminawhit, _he is a great liar_ (literally, _he knows well how to lie_).

~Klim"-min~, or ~Klimmin-klimmin~, _adj._ Chinook, TKLEMIN-TKLEMIN. _Soft; fine in substance._ The reduplication denotes the diminutive, but in jargon it is generally used singly. Ex. Klimmin sapoleel, _flour;_ klimmin illahie, _mud; marshy ground;_ mamook klimmin, _to soften as by dressing a skin._

~Klip~, _adj._ Chinook, KELIPE; Chihalis, KLUPUTL; Nisqually, KLEP. _Deep; sunken._ Klip chuck, _deep water;_ klip sun, _sunset._

~Klis"-kwiss~, _n._ Chinook, idem. _A mat._

~Klogh-klogh~, _n._ Chinook, OKLoKHKLO. _Oysters._ The word is common to the Puget Sound tribes, as well as to the Chinooks.

~Klo-na.s.s~, _adv._ Chinook, idem. Expression of uncertainty or doubt.

_Perhaps; I don"t know; may be so; who knows?_ Equivalent to the Spanish _quien sabe._ Ex. Klona.s.s nika klatawa, _perhaps I shall go. Q._ Kah mika kahpho? _where is your brother? A._ Klona.s.s, _I don"t know._

~Klone~, _adj._ Chinook, TKLON. _Three._

~Klook~, _adj._ English. _Crooked._ Klook teahwit, _broken legged; lame._

~Klootch-man~, _n._ Nootka and Tokwaht, KLUTSMA. _A woman;_ a female of any animal. Tenas klootshman, _a girl;_ klootchman kiuatan, _a mare._

~Klose~, or ~Kloshe~, _adj., adv._ Nootka; Tokwaht, KLOHTL; Makah, KLOTELO; Nisqually, KLOB. _Good; well; well enough._ Kloshe nannitsh, _look out; take care;_ hyas kloshe, _very well._

~Klose-spose~. Nootka, KLOHTL; English, SUPPOSE. _Shall or may I; let me._ Ex. Klose-spose nika mamook pia okook? _shall I cook that?_ (literally, _[is it] good that I make cook that?_).

~Klugh~, or ~Klugh-klugh~. Chinook, KLUKH. _To tear._ Mamook klugh illahie, _to plough_ (literally, _to tear the ground_).

~Kluk-ulh"~, or ~Klak-alh"~, _adj._ Chihalis, TLUKUTLH. _Broad or wide,_ as of a plank.

~Ko~, _v._ Chinook, idem. _To reach; arrive at._ Chee klaska ko, _they have just come;_ kansih nesika ko kopa Nisqually? _when shall we reach Nisqually._

~Ko"-ko~, _v._ Chinook (by onoma). _To knock._ Koko stick, _a wood-p.e.c.k.e.r._

~Kok"-shut~, _v._ Nootka, KAKHSHETL; Klaokwat, KWaCHITL. In the original, _dead._ _To break; broken; to beat._ Hyas kokshut, _broken to pieces._

~Kon"-a-way~, _adj._ Chinook, KaNAWe. _All; every._ Klaska konaway klatawa, _they have all gone;_ konaway tilik.u.m, _everybody;_ konaway kah, _everywhere._

~Koo"-sah~, or ~Ko-sah~, _n._ Chinook, EKoSAKH. _The sky._ Only used on the Columbia.

~Ko"-pa~, _adv., prep._ Chinook, idem. _To; in; at; with; towards; of; about; concerning; there or in that place._ Ex. Kopa nika house, _at my house;_ lolo okook kopa mika, _take that home with you_ (equivalent to the French _chez vous_); cultus kopa nika, _it is nothing to me. Q._ Kah okook lope? _where is that rope? A._ (motioning with the chin towards the place) Kopah.

~Ko-pet"~, _v., adv._ Chinook, idem. _To stop; leave off; enough._ Kopet wau-wau, _stop talking;_ kopet ikt, _only one;_ kopet okook, _that"s all;_ wake siah kopet, _nearly finished;_ kopet tomalla, _day after to-morrow._

~Kow~, _v._ Chinook, KAU-KAU. _To tie; to fasten._ Kow mika kiuatan, _tie your horse;_ ikt kow, _a bundle._

~Kull~, _adj._ Chinook, K"HUL-K"HUL. _Hard in substance; difficult._ Chahko kull, _to become hard;_ mamook kull, _to harden; to cause to become hard;_ hyas kull spose mamook, _it is very hard to do so;_ kull stick, _oak or any hard wood._

~Kul-lagh"~, or ~Kul-lagh"-an~, _n._ Chihalis, KULLAKH; Lummi, KULLUKHAN.

_A fence; a corral, or inclosure._ Kullagh stick, _fence rails._ In the original, it meant the stockade with which Indian houses are often surrounded.

~k.u.m"-tuks~, or ~Kame-taks~, _v._ Nootka, KOMMETAK (Jewitt); Tokwaht, k.u.mITUKS; Clayoquot, KEMITAK. _To know; understand; be acquainted with; imagine; believe._ Mamook k.u.mtuks, _to explain; teach;_ hyas k.u.mtuks solleks (literally, _well to understand anger), to be pa.s.sionate;_ kopet k.u.mtuks, _to forget;_ halo k.u.mtuks, _stupid; without understanding;_ (of a horse) hyas yakka k.u.mtuks cooley, _he can run fast_ (literally, _he knows well to run_); k.u.mtuks kliminawhit, _to be a liar; to understand lying;_ nika k.u.mtuks okook tyee, _I know that chief;_ nika k.u.mtuks Klikatat wau-wau, _I understand the Klikatat language._

~Kun"-a-moxt~, _adj._ Chinook, KONAWAY MOXT. _Both; together_ (literally, _all two_). Kunamoxt kahkwa, _both alike._

~Kun"-sih, Kan"-sih, Kun"-juk, Kun"-jie~, _adv._ Chinook, KUNSeUKH. _How many; when; ever._ Kunsih tilik.u.m mitlite? _how many people are there?_ kunsih mika klatawa? _when do you go?_ wake kunsih, _never;_ mamook kunsih, _to count._

~Kush"-is~, _n._ Chihalis, KOSHIS. _Stockings._ In the original, any elastic article of dress. Not in general use.

~Kwah"-ne-sum~, _adv._ Chinook, KWaNISUM; Yakama, KWaLISIM. _Always; forever._

~Kwah"-nioe~, _n._ Klikatat, KWADDIS. _A whale._

~Kwahta~, _n._ English. _The quarter of a dollar._ The quarter of any number is usually expressed in Jargon by _tenas sitku,_ i.e., _a small half._

~Kwah"-tin~. See YAKWAHTIN.

~Kwaist~, or ~Kweest~, _adj._ Chinook, KWAITST. _Nine._

~Kwa-lal"-kwa-lal"~, _v._ Chinook, KWULLIL-KWULLIL. _To gallop._

~Kwal"h~, _n._ Chihalis, KWATLH. _An aunt._