Awahawi / Amahami

[Alan H. Hartley]

I've ordered Matthews' _Ethnography & Philology of the Hidatsa Indians_
through interlibrary loan in the hope that it will shed some light on
the etymology of this name of a subdivision of the Hidatsa. In the mean
time, I wonder if someone on the List can help.

The name occurs in many variants--

Lewis & Clark (Moulton's edition) 1804-5: Arwerharmay, Arwarharmay,
Ah-wâh-hâ-way, Ahwahharway, Ah-nah-hâ-way

Bradbury _Travels_ c.1811: Ahwahhaway

Brackenridge _Views of Louisiana_ 1814: A-wa-ha-way

Brown _Western Gazetteer_ 1817: Ahwahawa

Riggs _Dakota Grammar_ 1893: Amahami (h with dot below)

Bowers _Hidatsa Organization_ 1965: Awaxawi

The following are cited by Hodge 1907; I haven't seen them--

Matthews op. cit: Amahami, Amatihami (h with dot above)

McKenney & Hall _Indian Tribes_ 1854: Anhawa

Gallatin 1836: Annahawa

Maximilian _Travels_ 1843: Awachawi (German transcription of the
aspirate, I assume)

(There are also several variants, like Mahaha, of the Mandan name for
the group.)

Moulton (III. 205, note) says types Amahami and Awahawi may both be from
Hidatsa awaxáawi 'mountain'.

Hodge (I. 47) derives Amahami 'mountainous country' from ama 'land' +
khami 'broken'

I've been assuming that Amahami & Awahawi are etymologically related and
that there is a synchronic or diachronic relationship between -m- and
-w-, or that the -m- and the -w- represent variant spellings of one
Hidatsa consonant. (The -n- in some forms is difficult; maybe it's a
copyist's or printer's error.)

Thanks for any help,
Alan