birchbark versus birch

[David Costa]

> But I imagine the operative idea here is that of the BARK of the birch, not
> the birch-tree itself, so 'birchbark boat'. Cf. Ojibway wi:kwa:s 'birchbark,
> birch-tree' and wi:kwa:si-^ci:ma:n 'birchbark canoe'.

It might also be worth mentioning here that in Ojibwe /wiigwaas/ as an
animate noun means 'birch tree', while /wiigwaas/ as an INanimate noun means
'birch bark'. (From the Nichols/Nyholm Minnesota Ojibwe dictionary.)

David