etymology of MANDAN

[Koontz John E]

On Sat, 21 Aug 1999, Alan H. Hartley wrote:
> Matthews (1877, p. 35) says "Prince Maximilian writes the word
> Manitari..which represents a way in which the Mandans often pronounce
> it--the Mandan word for water being mani."

Hollow reports the word as miNniN, which he derives from underlying
|[wriN]|, by regular processes of epenthesis (> wiNriN) and sonorant
nasalization (> [miNniN]).

Of course, Siouanists are used to sonorant clusters being broken up by
epenthetic vowels, as in Teton bl (and mn) or Omaha-Ponca bdh.  In some
languages, like those just cited, the epenthetic vowel is a schwa and
eschews other vowelish properties, e.g., in can't be accented.  In others,
like Mandan, Crow, Hidatsa, and Winnebago, it is perceived as a full vowel
conditioned by the following vowel.  In Winnebago, at least, the
epenthetic vowels can be accented, if the leftward accentual shift moved
stress onto one.

So, it could be argued that a in mani represents either a schwa-like
rendition of the first syllable of Minitari, somehow institutionalized in
Mandan, or at least accepted as a legitimate variant.  The vasos for the
variant might be a bit of influence on mini from the vowel pattern of
tari.  Bear in mind that tari is not found in Mandan, but only in Hidatsa,
so this word is essentially uninterpretable.

Even if Matthews is not strictly correct about the Mandan word for
'water', his Mandan form for Minitari is consistent with the one in the
story cited by Jimm Good Tracks.  Both have mani-.  I think we can agree
that Manitari is a legitimate variant of Minitari in Mandan.  Actually, it
should be Manitani and Minitani, based on that example from Jimm.

For what it's worth, one of the unknown, but supposed Siouan groups known
by name only from the upper Ohio Valley is called Monetan, usually
interpreted as 'big water' (?maNniN-thaN), based on the usual 'water' and
'big' morphemes of the Siouan family.