Portatives in Omaha-Ponca

[Kathleen Shea]

Just a comment.  I think the word for "ribs" has an aspirated "t":  dhetHi.
An example can be found in the family name of one of my Ponca consultants
(and in the personal name of one of her ancestors), DhetHi Aag^a, "Cries For
Ribs."

Kathy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Koontz John E" <John.Koontz at colorado.edu>
To: <siouan at lists.colorado.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2001 2:04 AM
Subject: Portatives in Omaha-Ponca


> The verb ?iN 'to carry on the back' is fairly familiar, but there is a
> family of others based on gdhaN:
>
> ttu'=gdhaN 'to transport, e.g., stones'  (dative ttu'=gigdhaN)
> itti'=gdhaN 'to carry in the belt, to place in the robe above the belt'
> mi'=gdhaN 'to wear or carry in the belt'
> a'tta=gdhaN 'to carry on top of a pile'
>
> It appears that gdhaN as the root here refers to rounded or compact
> objects, what Dorsey calls 'curvilinear', because (a) he uses curvilinear
> in defining a'tta=gdhaN, and (b) itti'=aNhe refers to putting a long
> object in the belt.
>
> itti'=aNhe 'to carry (a long object) in the belt'
>
> There is also another alternative stem z^i 'insert':
>
> itti'=(wa)z^i 'to put them (the wa-) (long objects) in the belt'
> mi'=(wa)z^i 'to put them (the wa-) in one's belt'
>
> The sense of long here probably comes from the concept 'insert'.  It is
> difficult to insert a round object under the belt.  The verb uzhi can
> certainly refer to putting round objects into a bag - u- here being the
> locative.
>
> The initial components of these verbs are largely obscure, but itti' is
> 'abdomen', cf. also dhi'tti 'ribs'.  I notice that mi resembles the
> initial element of Dakotan mi'=la 'sword'.  OP 'sun' is miN.
>
> Also relevant:
>
> wadhahe gi 'to come carrying it (a dog) in the mouth'
> a'=igadha adhe 'to go carrying it on the arm'
>
> These are obviously based on motion verbs.
>
> JEK