Dictionary of the Chinook Jargon, or, Trade Language of Oregon

by George Gibbs

~M.~

~Máh-kook~, v., n. Nootka, MÁKUK; Nittinat and Tokwaht, idem; Makah, BÁKWATL. To buy or sell; trade or exchange; a bargain. As their buying and selling was merely barter, the same word always answered for both operations. Kah mika mahkook okook calipeen? where did you buy that rifle? hyas mahkook, dear; tenas mahkook, cheap.

~Máh-kook-house.~ A trading-house or a store.

~Máh-lie~, v. Nisqually. To forget. Of local use on Puget Sound.

~Mahsh~, v. a. French, MARCHER. To leave; to turn out; to throw away; to part with; remove. Ex. Mahsh chuck kopa boat, bail the boat out; mahsh okook salmon, throw away that fish; mahsh maika capo, take off your coat; mahsh! (to a dog) get out! mahsh tenas, to have a child; to be delivered; yakka mahsh tum-tum kopa nika, he has given me his orders, or told me his wishes; mahsh kow, to untie; mahsh stone, to castrate.

~Máh-sie~, v. French, MERCIE. Thank you.

~Máht-lin-nie~, adv. Chinook, MÁTLINI. Off shore. (In boating), keep off! (if on land), towards the water.

~Máht-wil-lie~, _adv._Chinook, MÁTHWILI. In shore; shoreward. (As a command), keep in; (on land), towards the woods, or the interior.

~Ma-láh, n. Chinook, MALAGH. Tinware; crockery; earthenware.

~Mal-i-éh, v. French, MARIER. To marry.

~Ma'-ma~, n. English, MAMMA. A mother.

~Mam'-ook~, v. a. Nootka, MAMUK. To make; to do; to work. It is the general active verb, and is used largely in combination with nouns and other verbs; as, mamook chahko, make to come, fetch; mamook kelipai, bring or send back; mamook isick, to paddle; mamook illahee, to dig.

~Man~, n. English, idem. A man; the male of any animal. Ex. Man moolock, a buck elk; tenas man, a young man or boy.

~Mél-a-kwa~, or ~Mál-a-kwa~, n. French, MARANGOUIN. (Anderson.) A mosquito.

~Mel'-ass~, n. French, MELASSE. Molasses.

~Mem'-a-loost~, v., n., part. Chinook, MÉMALUST. To die; dead. Mamook memaloost, to kill.

~Me-sáh-chie~, adj. Chinook, MASÁCHI. Bad; wicked.

~Me-si'-ka~, pron. Chinook, MESÁIKA. You; your; yours.

~Mi'-ka~, pron. Chinook, MÁIKA. Thou; thy; thine.

~Mi'-mie~, adv. Chinook, MÁIAMI. Down stream.

~Mist-chi'-mas~, n. Quære u. d. A slave. Dr. Scouler gives this word as Nootka and Columbian. Mr. Hale makes it Chinook. It is certainly, however, neither Chinook nor Chihalis; and Jewitt gives kakoelth as Nootka, while I find the Makah word kotlo, and the Nittinat kotl.

~Mit-áss~, n. Cree, MITAS. (Anderson.) Leggings. A word imported by the Canadian French.

~Mit'-lite~, v. Chinook, MITLAIT. To sit; sit down; stay at; reside; remain. It is also used in place of to have and to be. Ex. Mitlite kopa house, he is in the house; mitlite hyiu salmon kopa mika? have you plenty of salmon? mitlite (imp.), sit down; cultus mitlite, to stop anywhere without particular object; mitlite tenas, to be with child; mitlite keekwillie, to put down.

~Mit'-whit~, v. Chinook, AMETWHET. To stand; stand up. Mitwhit stick, a standing tree; a mast.

~Mokst~, adj. Chinook, MAKST. Two; twice.

~Moo'-la~, n. French, MOULIN. A mill. Stick moola, a saw-mill.

~Moo'-lock~, n. Chinook, EMÚLUK. An elk. This word, strangely enough, occurs also in the Koquilth of Humboldt Bay.

~Moon~, n. English, idem. The moon. Ikt moon, a month; sick moon, the wane or old moon.

~Moos'-moos~, n. Klikatat, MÚSMUS; Chinook, EMÚSMUS. Buffalo; horned cattle. The word, slightly varied, is common to several languages. Mr. Anderson derives it from the Cree word moostoos, a buffalo, and supposes it to have been imported by the Canadians; but Father Pandosy makes musmus Yakama.

~Moo'-Sum~, v., n. Chihalis, MÚSAM. To sleep; sleep. Tikegh moosum, or olo moosum, to be sleepy (literally, to want, or be hungry for sleep); nika hyas moosum, I slept very sound.

~Mów-itsh~, or ~Mah'-witsh~, n. Nootka, MAUITSH (Hale); Nittinat, MOITSH, a deer; Nootka, MOOWATSH, a bear (Jewitt). A deer; venison. Frequently used to signify a wild animal; as, huloima mowitch, a strange or different kind of beast. The meaning given in Jewitt's book is probably a misprint. Like moolock, an elk, the word is found in the Koquilth of Humboldt Bay.

~Múck-a-muck~, n., v. Quære u. d. MAKAMAK (Hale). To eat; to bite; food. Muckamuck chuck, &c., to drink water, or other liquid. Neither Chinook nor Chihalis. Mr. Anderson considers it an invented word.

~Mus'-ket~, n. English, idem. A gun or musket. Stick musket, a bow.