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Neologisms or new borrowings that I have never seen in historical documents will be marked with a * and possibly a footnote if they need an explanation.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 tenas-sun chhi nesaika mash tooloos. nesaika tiki tlatwa kopa albi-town pi kordsoorsiel «Cordes-sur-Ciel».
iht owr pi nesaika tl’ap albi. haiyas tloosh town okok. anḵati lesevek¹ tlaska taiyi kopa okok town. kopa okok, tlaska mamook dleit haiyas st’iwi’utl-hous kopa okok town. pi tenas ẖuloima okok st’iwi’utl-hous. haiyas skookum okok hous pi anḵati kanawei rawn okok hous mitlait haiyas saẖali ḵ’alaaẖan pi haiyoo saẖali ston hous. okok taiyi lesevek kopa albi tlaska k’was pos tlaksta-man chako fait tlaska. wuẖt haiyoo kathar-tilikum mitlait kopa albi anḵati. nawiitka, masaika kumtuks okok fait kanamokst katolik pi kathar tilikum? tlaska mamook-neim «Albigensian Crusade», kakwa pos wawa “albi fait”.
pi anḵati chako-heilo okok st’iwi’utl-hous ḵ’alaaẖan pi okok saẖali hous. pos okok kathar tilikum chako-heilo, alta heilo lesevek tlaska tiki okok ḵ’alaaẖan ETS. pi alta, okok sun, kopit mitlait okok haiyas hous ḵaẖ lesevek mitlait anḵati pi okok st’iwi’utl-hous.
kopa ilep, nesaika tlatwa nanich okok taiyi st’iwi’utl-hous. ala haiyas tloosh okok. nawiitka dleit haiyas pi saẖali okok st’iwi’utl-hous. 255 fit saẖali pi 372 fit lon. haiyoo pikcha mitlait pi haiyoo ts’um: haiyoo stachyoo kanawei ḵaẖ pi latin wawa peipa. kwanisum mitlait kopa okok st’iwi’utl-hous ikta tlaska mamook-neim «rood screen».
anḵati katolik tilikum tlaska mamook-mitlait haiyas ḵ’alaaẖan kanamokst kopa lotel² pi st’iwi’utl-tilikum pos wik-ḵata tilikum nanich likalisti³. anḵati lipaap⁴ wawa tilikum pos heilo tlaska mamook kakwa. kakwa, tlaska mamook-heilo haiyoo okok anḵati «rood screen» ḵ’alaaẖan pi mamook-mitlait tenas ḵ’alaaẖan. haiyoo okok chhi ḵ’alaaẖan, chikamin okok. alta st’iwi’utl-tilikum nanich okok likalisti.
pi haiyas tloosh pi dleit haiyas-makook okok «rood screen» ḵ’alaaẖan kopa albi. kakwa, heilo tlaska tiki mamook-heilo. tlaska mamook-mitlait lotel kopa ẖuloima said okok st’iwi’utl hous. nanich:
haiyas ẖuloima pikcha mitlait wik-saiyaa kopa okok lotel. tlaska mamook-peint ḵata okok sun ḵaẖ saẖali-taiyi k’ilapai pi mamook-kort-hous⁵ nesaika. iht said okok pikcha, tloosh tilikum mitlait. wik-leili tlaska tolo saẖali-ilahi. iht said, masaachi tilikum mitlait. kanawei tilikum tlaska mitlait book k’ow kopa tlaska nek⁶. kanawei-ikta tlaska mamook kopa okok ilahi ts’um kopa okok book: pos tloosh pos masaachi. pos haiyoo ikta masaachi mitlait, wik-leili tlaska tlatwa-kikwuli kopa kikwuli-paiya⁷.
kopa kikwuli-paiya, liyob pi yaka masaachi lisaash⁸ tlaska mamook-masaachi kopa masaachi tilikum. kakwa dante mamook-ts’um, masaachi tilikum tl’ap iht-iht lapulitas: tlaksta-man yaka mamook-mimaloos tilikum, tlaksta-man yaka kapswaala kopa fait, tlaksta-man yaka masaachi taiyi, liyob yaka mamook-liplip kanawei okok tilikum kopa pilpil. nanich:
pi heilo kanawei okok pikcha mitlait okok sun. anḵati tlaska mamook-kut pos mamook-mitlait ikta ẖa’ẖa’ kikwuli kopa tintin-hous⁹. anḵati shisookli yaka mitliat sitkum kopa okok pikcha ḵaẖ yaka mamook-juj tilikum. alta heilo yaka mitlait.
nesaika kopit nanich okok st’iwi’utl-hous pi alta nesaika tlatwa mukmuk. wuẖt naika mukmuk kasoole, pi haiyas tloosh okok. nawiikta haiyas wam okok sun. wik-saiyaa 40°. kopit mukmuk pi nesaika tlatwa nanich okok hous ḵaẖ mitlait lesevek anḵati.
alta heilo lesevek mitlait okok hous. alta myoosium okok: hous ḵaẖ tlaska mamook-nanich ikta anḵati kopa tilikum. kopa okok hous tlaska mamook-nanich ikta iht man, enri du toolooslatrek «Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec» yaka neim, ikta yaka mamook-peint.
pos nesaika ḵ’o’ okok hous, naika makook tikit¹⁰. naika wawa french kopa okok tloochman yaka selim okok tikit. “Bonjour. Je voudrais deux billets adultes et un audioguide, s’il vous plaît…” pi alta yaka trai pos k’ilapai-wawa inglish kopa naika, pi wik-ḵata yaka mamook kawa. chako-haiyas-mikst¹¹ yaka wawa. yaka wawa sitkum inglish, sitkum french. “bien, s’il vous plaît, please prenez votre ticket, and mettez le in the machine over there… là-bas. please… can you to rendre the audioguide quand vous avez termimé. then I te rendrai… your carte. Comprenez vous?” yaka mamook-tlatwa yaka limaa kanawei ḵaẖ pos yaka wawa. naika k’ilapai-wawa kopa french, iskum nesaika tikit, pi wawa masi kopa yaka. tloosh tloochman yaka. yaka trai pos wawa naika wawa. haiyoo tilikum kopa kanada pi bastun ilahi, heilo tlaska mamook kakwa.
alta nesaika tlatwa chako-kumtuks ḵata toolooslatrek pi yaka ts’um.
toolooslatrek, yaka chako-tenaas kopa albi-town. taiyi man yaka: ikta tlaska mamook-neim “kount”. kwanisum yaka lolo tala-siyaawhoos¹². haiyoo hwiski yaka mukmuk pi kwanisum yaka peiyei tloochman pos tlaska moosum yaka. yaka haiyas-tiki mamook-peint okok «femmes de maison» (kakwa pos wawa “moosum-hous tloochman”): haiyoo tloochman mitlait pi heilo haiyoo tlaska iktas. tlaska wawa pos yaka mamook-peint kakwa “post impreshiunist“-tilikum. nanich:
heilo naika haiyas-tiki kakwa “art-myoosium“-hous. haiyoo kultus wawa kanawei ḵaẖ pi haiyas saẖali-tumtum tilikum mitlait. kwanisum tlaska haiyoo-kultus-wawa ḵata tloosh okok ts’um pi heilo-ikta tlaska dleit kumtuks.
naika tiki toolooslatrek yaka ts’um, pi ilep naika tiki chako-kumtuks ḵata albi-town anḵati. mitlait tenas haiyoo peipa ḵata okok town anḵati kopa okok hous. wuẖt mitlait nanich-laloopan ḵata tlaska mamook okok st’iwi’utl-hous. haiyas tloosh okok.
alta nesaika tlatwa rawn okok lesevek hous. mitlait haiyas tloosh gardin. pi dleit haiyas wam. wik-ḵata leili nesaika mitlait kopa tlaẖani. kakwa, wik-leili pi nesaika mash albi town.
Cordes-sur-Ciel
tl’onas sitkum owr nesaika kooli pi nesaika tl’ap korsoorsiel-town. anḵati town okok. okok town mitlait saẖali kopa iht tenas mountin pi anḵati, ston ḵ’alaaẖan mitlait kanawei rawn okok town.
naika tlatwa makook tiki kopa nesaika ts’ikts’ik. pi haiyas til pos mamook kakwa. wik-saiyaa kakshit okok tikit-mashin¹³.
chhi naika tolo okok mashin pi tl’ap tikit, french man pi tloochman chako wawa naika. tlaska wawa kopa french-wawa “ana til mamook, okok mashin, e? masaika tl’ap tikit?” naika k’ilapai-wawa “oui, c’est tres difficile.” kakwa pos wawa “nawiitka, haiyas til mamook okok.”
pi alta haiyaḵ tlaska wawa haiyoo french-wawa kopa naika. “a, masaika tiki tlatwa-saẖali? haiyas til okok. haiyas wam okok sun pi haiyas saẖali okok mountin. wik-saiyaa heilo-tlaksta mitlait kopa yawa. ikta-mamook masaika tlatwa kordsoorsiel? ḵaẖ masaika chako?” ETS.
kanawei-ikta yaka wawa, naika kumtuks, pi wik-ḵata haiyaḵ naika k’ilapai-wawa kopa french-wawa. naika mitwhit pi kakwa pos naika chako-ais. okok tloochman nanich naika. pi chako-ẖuloima yaka siyaawhoos. yaka wawa kopa french-wawa “a, wik-ḵata pos maika wawa french?”
naika wawa “nawiitka. wel, tenas naika kumtuks french-wawa. wik-ḵata aiyaḵ naika wawa.”
yaka k’ilapai-wawa kopa french “a, naika nanich okok ts’um kopa masaika ts’its’ik pi naika tumtum pos french masaika. masaika tl’ap okok ts’ikts’ik kopa steishon?” pi naika mamook-sheik naika latet kakwa peltun man pi wawa “nawiitka”.
ana tloosh naika chako-kumtuks ḵata-pos ilep haiyaḵ wawa french-wawa…
yawa nesaika tlatwa saẖali. chhi nesaika tl’ap okok town naika nanich haiyas tloosh makook-hous. kopa okok hous mitlait kanawei-ikta aksitan: shanti book, lalaang book, iktas ts’um kopa aksitan-wawa peipa, ETS. tlaska plei aksitan myoosik¹⁴ kopa okok hous. tl’onas masaika tiki ḵ’wolaan tenas aksitan wawa. tloosh masaika ḵ’wolaan okok shanti:
| Dejós ma fenèstra, I a un aucelon Tota la nuèch canta, Canta sa cançon. |
| Chorus Se canta, que cante, Canta pas per ieu, Canta per ma mia Qu’es al luènh de ieu. |
| Aquelas montanhas Que tan nautas son, M’empachan de veire Mas amors ont son. |
| Baissatz-vos, montanhas, Planas, levatz-vos, Per que pòsca veire Mas amors ont son. |
| Aquelas montanhas Tant s’abaissaràn, Que mas amoretas Se raprocharàn. |
| tlaẖani kopa naika windo mitlait tenas kulakula. kanawei polakli yaka shanti. yaka shanti yaka shanti. |
| Chorus spos yaka shanti, tloosh pos yaka shanti heilo yaka shanti kopa naika yaka shanti kopa naika tloochman yaka mitlait saiyaa kopa naika |
| okok mountin haiyas mountin mamook pos wik-ḵata naika tlatwa ḵaẖ naika tloochmin mitlait |
| tloosh lei-doun, mountin, pi chako-saẖali, tloosh-ilahi, pos naika chako-kumtuks ḵaẖ naika tloochmin mitlait |
| okok mountin chako-kikwuli pos naika swihat chako wik-saiyaa |
okok kumpani¹⁵ kopa okok hous, tlaska neim “talvera”, kakwa pos wawa “said tloosh-ilahi chhi tlaska plow”. tloosh masaika tlatwa nanich tlaska websait yakwaa. tlaska selum¹⁶ aksitan shanti pi book. naika makook iht okok book. okok book mamook-skool naika ḵata aksitan-wawa. nanich:
yawa nesaika tlatwa-saẖali nanich okok town. haiyas pooti¹⁷ okok. ston hous kanawei ḵaẖ. wik-saiyaa heilo-tlaksta mitlait kopa okok town. kopit nesaika pi okok tilikum tlaska mitlait makook-hous. tlaska wawa pos toomuch¹⁸ wam okok sun, kakwa heilo-tlaksta tlatwa nanich okok town. haiyaḵ naika tumtum ikta kwanisum naika mama wawa: “haiyas wam sitkum-sun, kopit kleisi kamooks pi kinchoch man mitlait kopa tlaẖani.” tl’onas dleit yaka wawa…
kopit kakwa okok peipa. wik-leili wuẖt naika mamook-kooli peipa. atlḵi!
Footnotes
1 – lesevek = bishop
2 – lotel = alter
3 – likalisti = eucharist, communion. Commonly represented by the symbol 𛲜 in Chinuk Pipa documents.
4 – lipaap = the pope
5 – mamook-kort-hous = to judge. You also see “mamook-juj”.
6 – nek = neck. Most body parts you will see the English form for at some point. “leg(z)”, “hed“, “nek“, “bak“, “arm“, “hand“, “chest“, “teeth“, “ai“, etc. are all found in Chinook. You may also find the older words, like liku in this case, but they are more rare or non-existent in the North. “tiyaa’wit” (=foot, leg), for example, you will basically never find in BC. There is always a touch more English-derived words in Chinook than dictionaries might have you believe.
7- kikwuli-paiya = hell
8 – lisaash = angel
9 – tintin-hous. By this I mean the bell tower.
10 – tikit. I’ve seen this word several times when Le Jeune talks about trains and “stim kar”.
11 – mikst = mixed up, messed up.
12 – tala-siyaawhoos = glasses
13 – mashin. A commonly found word. The priest Le Jeune uses it for his mimeograph. *tikit-mashin is my own neologism. hopefully it’s clear what it means 🙂
14 – plei myoosik is funnily enough a common sight in the Kamloops Wawa. The word for instrument is “hoohoolutin”.
15 – kumpani = company, society, group. “chinuk pipa kompani” were groups dedicated to learning and teaching the Chinook writing.
16 – You will find both “sel” and “selum/selim” for “to sell”. “makook” is “to buy”. Thus we get “makook pi selim“
17 – pooti = pretty. More commonly expressed just with “tloosh” or something like “tloosh yaka siyaawhoos” (= good their face).
18 – toomuch = too much. You’ll also find “tooleit” = “late”, “too late”
The Kaltash Wawa 