Translation/pronunciation
Geoff Davis
mixcoatl at GMAIL.COM
Mon Aug 30 23:47:54 UTC 2004
> In the modern dialects that I'm familiar with, 'quimichin' is used for
> "mouse" and 'quimich-ilama(tl)' is used for "rat". (ilamatl = old woman)
> This is in villages where the folk-zoology classifies 'raton' "mouse" and
> 'rata' "rat" as the male and female of the same species.
Is this an example of a pun or play on words, perhaps, with quimich-
acting as both a dimunitive ("little" old lady) as well as a hint that the "old
lady" in question is indeed a rodent?
> My recollection is that Molina didn't really give a word for "rat". He
> did have:
[-snip-snip-]
Thanks for the list. I learn new things every day. :D
-Geoff
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