Chinook jargon
noun
often capitalized J
: a pidgin language based on Chinook and other Indian languages, French, and English and formerly used as a lingua franca in the northwestern U.S. and on the Pacific coast of Canada and Alaska
Cite this Entry
“Chinook jargon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Chinook%20jargon. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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