As a specimen of agglutination there is the word ipinashapatawtrahliktamawarsha, he himself makes night disagreeably tiresome long wait; that is, he keeps one long waiting for him at night.
YAKIMA LORD'S PRAYER.
Neemi (Our) Psht, (Father,) imk (thou) nam (who) wamsh (art) Roiemich-nik; (high on the side (heaven);) shir (well) nam 'manak (thou) p'a (they (indef.) ) t-maknani (should) tarnei (respect) wanicht; (the name;) shir (well) ewianawitarnei (should arrive) emink (thy) miawarwit; (chieftainship;) shir (well) nammanak (thee) pa (they) twanenitarnei, (should follow) ichinak (here) techampa, (earth (on)) tenma, (inhabitants (the)) prw, (will) amakwsrimmanak (thou as thyself) pa (they) twanenishamsh (follow) roiemipama (high of the (heaven)) tenma. (inhabitants (the).) Nemanak (Our (us)) nim (give us) t-kwatak (food) kwalissim (always) maisr (to-morrow) maisr. (to-morrow.) Nemanak (Our (us)) laknanim (forget) chélwitit: (sins:) aateskwsri (us as) namak (we) t'normaman (others) laknánisha (forget) chélwitit (sins) anakwnkink (have by which) neémiow (us) pa (have) chelwitia. (offended.) R-t-to (Strong) anianim (make) nemanak (our (us)) temna; (heart;) t-kraw krial. (that it fall not.) Nemanak (Us) eikrenkem ( snatch) chelwitknik (bad from the side.) Ekws (So) iwa (it is) neemi (our) temna. (heart.[III'-39])
COURT LANGUAGE OF THE SAHAPTINS.
The Nez Percés make use of two languages, one the native language proper, or, as a European might say, the court language, and the other a slave language, or jargon. They differ so much, that a stranger fully conversant with one cannot understand the other. This jargon originated, probably, from intermixing prisoners of war of different nationalities who were enslaved, and their languages mingled with each other, and with that of their conquerors. The pure-blooded Nez Percés all understand the jargon, learning it when children, together with their own proper language. Nor is this all. The jargon is more or less modified by each of the several languages, or dialects, in which it is spoken. The employés of the fur companies, who first came in contact with the Sahaptins, were greatly annoyed by this multiformity; as, for example, one Nez Percé coming to sell a beaver skin would say, tammecess taxpool, I wish to sell a beaver; another would say, towèyou weespoose, I wish to trade a beaver; and a third would say, e'towpa e'yechcœ, I wish to trade a beaver.
The following short vocabulary will show some of the differences between the Nez Percé language and the jargon:
| NEZ PERCÉ | JARGON. | |
| Man | kewas | winch |
| Woman | eyatt | tealacky |
| Boy | tachnutsem | tuchnoot |
| Girl | tochanough | peten |
| No | waatown, | tsya |
| Knife | waltz | whapallmeh, |
| Horse | she came | koosy |
| Hair | tootanick | kookoo |
| Eyes | shelaw | Atchass.[III'-40] |
Professor Rafinesque, out of twenty-four Sahaptin words, claims to have found six bearing close affinities to the English, but Buschmann says that of these twenty-four, many are not Sahaptin at all.[III'-41] The Waiilatpu language, conterminous with the Sahaptin, is spoken in two dialects, the Cayuse and Mollale. The Cayuses mingle frequently with the Sahaptins, and therefore many words of the latter have been adopted into their tongue. They mostly understand and speak the Sahaptin, and frequently the Walla Walla, and this not from any relationship in the several languages, but from intercourse.[III'-42]
Like their neighbors, the Cayuses employ two languages; one in the transaction of the common affairs of life, and the other on high state occasions, such as when making speeches round the council fire, to determine questions of war and peace, as well as all other intertribal affairs. That is to say, the Sahaptins use their court language on all ordinary, as well as extraordinary occasions, keeping the jargon for their servants, while the Cayuses employ the baser tongue for common, and the higher for state occasions.