MANDAN redux (was Re: Dakota Band Names and Pomme de Terre)

[Alan H. Hartley]

Koontz John E wrote:
>
> On Sat, 9 Feb 2002, Alan H. Hartley wrote:
> > Item no. 9. on the list of eastern Sioux village names of Le Sueur
> > (1699-1702) is Mantanton. The -ton is Sioux -thuN 'village', and the
> > balance appears identical to MANDAN. Le Sueur apparently glosses the
> > name (or describes the group) twice, as 'N[ation] de la Grosse Roche'
> > and as 'village d'un grand lac qui se decharge dans un petit'.

> I have a citation in my comments on the names recommending Hodge 1907-10:
> I, 819, which is The Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico.
>
> I think this is intended to render MdonthuN = Mdo't(e) + thuNwaN.  The
> word mdo'te appears in Riggs glossed 'the mouth or junction of one river
> with another (a name commonly applied to the country about Fort Snelling,
> or the mouth of the Saint Peters; also the name appropriated to the
> establisment of the Fur Company at the junction of the river, written
> Mendota); the outlet of a lake.  T. iyoh.loke."  I can't find the expected
> Teton cognate *blote in Buechel, but iyoxloke, cited by Riggs, does
> appear.  Williamson has under 'mouth', 'the mouth of the river, iyoxdoke,
> mdote', so it looks like Santee also has iyoxdoke cf. iyoxloke.

Interesting to note that the Hidatsa name for the Mandan is aráxpakua
'at the confluence; toward the mouth of the creek' (HNAI 13.363).

Alan