Looking for help with "Sanganasch"

[Bryan James Gordon]

Hi Sky,

"Zhaaganaash" [žaːgənaːš] is Ojibwe for "English / Scottish / white".
It's neat to find out this stem is attested in so many Siouan languages.
Your puzzle might be cleared up if we speculate that the form passed
through Algonquian before it got to Siouan. This is because Ojibwe (and
other closely related languages) don't have an /l/ (so it became /n/), and
don't have C+n clusters (so it got an extra vowel). Also, this is the
ordinary word for English people in Ojibwe, whereas its cousin in Otoe and
Omaha is not the most common word for them. But that's just speculation,
since I'm not familiar with the historical record on this stem. Anybody
else?

Bryan


2013/8/20 Campbell, Sky <sky at omtribe.org>

> This is my first email to this list so I’ll introduce myself.****
>
> ** **
>
> My name is Sky Campbell and I am the Language Director for the
> Otoe-Missouria tribe.  I’ve been here just over four years now and we’ve
> come a long way in our understanding of the language, gathering historical
> information, and recording tribal members.****
>
> ** **
>
> I am currently wrestling with the term “Sanganasch” which is from
> Maximilian’s word list (via Thwaites).  Maximilian translates it as
> “Englishman.”  Page 109 of the *Handbook of North American Indians, Vol.
> 13*, says it is “ultimately from older French *(le)s anglois* ‘the
> English’.”  I’ve attached this page to this email but I don’t know how this
> list will treat attachments.  This page also lists variations from other
> tribes such as “sagdášį” and “sagdášį” (Santee-Sisseton), “šagláša”
> (Teton), “Ságanasch” (Omaha), etc.****
>
> ** **
>
> Based on Maximilian’s spelling for sound, it could roughly be said as
> “sahng-gah-nash.”****
>
> ** **
>
> No matter how I try, I can’t see any real similarities between “(le)s
> anglois” and “Sanganasch” in my mind.  I can (just!) see “(le)*s ang*lois”
> in “*Sang*anasch” (underlined parts).****
>
> ** **
>
> So I spoke with a friend of mine who lives in France.  He was originally
> from here but has lived there over 20 years now.  He also couldn’t see how
> “(le)s anglois” could be shoehorned into “Sanganasch.”  Since he is fluent
> in French I asked for his take and he did mention what he thought it might
> be and that was “sale ganache” which he said is a sort of slang for dirty
> face, ugly face, detestable, untrustworthy, and several more unflattering
> terms.  He said the “ganache” was (aside from the dessert!) something along
> the lines of a lower jaw of a 4-legged animal.  But he noted the lack of an
> “L” in the term and I told him from an Otoe-Missouria perspective, there
> isn’t an “L” (as in Larry) sound really but the rolling “r” sort of covers
> that area and that it might be possible that it was just skipped or
> contracted over time.  He also mentioned “sang” (blood) as well.****
>
> ** **
>
> I have no idea how accurate this term could be.  But if it is, it would be
> very funny to have the French somewhat badmouthing their English (and maybe
> Spanish) competitors by giving the tribes a less than favorable translation
> for them.  But for this to be true, this “slang” would have to have been in
> use almost 200 years ago and I have no idea if it was.  Plus it looks like
> its use would have had to have been pretty wide-spread since other tribes
> had a similar term.****
>
> ** **
>
> So that is what I am looking at.  Any feedback, any avenues to check out,
> any sources, etc. would be greatly appreciated.  If this is some form of
> “(le)s anglois”, I’d just like to know how.  Or if anyone can tell me if I
> am getting close.****
>
> ** **
>
> Also, if it helps, James Owen Dorsey had the term “ra-kra-she” for
> “Englishman.”****
>
> ** **
>
> *Sky Campbell, B. A.*
>
> Language Director****
>
> Otoe-Missouria Tribe****
>
> 580-723-4466 ext. 111****
>
> sky at omtribe.org****
>
> ** **
>
>   ­­
>



-- 
***********************************************************
Bryan James Gordon, MA
Joint PhD Program in Linguistics and Anthropology
University of Arizona
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