Alphabetical Vocabularies of the Clallum and Lummi — Reading Notes

Alphabetical Architecture and Dialectal Variation

The vocabularies are arranged alphabetically by English headword, from Abandon to Yellow, with Clallam and Lummi equivalents given in a phonetic transcription that reflects Gibbs’s ear and the orthographic conventions of his era. The two lists are not identical in length or coverage: the Clallam section includes entries for Magic and Mythology that are absent from the Lummi list, while the Lummi section contains a separate table of chiefs’ names. Gibbs’s preface explains that the Clallam differs “materially from the other Selish languages of the Puget Sound country,” yet he also notes that the Lummi dialect has affinities with the Sannitch of Vancouver Island. The reader can trace these relationships by comparing entries such as Moon (Clallam kl-káltsh) and Morning (Clallam skwá-chi) with their Lummi counterparts, though the latter are not always provided.

Embedded Ethnography in Word Lists

Gibbs’s vocabulary entries frequently exceed simple translation, offering glimpses into material culture and social practices. Under Mat, for instance, he distinguishes the general term sl a ´w u n from the specific sá-letch, “the large mat used for making temporary lodges,” and ts u m´m u t for a cedar bark mat. The entry for Mammals lists not only species names but also anatomical parts: Atlas joint, gristle of vertebræ, os calcis. The section on Molluscs, Radiates, etc. includes local shellfish like the quahog (sákh-hwa) and the large clam (sw a m), indicating the importance of marine resources. Under Mythology, Gibbs names Ha-áls as the principal supernatural being, equivalent to figures in neighboring languages, and mentions the S'hui-áb as a pre-human demon race. These entries transform the word list into a layered ethnographic document.

Place Names and Territorial Boundaries

Following each vocabulary, Gibbs includes a section of “Local Nomenclature” that lists place names in the Clallam and Lummi territories. These are not merely geographical labels; they encode patterns of movement, resource use, and historical claims. The Clallam names stretch along the southern shore of Fuca Strait from the Okĕho River to Port Townshend, while the Lummi names reflect a river system emptying into Bellingham Bay and the Gulf of Georgia. Gibbs notes that the Lummi are “intruders” in this area, having formerly lived on islands between the continent and Vancouver Island. The place-name lists thus serve as a record of territorial shifts and intertribal relations, complementing the preface’s discussion of dialect boundaries. The inclusion of a separate list of Lummi chiefs further anchors the vocabulary in a specific social and political context.

Grammatical Glimpses and Phonetic Patterns

Though primarily a lexicon, the volume offers occasional grammatical observations. Under Live at, Gibbs parenthetically notes that the word l a ksi “appears to be the equivalent of the Nisqually at-suts, and to be really an adverb signifying ‘presence’ or ‘existence.’” The entry for Know includes a sample phrase: “Do you know Ské- u kl? (a man of that name?).” Such examples hint at sentence structure and the use of interrogatives. Phonetically, Gibbs remarks that both languages “abound with the nasal ng, both as a prefix and a termination,” a feature visible in entries like n u n-nái-y u ng-sen (I laugh) and st u k´ch u ng (liver). The transcription system, while not standardized, is consistent enough to allow comparison of vowel length and consonant clusters across the two dialects.

Readers approaching this volume should treat it as a primary source document rather than a modern reference grammar. The alphabetical arrangement makes it easy to locate specific terms, but the real value lies in the incidental details: the names of chiefs, the classification of shellfish, the note that a certain word is “really an adverb.” Gibbs’s work captures a moment before these languages underwent profound changes, and his careful recording of dialectal variation offers a baseline for historical linguistics. For those interested in the Coast Salish world, this vocabulary is a gateway to further study of the region’s linguistic and cultural landscape.

I remember that old 1863 vocabularies of the Clallum and Lummi, how patient the pages were with all those names for clam and salmon. It brought to mind, strangely, A Dictionary of English Synonymes and Synonymous or Parallel Expressions Designed as a Practical Guide to Aptness and Variety of Phraseology — Story, Setting & Ideas, for both books are just quiet lists, yet each one holds a whole people’s way of seeing the world.