Water monsters

[Randolph Graczyk]

In a message dated 01/20/2002 11:29:05 PM Pacific Standard Time,
John.Koontz at colorado.edu writes:


> On Sun, 20 Jan 2002, Rankin, Robert L wrote:
> > > There is a water monster that shows up in Crow tales.  The term for it
> > is buluksa'a. which is not obviously derived from anything else.  Any
> > possible cognates?  Randy
> >
> > Looks like it might possibly be related to the *wakru$ka term (folk
> taxonomy
> > for anything from a small bug to an alligator, including insects,
> arachnids
> > and lizards).  It has reflexes in various Mississippi Valley languages.
>
> Specifically it looks like Dakotan wablus^ka, implying *waprus^ka, albeit
> with metathesis of s^k (and s^ > s).  The *wakrus^ka and *waprus^ka
> variants don't correspond regularly, but the match looks reasonable.  I
> wonder if the Crow form is regularly derived from *waprus^ka?  Could it be
> a loan?

Actually, I think that you could make a case that Crow buluksa'a is
cognate--or partially cognate--with Dakota unktehi.  In Crow t can become s
before a low vowel, and sometimes VhV > VV.

Randy



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