[Lexicog] bats

[William J Poser]

In Carrier bats are called t'az or 'ut'az depending on the dialect.
This is not obviously analyzable, though it does look like the verb
root for "cut" and so conceivably might be "cutter".

In the Lheidli dialect spoken here in Prince George, however, the
original term has been replaced by liyab dut'ai "devil bird".
dut'ai "bird" (probably etymologically "winged one") is indigenous,
while liyab is a loan from French "diable", possibly via Chinook
Jargon. The connection between bats and the devil is not part of
Carrier tradition - I suspect that this is due to Catholic influence.

--
Bill Poser, Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania
http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~wjposer/ billposer at alum.mit.edu


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