NORTHWEST INDIAN DIALECTS

The following examples of some of the local dialects was taken from the the book "Ten Years In Oregon" by Daniel Lee and Joseph Frost.

 

KILLEMOOK DIALECT


This clan inhabits a region of country to the south of Cape Lookout. (the region now referred to as Tillamook).

I..................................Untsuh
You................................Unekeeh
He.................................Hla ah at lah
She................................Hlah at lah
Whose..............................Kah to keeh
My.................................Un Suttle
We.................................Un a wahtle
Ye.................................Cul a cula
Their..............................Chun suns
Our................................Ne wahtle

Prairie or plain................Kolote
Water..............................Clah ko
Man................................Ty yel a ho
Woman..............................We clats
Sand beach.........................Tes ah at lo
Canoe..............................Atsy keetles
House..............................Tes ne nowin
Blanket............................Clan a lats o
Axe................................Clah kyts ton
See, to look.......................Ya Hase
None...............................Ke stow
I do not understand................Cas kots canoya untsuh
A man comes........................Tyyelaho tasea
They come..........................Hlahahatlah tasea
Many people come...................Clanatle stawat tasea
Who comes..........................Cato keep tasea
Come ashore........................Ocheahoh cheso
Come ashore ye.....................Cheuku culacula cheso
Go to the house you................Ahatlah tesnenowin unekeeh
Where is that axe..................Chans keeh clahkytston
I know not where...................Nacahhah chans
Whose canoe is that................Cato keeh atsy keetles
Make a canoe, you..................Ahhunnah atsy keetles unekeeh
Get your hat.......................Cannan unekeeh testeetka cotton
Yonder it lies.....................Kah e stock
It lies in the house...............Stock tesnenowin
I come.............................Untsuh tasea
You come...........................Unekeeh tasea
We come............................Unawahtle taseeahtle
When will you come.................Hunsey keeh coatseuse unekeeh
By and by I will come..............Eslany untsuh coatseuy
Give me your hand..................chalsitsa isnucheachy
What ails you......................Chas keeh ne keeh
Whose is that boy..................Katokeeh cheuts
Will you trade.....................Cah see whyashyatle
Let us trade now...................Cha kets whyawhyatle
What do you want...................Tahi keeh hesuins
I want a knife.....................Hoaktin skesuany
How many knives....................Cahnucts kee hoaktin
Tomorrow I will give you a knife...Cowusks cachalsee hoaktin
It rains now.......................Kate cah loatle
It will stop soon..................Eslany cheatlah
Now we will go and catch salmon....Eslany quocas howoyettle tusleuck
Perhaps we will soon get plenty....Clanatle nacahah ocashowwoyettle eslany
Tonight we will eat plenty.........Huntul sohatleyatle clanatle
Tomorrow we will get more..........cowusks ocashowoyettle
I love.............................Unsuh skesuany
You love...........................Unekeeh skesuanyatle
We love............................Unawahtle skesuanyatle
They love..........................Chunsuns skesuins
I go...............................Unsuka hatley
You go.............................Unekeeh ahhatlee
They go............................Chunsuns cahhatle
Go with me.........................Ahcahtsa untsuh
I will go with you.................Untseeh cahcahtsee
Will you go with me................Unekeehee cahcahts unseeh
My father..........................Untsuh allah
Your father........................Unekeeh islahhah
Our father.........................Newahtle talieahtle
Their father.......................Chunsuns lahahcus
He speaks or talks.................Chenatle cheouins
I have come a long way.............Ho tie tasee untsuh
Make a fire........................Ho kone
Give me salmon.....................Chalsitsa tusleuck
I am hungry........................Shotoyah untsuh
My heart is now good...............Tohoatsnoyah teyinecas untsuh
Long ago my heart was bad..........Tehalatle tah til te yinecas untsuh
Chief..............................Asahtshin
An important chief.................Cas sesowahtle asahtshin

 


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