The case of
the two ladies and the owl
How a disagreement can help a dying language speak
Nile R. Thompson and C. Dale Sloat
Dushuyay Research Portland,
OR
In this brief article we examine an episode that took place as
the Salishan language Twana was about to enter the last phase
of its existence and show how information gleaned at that time
can be meaningful in analyzing the language and related
cognitive structures as they existed during the heyday of the
culture. We will demonstrate that insights are captured
regarding not only the process of the language’s death but also
regarding the field of ethnoscience.
