When Lewis and Clarke, in 1806, reached the coast, the jargon seems to have already assumed a fixed shape, as may be seen from the sentences quoted by the explorers. But not until the arrival of the expedition sent out by John Jacob Astor does it appear that either English or French words, of which it contains a large percentage, were incorporated. Very few, if any, of the words of which the jargon is composed, retain their original shape. The harsh, guttural, and unpronounceable native cackling was softened or omitted, thus forming a speech suited to all. In the same manner, some of the English sounds, like f and r, unpronounceable by the native, were dropped, or transferred into p and l, while all grammatical forms were reduced to the fewest and plainest rules possible.[III'-53] But even in this jargon, there are what may be called dialectic differences; for instance, many words used at the Dalles, are quite unintelligible at the mouth of the Columbia and at Puget Sound. It has often been asserted that the jargon was invented or originated by the Hudson's Bay Company, but although the fur company undoubtedly greatly aided its development, and assisted in perfecting it, it is well known, first, that this jargon existed before the advent of Europeans, and secondly, that languages are not made in this way.
Mr Gibbs states the number of words to be nearly five hundred, and after a careful analysis of the language, has arrived at the following conclusion as to the number contributed by the several nationalities:
| Chinook and Clatsop | 200 | words | |
| Chinook, having analogies with other languages | 21 | " | |
| Interjections common to several | 8 | " | |
| Nootka, including dialects | 24 | " | |
| Chehalis, 32, and Nisqually, 7 | 39 | " | |
| Kliketat and Yakima | 2 | " | |
| Cree | 2 | " | |
| Chippeway (Ojibway) | 1 | " | |
| Wasco (probably) | 4 | " | |
| Calapooya (probably) | 4 | " | |
| By direct onomatopœia | 6 | " | |
| Derivation unknown, or undetermined | 18 | " | |
| French, 90, Canadian, 4 | 94 | " | |
| English | 67 | " | [III'-54] |
As before mentioned, foreign words adopted into the jargon vocabulary are changed to suit the taste of the speaker, as in the word Français, being unable to pronounce the f, r, and n, for Frenchman they say pasaiuks, and for French, pasai. The few words formed by onomatopœia, are after this fashion;—tumtum, heart, an imitation of its beating; tintin, bell; tiktik, watch; liplip, to boil, from the sound of boiling water, and so on.
Neither article nor inflections are employed. Okok, this, at times takes the place of the English the. As a rule, plurals are not distinguished, but sometimes the word haiu, many, is used. Adjectives precede nouns, as in English—lasuai hakatshum, silk handkerchief; masatsi tilikum, bad people. The comparative is expressed, for example, in the sentence, I am stronger than thou, by wek maika skukum kakwa naika, thou not strong as I. Superlative—haias oluman okok kanem, very old that canoe. There are only two conjunctions, pi, derived from the French puis, which denotes and or then; and pos, from suppose, meaning if, in case that, provided that. The particle na is at times used as an interrogative.[III'-55]
The Lord's Prayer in the Chinook jargon is as follows:
Nesika (Our) papa (Father) klaksta ( who) mitlite (stayeth) kopa (in) saghalie, (the above,) kloshe (good) kopa (in) nesika (our) tumtum (hearts (be)) mika (thy) nem; (name;) kloshe (good) mika (thou) tyee (chief) kopa (among) konoway (all) tilikum; (people;) kloshe (good) mika (thy) tumtum (will) kopa (upon) illahie, (earth,) kahkwe (as) kopa (in) saghalie. (the above.) Potlatch (Give) konaway (every) sun (day) nesika (our) muckamuck. (food.) Spose (If) nesika (we) mamook (do) masahchie, (ill,) wake ((be) not) mika (thou) hyas (very) solleks, ( angry,) pe (and) spose (if) klaksta (any one) masahchie (evil) kopa (towards) nesika, (us,) wake (not) nesika (we) solleks (angry) kopa (towards) klaska. ( them.) Mahsh (Send away) siah (far) kopa (from) nesaika (us) konaway (all) masahchie. (evil.[III'-56]) Kloshe kahkwa. ( )
CHAPTER IV.
CALIFORNIAN LANGUAGES.
Multiplicity of Tongues—Yakon, Klamath, and Palaik Comparisons—Pitt River and Wintoon Vocabularies—Weeyot, Wishosk, Weitspek, and Ehnek Comparisons—Languages of Humboldt Bay—Potter Valley, Russian and Eel River Languages—Pomo Languages—Gallinomero Grammar—Trans-Pacific Comparisons—Chocuyem Lord's Prayer—Languages of the Sacramento, San Joaquin, Napa and Sonoma Valleys—The Olhone and other Languages of San Francisco Bay—Runsien and Eslene of Monterey—Santa Clara Lord's Prayer—Mutsun Grammar—Languages of the Missions Santa Cruz, San Antonio de Padua, Soledad, and San Miguel—Tatché Grammar—The Dialects of Santa Cruz and other Islands.