Cutting deeper into the etymology of t’ɬəmínxwət “tell a lie”

Cutting deeper into the etymology of t’ɬəmínxwət “tell a lie”

Taking a sec to point out something I’ve not said out loud before… Chinuk Wawa’s word t’ɬəmínxwət ‘to lie, deceive’ is definitely not a Chinookan-sourced word — even though we only find its direct ancestor in Shoalwater-Clatsop Lower Chinookan. Image credit: Shutterstock What it is is Salish in origin, and here’s where I need to direct your attention to its ancient Salish roots: Proto-Salish *ƛ̓əm ‘cut, chop, sharp’, as well as its definitely S…