Algonquian Flavor Terms

[Koontz John E]

For those who are interested in the typology of taste terms and dealing
with the common uses of ProtoSiouan *sku're 'sweet, salty, sour'.   I
cited some of these in the 'oak' discussion.  Anyway, Algonquian has some
of the same conflations.

> On Mon, 5 Jan 2004, Michael Mccafferty wrote:
Here's about all I can piece together at this point, John. There's a
reconstructed PA initial /$i:w-/ (Siebert) 'strong taste' that gives

Cree /si:w-/ 'salty, sour'
Menominee /se:w-/ 'sweet, sour'
Ojibwe /$i:w-/ 'sour, salty'

There may be other reflexes of this initial in other daughter languages, but I
don't have any more resources for it. It apparently doesn't exist in Miami-
Illinois. Or at least I haven't seen it.

Then there's another PA initial */wi:$kopi-/ 'sweet', that gives, for example
Fox /wi:$kopimina/ 'sweet corn' (lit. 'sweet berry')

Interesting things happen to this initial when it moves into Miami-Illinois:

Old Illinois /wi:skapeemihkwaani/ 'melon' (lit. 'sweet gourd, sweet pumpkin')
(/eemihkwaani/ 'gourd, pumpkin')

Old Illinois /wi:skape(e)kamiiwi/ 'eau salee' (salt water)
[/-(i)kami-/ 'water']

Modern Miami-Illinois (with the same initial) /weehkapanki/ 'it is sweet/sour'
                                              /wiihkapaakani/ 'salt
                                              /weehkapahaminki/ 'it is salted'


Michael