Bows (IO tradition)/Yankton sociology (fwd)

[Jess Tauber]

Here is what I was able to grab in a very quick run-though at UCSB library:

Coast Tsimshian:  hakwda:kh
                "back" : hak?>:
Koasati:          ittobihi
                "back" : atabi
Tarahumara        ata-ka
Lushootseed:      ts'a?such   note also qch=ic < -ich
                                           "back
Squamish:         tEXwa?ch
Cowichan          tEXwats    -ch suff. "back"

Colville/Okanagon (s)-tskw=in?k
Spokane               tskw=in?ch  note also =in?ch just
                                  as "bow" as lexical
                                  suffix
These as well as a number of terms for "sinew", "knee", "walking stick", etc. which seem to have similar phonosemantics indicate that in many cases one has a combination of some root meaning tight (though elastic) flexibility combined with a term which might be construed as "back", possibly from recognition of the bow-like flexure of the back in life and especially in death. It is of course possible that this is a folk etymology from a borrowed form- I believe I've also seen
similar terms in other parts of the New World.\

Other terms of interest? Cahuilla -tacha- lie on back
                                   tavish projectile point

Tuscsrora also has a root -nachr- for "bow".

Jess Tauber
zylogy at aol.com