Kilatika

[Koontz John E]

On Wed, 5 Apr 2006 mmccaffe at indiana.edu wrote:
> A subtribe of the Algonquian-speaking Miami [is identified as]
> <Kilatika> and <Kiratika> ...
>
> This ethnonym has no apparent etymology in Miami-Illinois. I was
> wondering if by chance it might have an apparent etymology in an Ohio
> valley or Mississippian Siouan language.

The best I can say until I can look through some dictionaries is that it
is reasonably shaped to be a Siouan form, in terms of phonetic content,
phonological canons, and potential morphology.  I just don't recognize the
root.

Something like ki + ra + tika, where ki is from the suus, possessive,
reflexive and reciprocal set (neglecting vowel syncopation and aspiration
or preaspiration, etc., on the stop), ra is a perhaps the 'by mouth'
instrumental, and tika is the root.

It would also be a fairly reasonable onomatopeic bird call.  Isn't there a
usual explanation somewhat along those lines?