In this series I’m going to be writing a multi-post story about a trip to the southern part of France, sometimes called “Occitania”. It will be in Chinook Wawa written in the BC Learner’s Orthography, which you can read about here. I will also be adding footnotes for words or constructions you may not be familiar with.
Neologisms or new borrowings that I have never seen in historical documents will be marked with a * and possibly a footnote if they need an explanation. Generally I will be trying to avoid them whenever possible.
yawa nesaika mash abter-town pi nesaika tlatwa nanich iht naika tloochman yaka man tilikum maliyei tloochman. haiyas tloosh okok.
nesaika mitlait pi nanich okok limaliash¹ kopa anḵati tloosh-ilahi. tenas-haiyoo tilikum mitlait: kanawei kinchoch tilikum tlaska. tenas-anḵati okok man yaka papa yaka makook hous wik-saiyaa pi tl’onas 5 sno yaka mitlait kopa french-ilahi. haiyoo kinchoch tilikum mamook kakwa. kopa tenas french town, dleit tenas makook okok hous. tl’onas maika makook hows kopa €50000, pos maika tiki. kakwa 70000 tala okok. wik-saiya kopa vankoovir, iht kakwa hous, tl’onas ilep-haiyoo kopa 1000000 tala.
kopit okok nesaika tlatwa slip. chako toomolo pi wuẖt nesaika tlatwa nanich okok man pi yaka tloochman. nesaika mukmuk pi tlatwa swim. haaaaaiyas wam alta. tl’onas wik-saiyaa 40°. naika bid patl chuḵ pos naika kopit slip. kopa french-wawa tlaska mamook-neim kakwa haiyas wam «canicule». chako kopa latin-wawa «canicula», okok tenas-wawa, kakwa pos wawa “tenas kamooks”. pi nawiitka, kamooks okok wam. ana.
alta nesaika mash tlaska pi kooli wuẖt kopa bordo-town. naika tloochman yaka mama yaka papa tlaska tiki k’ilapai kopa kinchoch-ilahi. mokst owr nesaika kooli pi ḵ’o’ nesaika tl’ap bordo steishon. nesaika mash yaka mama pi yaka papa pi tlatwa slip kopa mukmuk-hous² .
chako tenas-sun pi nesaika tlatwa nanich bordo-town. tloosh town okok. tl’onas 4 owr nesaika kooli rawn nanich. haiyoo anḵati hous. nesaika mukmuk iht keik, yaka neim kanale «Canelé». haiyas tloosh okok. haiays ts’i owtsaid³ okok keik pi insaid okok keik tlaska mamook-kanamokst lum pi vanila. haiyas tloosh okok. nanich:
kopit okok pi nesaika mash bordo-town. tl’onas mokst owr pi sitkum nesaika kooli kopa ts’ikts’ik pi nesaika tl’ap tooloos-town ḵaẖ 5 sun nesaika mitlait. heilo haiyaḵ nesaika tlatwa nanich okok town: ilep nesaika kooli kopa haiyoo town wik-saiya kopa tooloos-town. kakwa atlḵi naika mamook-kumtuks masaika ḵata kopa okok town.
chhi nesaika tl’ap tooloos okok polakli nesaika tlatwa slip pi chako toomolo. yawa nesaika tlatwa nanich karkason-town.
karkason pi kathar-st’iwi’utl
kakwa naika wawa kopa last peipa, haiyoo haiyas skookum ston haws mitlait kanawei ḵaẖ kopa okok ilahi. wel, wuẖt mitlait town kanawei ston, ḵaẖ kanawei rawn mitlait haiyas ston ḵ’alaaẖan, dleit saẖali. karkason-town mitlait mokst okok saẖali ston ḵ’alaẖan. okok town mitlait saẖali kopa tenas-mountin kakwa abter-town. pi haiyoo hows kopa karkason, dleit ol.
pi ikta-mamook⁴ tlaska mamook okok haiyas saẖali ston hous pi ḵ’alaaẖan kopa tenas-mountain? haiyas til mamook, e⁵? wal, anḵati wik-saiya kopa spanyol-ilahi kanawei okok town. pi kwanisum french pi aksitan tilikum mamook-saliks okok spanyol tilikum. wuẖt okok taiyi kopa yawa-ilahi tlaska tiki mamook-k’was tlaska tilikum. pos okok taiyi mamook haiyas ston hous, kakwa pos wawa “naika taiyi kopa masaika. tloosh masaika paltach ikta naika tiki pi heilo mamook-saliks. wik-ḵata pos masaika tolo naika.”
wel wuẖt okok french tilikum pi aksitan tilikum fait kanamokst. kopa aksitan ilahi anḵati tilikum iskum ẖuloima st’iwi’utl, tlaska mamook-neim “kathar-st’iwi’utl”. heilo katolik okok. tlaska tumtum pos kanawei-ikta pos tloosh pos masaachi. kanawei-ikta kopa okok ilahi, haiays masaachi okok. kopit saẖali-taiyi pi saẖali-ilahi tloosh. tlaska mash kanawei katolik sakrimenta⁶. wuẖt mitlait tloochman lipleit kanamokst kathar-tilikum.
haiyoo aksitan taiyi iskum okok kathar-st’iwi’utl. dleit okok aksitan taiyi tloochman tiki. pi pos lipap pi taiyi kopa french-ilahi nanich okok ẖuloima st’iwi’utl, tlaska chako-haiyas-saliks pi haiyas k’was. tlaska wawa “okok masaachi tilikum mash nesaika! ikta-mamook?tloosh nesaika mamook-k’ilapai tlaska kopa katolik-st’iwi’utl. wik-tloosh pos ilep-haiyoo tilikum iskum okok masaachi st’iwi’utl. tloosh nesaika mash man pos tlaska mamook-tloosh pi mamook-k’ilapai tlaska tumtum.”
wel lipap yaka mash haiyoo lipleit pos tlaska mamook-k’ilapai okok kathar-tilikum kopa katolik-st’iwi’utl, pi wik-ḵata pos tlaska tolo. heilo aksitan tilikum tiki okok lipleit. tlaska tumtum pos saiyaa-ilahi tilikum tlaska pi tlaska tiki mamook-ilaitin tlaska kopa lipap.
alta iht lipleit, pier du kastelnow yaka neim, yaka ḵ’o’ aksitan ilahi pos mamook-k’ilapi okok kathar-tilikum. wel, heeeeilo tlaska tiki yaka, okok kathar tilikum. pi taiyi kopa tooloos, reimond yaka neim, wuẖt yaka, heilo yaka tiki pier. heilo reimond mamook-help okok lipleit pi lipap pos tolo kathar-tilikum. wik-leili ḵansiẖ⁷ kathar-tilikum mamook-mimaloos pier.
wel, pos lipap chako-kumtuks pos heilo yaka lipleit tolo kathar-tilikum pi wuẖt tlaska mamook-mimaloos yaka lipleit, yaka chako-ilep-saliks pi ilep-k’was. tlaska wawa pos reimond yaka man mamook-mimaloos pier. lipap yaka wawa “ana, pos wik-ḵata nesaika tolo tlaska kopa wawa, tloosh alta nesaika tolo tlaska kopa fait. wik-leili dleit tlaska tl’ap lipulitas⁸. wik-leili taiyi reimond yaka tl’ap lapulitas.” alta yaka wawa french haiyas taiyi pos yaka mash⁹ yaka solja kopa reimond yaka ilahi pi kopa ḵaẖ mitlait kathar tilikum. tlaska mamook-neim okok fait «Albigensian Crusade».
haaaaaiiyoo tilkum tlaska mamook-mimaloos, okok katolik-tilikum. tl’onas 1 miliun tilikum tlaska mamook-mimaloos. 20 sno tlaska fait kanamokst. haiyoo kathar town tlaska tolo. tlaska tolo kathar-tilikum kopa karkason-town pi mash tlaska tlaẖani kopa town. heilo-ikta tlaska lolo kanamokst tlaska, okok kathar-tilikum. haiyas tlaẖowyam okok kathar-tilikum alta. wik-saiyaa katolik-tilikum mamook-mimaloos tlaska kanawei. haiyas masaachi okok.
iht katolik taiyi man, amalrik «Arnaud Amalric» yaka neim, yaka tlatwa kopa beziers-town «Béziers» pi yaka mamook-mimaloos kanawei-tlaksta kopa yawa: katolik pi kathar. iht yaka man, yaka wawa amalrik “wik-ḵata nesaika chako-kumtuks tlaksta kathar pi tlaksta katolik. ikta nesaika mamook?” pi amalrik yaka wawa kopa latin-wawa:
kaidite eos. novit enim dominoos kwi soont eiyoos.
kakwa pos wawa “mamook-mimaloos tlaska. nawitka saẖali-taiyi yaka kumtuks tlaksta yaka tilikum.” tl’onas 15000 tilikum yaka mamook-mimaloos: kathar pi katolik. dleit masaachi okok.
kopit okok fait, pi french-tilikum chako-dleit-taiyi kopa aksitan-tilikum. tlaska kapswaala tlaska ston hous pi town pi tlaska chako taiyi kopa kanawei. nesaika nanich okok town pi kwanisum naika tumtum ḵata tlaska mamook-mimaloos kanawei okok kathar-tilikum ETS pi naika tl’ap sik tumtum.
yawa nesaika mukmuk.
nesaika mukmuk kasoolet «caçolet» kopa karkason. tlaska mamook-neim kopa french wawa “kasoole”«cassoulet». dleit aksitan mukmuk okok. tk’op bins kanamokst kopa kosho, sasij, pi kulakula mit¹⁰. haiyoo salt mitlait¹¹. pi haiyoo mukmuk okok. wik-saiyaa okok mukmuk tolo naika 🙂 pi wik-saiyaa kanawei okok naika mukmuk. haiyas tloosh.
lastors
alta nesaika mash karkason-town pi kooli kopa iht dleit tenas town, lastoors «Las Tors» yaka neim kopa aksitan-wawa, lastoor «Lastours» kopa french-wawa. tl’onas 1 owr nesaika kooli kopa ts’ikts’ik. nesaika tlatwa saẖali kopa mountin kopa dleit tenas oiẖat pi alta nesaika ḵ’o’. wik-saiyaa kopa okok town mitlait lakit saẖali ston hows saẖali kopa mountin.
2 owr nesaika tlatwa saẖali. haiyas wam okok sun, tl’onas wik saiyaa 40°. haiyas til mamook¹² okok. kopa okok naika tloochman tl’ap-tenas-sik-tumtum¹³. dleit saẖali kopa mountin okok towur¹⁴. pi nesaika tolo okok mountin pi ḵ’o’¹⁵ okok saẖali ston hous.
anḵati okok kathar-tilikum mitlait kopa yawa. mitlait tenas-town rawn okok ston hous. pi pos katolik-tilikum tlatwa fait tlaska, tlaska mash okok ston hous. heilo kathar-tilikum mitlait pi fait. wik-leili chako-kakshit kopa fait okok skookum ston hous pos heilo-tlaksta tlatwa mamook-help. pi haiyoo katolik chako. wik-ḵata pos kathar-tilikum tolo.
kopit okok, nesaika tlatwa-kikwuli kopa okok lamotai. haiyaḵ nesaika tlatwa chako-kol kopa tenas kooli-chuḵ. alta nesaika mash lastoors-town pi k’ilapai kopa tooloos.
alta naika kopit okok peipa. wik-leili wuẖt naika mamook-kooli peipa. atlḵi!
Footnotes
1 – Limaliash = marriage
2 – mukmuk-hous = hotel. Somewhat confusing since you’d think it’d be a restaurant. “moosum” (and by extension “moosum-hous”) had too many sexual connotations so that may have contributed to this phrase being used instead.
3 – owtsaid = outside. Not nearly as commonly used as “insaid” (=inside), though I have seen it in the Kamloops Wawa. Of course the word “tlaẖani” means outside, though perhaps it was edging towards becoming specifically “out of doors” while “owtside” was beginning to be used for “the outer layer” of something. Often when new words came into the language they had a similar yet more specific meaning that the older words. Something for Dave to look into 🙂
4 – ikta-mamook = why? (lit. “what-makes”). It has always been somewhat difficult to express “why” in Chinook. You will not find the Southern expression for “why?”, “pus-ikta” (lit. “for-what”), in the North.
5 – e = eh? Pretty Canadian, no? Read up about this here.
6 – sakrimenta = sacraments. A churchy word that you see in the missionaries’ works. Probably not that widely used if I had to guess.
7 – ḵansiẖ = several, a few. You will basically never see this word with its Southern meaning of “when” in the North.
8 – lipulitas = penance, punishment. You see this word loaned into several BC indigenous languages like Halkomelem.
9 – yaka wawa X pos yaka… = he commanded X to…
10 – mit = meat. A newer loan you find kicking around. The older “itlooil” was used as well.
11 – mitlait carries with it not just the sense of “to be” but “to be there“. You do not always have to add a “yawa”. so you can translate “haiyoo salt mitlait” as “there is lots of salt (IN THERE)”.
12 – til mamook = (lit.) “heavy work”, but is an idiomatic way to say a “difficult” or “tiresome” task.
13 – tl’ap-sik-tumtum = “to wind up being upset (outside of your own control)”.
14 – tawur = tower. I’ve seen this word used when the priest Le Jeune was talking about the Eifel Tower, so it must have been understood by some.
15 – ḵ’o’ – notice that verbs of motion often are not taking the preposition “kopa” or explicitly stating a location? Just like how “mitlait” can mean “to be located there” words like “ḵ’o'” and “tlatwa” can mean “to arrive there” and “to go there“. The destination is already implied. If you do mention a destination, you don’t need to include the “kopa”. Read up on this here.
The Kaltash Wawa 