Description
First edition of The Chinook Jargon and How to Use It by George C. Shaw.
Octavo, xvi, 65pp. Full red cloth, title in black on front cover. Portrait of a Native American man affixed to front cover. Floral patterned endpapers. No additional printings listed on copyright page. Solid text block, bumped corners, near fine condition.
Chinook Jargon is a trade language that developed in the Pacific Northwest of North America in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It originated as a pidgin, incorporating elements from Chinookan languages, French, English, and other Indigenous languages. It was used for communication between Indigenous groups, European traders, and settlers, particularly in the fur trade. At its peak, it had thousands of speakers across present-day Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska. While its use declined in the 20th century, some words and phrases remain in regional vocabulary, and there have been efforts to revive and document it.
