Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 1.djvu/132

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 * No; she is a Tillamook woman, I married her at Nehalem. || Wake; Tillamook kloochman, yahka. Nika malleh yahka kopa Nehalem.
 * How many children have you? || Konsee tenas mika?
 * We have three boys and one little girl. || Klone tenas man nesika pee ikt tenas likp; ho.
 * I will send you some things for them when I get home. || Nika mamook chahco iktas Kimta nika ko nika illahee.
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 * I will send you some things for them when I get home. || Nika mamook chahco iktas Kimta nika ko nika illahee.
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The brief examples above, together with the phrases following words in the Chinook-English vocabulary, illustrate the use of the jargon as completely as possible in so limited space and of such a condensed idiom. The absence of the minor parts of speech and inflected forms, makes the combinations of words in sentences either circuitous or bluntly direct. The following version of the Lord's prayer shows the lack of adaption of the jargon to any but the simplest use, yet it also has a pathos in its rudeness and poverty. How incomplete, even in our english, is the idea we get from the words "Thy Kingdom Come!"

A "grace" to be said at table, and a hymn, are taken from Lee & Frost's "Ten Years in Oregon."

Intercourse by signs was universal among the Aborigines, the code of signals was much the same from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Major Lee Morehouse tells of being at Washington, D. C., with a party of Indians from Oregon and Washington, attending a great council of representatives from all parts of the country. Languages were different and the gathering clans were cold and morose, until somebody made an attempt at an address in the sign language, which put everybody at ease, for all understood.

Certain chants and songs were widely known, also. The Omahas knew at once the "stick-bone" gambling song of the Indians of Vancouver island, upon hearing it sung by a student of Indian music. It was the same as their own.

O Sohole Isthumah, etokete mikah; toweah etokete itlhullam Mikah minchelute copa ensikah. Kadow quonesum minchtcameet ensikah, Uminsheetah conawa etoweta copa mikah, emehan. O God, good art Thou; this good food Thou hast given to us. In like manner always look kindly upon us, and give all good things to us, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Aka eglahlam Ensikah Mika ishtamah emeholew Kupet mikam toketa mimah Mika quonesim kadow Mikah ekatlah gumohah Mika dowah gumeoh Konawa etoketa tenmah Mika ankute gumtoh.