Iroquoian bows

[BARudes at aol.com]

Iroquoian words for bow

(Note: except where noted, accent falls on the second to the last vowel.
Accent placement in Huron, Laurentian and Nottoway is unknown.  Cherokee has
pitch accents on each vowel.)

Set 1

Proto-Lake Iroquoian    *a?eN:na?  pole, stick; bow
Cayuga                            a?eN:na?  pole, stick
Laurentian                       Ahena      bow
Mohawk                          a?vN:na?  bow
Oneida                             a?vNna:    bow (accent on last vowel)
Onondaga                        a?eN:na?  bow
Seneca                          wa?eN:noN?  bow, u?eN:noN? pole, stick (no
accent on either word)
Wyandot                          a?eN:nda?   bow

Set 2

Proto-Iroquoian                  *a?ta?  wood, stick
Cherokee                              ada     wood, stick
Proto-Northern Iroquoian  *a?ta?   bow
Laurentian                            Cacta   bow
Nottoway                             ata       bow
Seneca                            kaeo?ta?   gun (accent on first vowel)
Tuscarora                             a?neh   bow; gun
Wyandot                              a?ta?    bow

Other

Cayuga                           atota:?  bow
Huron                             anda     bow (possibly related to set 1)
Cherokee                       gahlja?di bow

The Catawba word for bow, ic^ika:, is a loan word from a Muskogean language,
compare Creek icca-kotaksi bow (lit. gun-crooked [Creek data from Karen
Booker]).

Iroquoian set two reminds me of the initial ahta- in one of the Algonquian
words for bow submitted previously to the list.

Blair