Dictionary of the Chinook Jargon, or, Trade Language of Oregon

A concise lexicon of the Chinook trade language compiling just under five hundred entries with definitions, pronunciations, variant spellings, and etymological notes that identify sources in Chinook dialects and neighboring indigenous tongues as well as French, English, and Canadian patois. The preface traces the Jargon's development through coastal and fur-trade contact, outlines its simplified grammar and phonetic adaptations, and discusses regional vocabulary differences. Many entries mark original-language forms, interjections, and onomatopoeic items, and the work combines word lists with comparative commentary to show how the mixed tongue functioned as a practical lingua franca across wide areas of the Pacific Northwest.