LINGUISTIquips

For a recent paper I completed (which should be up here soon), I researched Native American languages in California, and the relative maintenance and/or decline thereof. On my path to resources, I stumbled across a nice little work entitled American Words: An introduction to those native words used in english in the US and Canada. The book actually turned out to be incredibly interesting, enough so to write a short piece about it. (Not only that, but it was written by Jack Forbes at UC Davis in 1979, and I feel a need to promote other Aggies when the chance arises.)

Technorati Tags: etymology, native american language

The work is essentially a listing of English words with native american etymologies. If you can get your hands on a copy, I’d highly recommend it.

Some words of particular interest are:

Chum (meaning friend) comes from “Chamay,” in Powaton.

Gee! (meaning an exclamation as in Gee Whiz!) comes from “Chee,” in Chinook.

Hooray (another exclamation) comes from “Arr-arr-ay” in Keshwa.

Okay (expression affirmation) comes from “Okey” in Chakta.

Uh-oh (expressing worry or concern) comes from “uh-oh” in Lenape.

Barbeque comes from “Barbakóa” in Taino.

Tuxedo comes from Lenape. (Actually named after Tuxedo, NY, which was named after the Lenape phrase “P’tuksit,” meaning “he has a round foot or a wolf.”

Poncho comes from “Pontho” in Araucanian.

Tequila comes from “Tekila” in Mexicano.

Jerky (dried meat) comes from “Charqui” or “Charki” in Keshwa.

Cigar comes from “Sikar” in Maya.

Hubbub (meaning noise or excitement) comes from the same word in Algonkian, in which language it means “a game like cards or dice.”

And finally: Koochi-koo (what’s said when tickling a baby) comes from the “Kutch-” stem in Powhatan, meaning “itching, tickling, etc.”

Source: Forbes, Jack D. (1979). American Words: An introduction to those native words used in the United States and Canada. Davis, University of California.