The Language that "Alki" Came From.... 

Chinook Wawa was a trading language based on a combination of the Chinook native language and English.  At one point it was used as the common language in an area from Northern California to Southeast Alaska and as far east as the Rocky Mountains.  The work Alki itself comes from Chinook Wawa and means "in the future".  Since the Dennys called the area "New York Alki" they really meant "New York - in the future".  For a glimpse of the language listen to this KUOW feature piece about Chinook Wawa at this off site location. At 4:51 in the program Tony Johnson pronounces Alki as it would have been done in the 1800s heyday of Chinook Alki.