Lakota Concept of Zero

Rankin, Robert L rankin at ku.edu
Thu Jan 19 21:22:54 UTC 2006


I tend to think that trying to relate kkoge to k?u is a folk etymology.  The phonemes k? and kk cannot correspond in these languages.
 
Perhaps a more likely relationship would be with the root kko- 'to make a hollow sound'.  
 
Bob
 
> If the origin of "trunk" is prior to 1820, as hypothesized - given the above
dates - I  wonder if in fact there may be some merit in what an elderly
Osage woman told me many years ago....that the word ku'ge for "trunk" was
derived from the Osage verb "k'u" - to give away. "Trunk" for "1000" is
certainly not an isolated case, it seems widespread. But most tribe never
saw trunks of 1000 coins until after 1820, most earlier treaties were for
less than 1000 dollars (or coins).



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