How to pronounce things

[goodtracks at peoplepc.com]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wallace Chafe" <chafe at linguistics.ucsb.edu>
To: <siouan at lists.colorado.edu>
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2006 5:28 PM
Subject: RE: How to pronounce things


> And how about Arkansas?
> Wally
>
There are two regional (Oklahoma ~ Kansas) variants.
1.  The ususal pronunciation of Arkansas, is like the state of Arkansas.
2.  The variant form is:  ar (like the letter "r"), kan (like the word "can" 
or the tin/ metal container) which has takes the accent, and   "-sas"  (as 
in the word sustenance).
If someone can describe variant #2 better, have at it.

Only Bob, or Justin McBride, Kaw Nation, may be able to provide the actual 
Kaw language version.   The IOM term for the Arkansas River (however you 
want to say it in English-both variants are used interchangeably) is:

ñi hga ~ ñi thga (older) and ñi xga (LWRobinson, 1975).

[Note:  This is an "n" with an eñega, i.e., "ny" for those PCs that donot 
process the font]. The term means "white water", which is a joke if one 
viewed it.  Perhaps it had "white waters" in pre EuroAmerican settlement 
era.

The city of Arkansas City, KS (using variant #2 by all who live in, or know 
of the town) in IOM  is:  ÑiHga China --  White Water Town.
Jimm