Wapiti, elk and moose

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

Would anyone know the root here for "white" and the root for "elk/moose"?
 
Gerald Cohen

________________________________

Message from Mark Mandel, Sun 9/28/2008 5:19 PM:


OED says it's Cree, not Inuit:

adopted from Cree wapitik (Shawnee wahpetee) lit. 'white deer'.

m a m

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org