Carmichael, Alfred. 1922. Indian legends of Vancouver Island.

[Scott Tyler]

Also related to Makah   kwadis  for ? camas? or some sort of wild onion.

scott

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Henry Kammler" <h.kammler at EM.UNI-FRANKFURT.DE>
To: <CHINOOK at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG>
Sent: Monday, June 29, 2009 12:36 AM
Subject: Re: Carmichael, Alfred. 1922. Indian legends of Vancouver Island.


>> Kwa-nis, Kam-mass or Gam-mas
>> [Actually a CJ word.  -- DDR]
>
> Actually two words. The Chinook Wawa version /kamas/ is likely to be  of 
> Sahaptian origin (Nez Perce /q'emes/ or something like that) if I 
> remember right.
>
> The first word, the Nuuchanulth word Carmichael means, is /kwan'is/ 
> "camas bulb" (from Clayoquot Sound northward pronounced /kwan'us/).  The 
> plant is native to neighboring areas and was known long before the 
> emergence of CJ. Moreover, it would be hard to explain why plain /m/ 
> would become glottalized /n'/ if it were a loanword. It may be related 
> etymologically to  /kwan'ux/ "urinate (for a woman)".
> Would be interesting to know whether camas has a diuretic effect.
>
> -HK
>
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