Siouan word lists reply

[Koontz John E]

On Tue, 13 Jan 2004, Rory M Larson wrote:
> axe                    maN'zephe
>                        metal-sharp(?)
>                       "sharp metal"?
>       (I'm not sure if the p is aspirated or not,
>       and would appreciate advice on this and on
>       my tentative "sharp" translation.)

I believe it's ppe and what I heard was maN(aN)'spe or maybe
maN(aN)'zEppe, with voiceless E.  'Sharp metal' is the usual explanation,
though I'm not wholely satisfied with it.

> axe handle             maN'zephe-i'ba
>                        axe-projection(?)

While i'ba is also 'to swell; swelling', I think 'handle' would work here.
This may be cognate with Dakotan ihu'pa.

> base of an axe head    maN'zephe-ppa-hi'de
>                        axe-head-bottom
>       (I didn't notice it in the dictionary, but
>       this word implies that the word for axe-head
>       is maN'zephe-ppa.)

That seems reasonable.

> "adze"                 z^aN-i'-ga-goN
>                        wood-INST-IMPULSE-trim(?)
>                        "wood-trimmer"
>
> adze proper            we'?e-z^aNi'gagoN
>                        hoe-adze
>
> broad-ax               maN'zephe-z^aNi'gagoN
>                        axe-adze
>
>   (The last three seem to imply a sharp-edged head
>   at the end of a handle, which is swung to rough-trim
>   lumbar.  If the plane of the blade is parallel with
>   the plane of the swinging handle, as with an axe,
>   then it is an "axe wood-trimmer", or broad-ax.  If
>   the plane of the blade is perpendicular to the plane
>   of the swinging handle, as with a hoe, then it is a
>   "hoe wood-trimmer".  In English, we distinguish axes
>   from adzes in this manner, but have no general term
>   for a "wood-trimmer".)

I wonder if the basic concept here might not be scraping or chipping or
shaving.  Probably not shaving, given the next, with a different root.

> shavings               z^aN-ba'-s?u  [Omaha]
>                        wood-PUSH-plane(?)
>                        "wood shavings"?
>
> saw                    z^aN'-i-ba'-se
>                        wood-INST-PUSH-cut
>                        "something to cut wood by pushing"

I got we'base, but the idea and the formation are the same.

> saw, cross-cut saw     we'magi'xe  (wa-i-ma-gixe)  [Omaha]
>                        WA-INST-CUT-hiss(?)
>
> cross-cut saw          z^aN'ttaNga-i'-ma'-se
>                        log-INST-CUT-cut

Might this be the two-handled kind?

> hand-saw               z^aN'-i-ma-se
>                        wood-INST-CUT-cut
>
> hand-saw               we'bamoN  (wa-i-ba-moN)  [Ponka]
>                        WA-INST-PUSH-work(?)
>       (In Omaha, this word means "file")
>
>
> circular saw           u-noN'-sne
>  at a sawmill          in-FOOT-split

Were these conrolled with a treddle?  Or maybe with a peddle mechamism
like circular whet stones.

> sawmill                z^aN'-u-noN'-sne-ti
>                        wood-in-FOOT-split-house
>
>   (From the last two, it looks like unoN'sne is probably
>   a shortened form of z^aN'u-noN'-sne.)

This seems reasonable.  You wonder how readily z^aN could be ommitted
everywhere?

> sawdust                z^aN-noN'-tube
>                        wood-FOOT-powder
>
>   (Apparently the instrumental prefix noN-, FOOT, governs
>   the action of a circular saw in a sawmill, and perhaps
>   other mechanical actions occurring low to the ground.)

Or operated with a peddle?

bittube is 'to rub to powder' (bi- PRESS)

> log chain              z^aN'-i-dhi-snu
>                        wood-INST-HAND-slide
>                        "wood snaker"

Or 'drag(ger)'?

> iron wedge             maN'zewi'uga'sne (maN'ze-wa-i-u-ga-sne)
>                        (iron-WA-INST-in-IMPULSE-split)

Sne seems to imply a lengthwise cut.

> rasp                   z^aN-i'-ba-moN
>                        wood-INST-PUSH-work
>
>                        moN-i'-dhi-xdha'de
>                        ??-INST-HAND-??
>       (Does anyone have any idea what moN and xdha'de might
>       mean here?)

MoN occurs in the 'file' usage above, and I think it must refer to
rubbing or rasping.  The technique on these it to check under various
combinations of instrumental and root in sources you have (Swetland &
Stabler, LaFlesche, Dorsey, etc.), not scrupling to check other languages,
too.  It's tedious.

Oh, I see, the second moN!  Well, one idea is that m is the key below j,
and j is how Dorsey wrote z^.

Dorsey has gaxdha'de 'be buried in snow' in the texts, and we'axdhade
(wa-i-a-...) is 'warclub with iron point', I suppose the kind resembling
musket stocks?  Maybe a reference to the rattail?

> hammer                 z^aNwe'thiN (z^aN-wa-i'-thiN)  [Ponka]
>                        wood-WA-INST-hit
>                        "wood striker"
>
> iron hammer            iN'?ewe'thiN (iN'?e-wa-i-thiN)
>                        stone-WA-INST-hit
>                        "stone striker"

Could the first be 'mallet' or 'maul'?  The texts give just we'thiN, too.
Also just iNwe'thiN for 'stonehammer'.

> nails                  maN'zewi'ugadoN (man'ze-wa-i'-u-ga-doN)
>                        metal-WA-INST-in-IMPULSE-force
>                        "metal things used to be pounded in"

Or maybe 'metal with which one in-pounds things'?

> screws                 maN'ze-u-dhi'-gdheze
>                        metal-in-HAND-striped
>
>                        u-dhi'-gdheze
>                        in-HAND-striped
>
> screw-driver           wi'udhi'doN  (wa-i-u-dhi-doN)
>                        WA-INST-in-HAND-force
>                        "thing used for drawing in"

Note that wiu is what happens when you put wa on udhu (like Da iyo).