February 22, 2012
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The Chinook Trading Language and the Stelakoh Carrier Lexicon

Chinook Jargon emerged in the 1700’s, when sailing explorers learned some native language in Nootka Sound and attempted to communicate with the population of various tribes in it. The local natives also curious and eager to trade, in turn adopted this vocabulary to talk with explorers.

Stellaquo is the central dialect of athapaskan language system. The Athabaskan language family has three main geographic groupings: Northern, Pacific Coast, and Southern. There is discussion of whether the Pacific Coast languages actually forms a valid phylogenetic grouping.

To Learn more about the Chinook trading language and the Stelakoh Carrier lexicon, click Here.  

The Carrier Syllabary

The Carrier syllabary, or Déné Syllabics, was devised by Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice in 1885. He adapted it from the syllabic writing systems developed for the Athabaskan languages of the Northwest Territories of Canada by Father Emile Petitot.
 

The Carrier syllabary was fairly widely used for several decades for such purposes as writing diaries and letters and leaving messages on trees. Though the syllabary is no longer used or understood by many people, there has been a recent revival of interest in it and it occasionally appears on plaques and memorials...

If you would like to read on about the Carrier Syllabary, click Here.

Days, Weeks, Months

Did you know that the word "Sunday" in the Carrier language is "Dimosdzen," or that "Taki" is actually the Carrier term for the number 3?

To find out more definitions, along with significant cultural activities for each month, click Here.