Talk:List of English words from Indigenous languages of the Americas

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Potato and Tomato[edit]

Talk:Algonquian says that tomato and potato are unlikely to be of Algonquian origin. I have removed them for now.

Here are the entries:

--Stereo 06:45, 2004 Oct 8 (UTC)

I agree they are not Algonquian. The word for "potato" in Ojibwe language group is /piny/ (c.f. Ojibwe language opin (plural: opiniig), potato(es); waabiziipin (plural: waabiziipiniig), "arrowroot(s)"). In the Eastern Algonquian language group, the word is /tapitan/ (c.f. Maliseet language tahkitom, Mi'kmaq language tap'tan). Looking in my "American Heritage dic•tion•ar•y of the English Language", it says "potato" comes from the Taíno batata via Spanish and "tomato" comes from Nahuatl tomatl, again via Spanish. CJLippert 18:26, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Yes - Although tomatoes and potatoes are both indigenous to the New World, neither of them had reached as far north as the Algonquian languages were spoken before European contact. Both originated in the Andes region of South America, and had to travel a long way through various climate zones to spread. The furthest the tomato got in what later became the modern-day United States was among the Pueblo cultures of the Southwest, while the potato didn't "cross the border" at all. Native Americans along the East Coast of North America were introduced to these vegetables after Europeans were. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.103.150.125 (talk) 08:36, 21 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Capitalized[edit]

I have capitalized each word as per the general convention in a dictionary entry. --Bhadani 12:25, 14 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

(originally on Talk:List of English words of Quechua origin)
I have capitalized each word as per the general convention in a dictionary entry. --Bhadani 13:05, 14 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Soroche[edit]

(originally on Talk:List of English words of Quechua origin)
Soroche is an English word? I speak English as my native language, and I've always said "altitude sickness." --Descendall 02:36, 17 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

"How"[edit]

The word "how" is the stereotypical Native American word for "hello" (usually ascribed to all Native Americans languages or just 'indian') according to American movies and television shows too numerous to list.

Does anybody know the real linguistic background of the word "how"?

72.82.178.33 06:00, 5 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

There are two ways "How" ends up as "Hello": Lakota language explanation and Algonquian languages explanation. In the Algonquian languages, the meeting greeting, when translated into English, is "What is your Clan?" The word for "what...?" (Ojibwa: aaniin; Odawa: aanii) can also be translated as "how...?" so alternatively, the translation of the greeting is "How is your Clan?". In the Lakota language, "Hau" is the meeting greetings, but it is also the word to mean "Yes!" or "Fine!" or "Good!" or "OK!". CJLippert 17:55, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Merge[edit]

I suggest that this should be merged with List of English words of Algonquian origin. Both pages have separately maintained long list of Algonquian words which should be the same. It would be easier to maintain if they were in one article. As for the place names, perhaps those could be moved into a separate article as this one does not cover places. Rmhermen 16:45, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

  • Support merging the Algonquian list under this title. Kafziel 17:22, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support in merging the two articles to this one. CJLippert 17:31, 19 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

If merging the two, then List of English words of Nahuatl origin should also be merged. CJLippert 00:13, 20 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I support that merge as well. Rmhermen 16:24, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Ditto. Kafziel 16:30, 21 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The merge is now complete for both pages. The old pages now redirects to here and their Talk pages erased with their contents moved below. Now, all we need to do is make the current three sections match each other for stylistic consistency. CJLippert 08:45, 23 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Since these other pages have been merged, List of English words of Quechua origin should be too. I have incorporated all the content here. I'm not sure of the correct procedure for completing the merge, so I'd appreciate if someone else would take care of it. Lagringa 02:07, 27 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Michigan and Mississippi[edit]

(originally on Talk:List of English words of Algonquian origin)

The following page: [1] gives the following Illinois language geographic names:

  • Mississippi River: mihcisiipiiwi
  • Lake Michigan: meehcakamiwi

Is it known whether these were borrowed from Illinois, or from another related language? I would like to add referenence to these terms; for now I will just show the Illinois terms for comparison. --Theodore Kloba July 5, 2005 19:52 (UTC)

I belive "Mississippi" is thought to come either from Cree or Ojibwe (the Ojibwe for "big river" is misi-ziibi). I don't know the origin of the name "Michigan", however, and I don't know what the Cree form for "big river." --Whimemsz 00:58, August 5, 2005 (UTC)
Both the "Mississippi" and "Michigan" have common forms in the Algonquian languages spoken around the Great Lakes. It would be nearly impossible to pigeon-hole such names to a specific language. However, every now and then the real origin of the place name shows up, such as with the case of Michilimackinac. The explanations given for that place base on Ojibwe and the current form don't quite fit (usual etmology based on Ojibwe requires French as "mishi-" (Oj: big) + "ile" (Fr: island) + "makinaak" (Oj: snapping turtle) for a "large, snapping-turtle island"), but if you consider the Menominee language as the source, then the etmology would be "mishili" (be large-like) + "maqkināhkw" (snapping turtle). So yes, some places you can say with certainty, but with others, all you can say is that the word or place comes from an Algonquian language, and just give examples of similar sounding words among those languages. CJLippert 14:16, 18 July 2006 (UTC)[reply]

words of Nahuatl origin[edit]

(originally on Talk:List of English words of Nahuatl origin)

I changed the entry for "chilli" to "chili" with one "l". I changed the Nahuatl root the same way, although I don't know for sure how the Nahuatl word should be written.

Believe it or not, "chilli" is the standard spelling in Britain.
Also, I'm surprised and a bit skeptical of the inclusion of the word "shack" on this list. According to link titleMerriam-Webster Online], the etymology of "shack" is "probably back-formation from English dialect shackly rickety."
But the American Heritage Dictionary entry says, "Possibly from American Spanish jacal, from Nahuatl xacalli, adobe hut : xámitl, adobe + calli, house, hut." You'd have to look up "shackly", which isn't in M-W on line unless you subscribe.
What's less likely is "shanty". The AHD again says "Probably from Canadian French chantier, hut in a lumber camp, from French, timberyard, from Old French, gantry, from Latin cantherius, rafter, nag, from Greek kanthlios, pack ass." M-W agrees, and so do most other sources, as I recall. Time to edit the article. —JerryFriedman 23:44, 7 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Cheechako[edit]

I removed this as it doesn't have an article on Wikipedia or a definition on Wiktionary. Anyone know what this is? Is it a word in English? Rmhermen 04:18, 24 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I found it. It means "greenhorn" and is used in Northern Canada and by poet Robert Service about the Yukon Gold Rush. Rmhermen 22:29, 10 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
That doesn't sound like a particularly notable word, then...if it only appears in the work of one poet, has it even been borrowed into the language? Or am I misunderstanding? --Miskwito 01:01, 30 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Never mind, I guess it's the term used for newcomers to Alaska? Supposedly? I see now that I misread Rmhermen's post... --Miskwito 04:04, 31 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Nahuatl word[edit]

I am stunned to not see the word "maize" on there. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 128.54.69.247 (talk)

Woah, good point! I'll add it. Although, actually, it's not from Nahuatl--it's from Taino, I believe, by way of Spanish. --Miskwito 01:46, 2 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Move?[edit]

Should the page be moved? The term "Native American" doesn't refer to any indigenous people of the Americas--generally just to indigenous people from the United States. A more accurate title might be List of English words from indigenous languages of the Americas or something. I wish it weren't so long, though...

Thoughts? --Miskwito 04:43, 20 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Inclusiveness is very good. Thank you for taking the initiative to act (though it took me nearly 2 months to even notice). CJLippert 15:20, 9 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I don't object to the move but note that "Native American" does mean any indigenous people of the Americas. See Native American name controversy for more. Rmhermen 04:51, 27 August 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I agree, I've always understood "Native American" to mean all indigenous people of the New World, not just those in the United States. --74.103.150.125 (talk) 10:47, 21 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Tupi-Guaraní[edit]

Oikua'apa mba'eicha ojekrivi mandi'o ha tapioca tupiñe'ẽme? mandi'o, mandi'oka o mani'oca; ha tipi'oca o typy'oca? Does anyone know the word for manioc in Tupi? Mandi'o, mandi'oka, or mani'oca; and tipi'oca or typy'oca? --Pyry 16:24, 16 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Kiva[edit]

What about the word Kiva? In my grade school we had mini-amphitheaters in the halls at both ends of the school which we called kivas. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.169.235.20 (talk) 05:27, 13 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I think that counts (if "hogan" counts, "kiva" should count). It's from Hopi I think. I'll add it. --Miskwito (talk) 23:21, 13 April 2009 (UTC)[reply]

More words[edit]

Maybe we can start a list of words that might be added? I'll begin:

Tomaley - Carib Pawpaw - Carib Peccary - Carib Huarache - Purapecha Wendigo - Ojibwe Cherimoya - Quechua Guacho - Quechua Mate (as in yerba mate) - Quechua Açai - Tupi Carnauba (as in carnauba wax) - Tupi Guarana - Tupi

Indirect:

Chicano - from Spanish "mexicano", ultimately from Nahuatl "mēxihcah" Ke-mo sah-bee/Kemosabe - various possible origins, including Ojibwe, Tewa, and even Spanish (quien lo sabe) Parka - originally from Nenets, but adopted into English via Aleut via Russian Nanaimo (as in Nanaimo bar) - named after Canadian city, derived from Halkomelem Geronimo (exclamation) - Spanish name, but adapted from the Apache leader Two-spirit - English transliteration of Ojibwe

Possible:

Chinchilla - possibly from Quechua Cigar - possibly from Maya Shark - possibly from Maya Caucus - possibly from Algonquian Okay - possibly from Choctaw Potluck - possibly from Chinook Jargon Sassafras - possibly from unknown Native American language — Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.103.150.125 (talk) 11:38, 21 June 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Also, "quickhatch," another term for wolverine, derived from Algonquian languages (the same etymology as kinkajou in English and carcajou in French). --98.114.176.218 (talk) 06:56, 20 March 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Tamarack and tacamahac. Sassafras, from Latin via Spanish, may relate to a similar-sounding but unknown Native American word that related to its ultimate meaning. --96.227.248.179 (talk) 08:27, 20 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]
Massassauga is a word used for a type of snake in Central North America, adopted from Chippewa. On another note, why haven't any of these words been added? Some of them are iffy, but others are pretty indisputable. --122.194.159.212 (talk) 07:35, 2 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Origin of word "squash"[edit]

The list correctly tells us that the word "squash" (referring to the fruit, such as a butternut squash) is a word of Algonquin origin, but does not tell us what the original Algonquin stands for. I have long understood that the word "squash" comes from an Algonquin word that means "can be eaten raw". ACEOREVIVED (talk) 16:37, 15 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

longer list on Wiktionary[edit]

Some time ago, I put together a more extensive list on Wiktionary, wikt:Appendix:English terms of Native American origin. Feel free to import from it. -sche (talk) 21:29, 22 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]

What are those blue crosses? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 187.93.211.3 (talk) 18:43, 27 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

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