Dakota wakhan

[Rankin, Robert L]

Jimm Good Tracks writes:
>It may be added to Bob's list below, that "WakaNda" (God) is also found
in Ponca & Ioway/Otoe.  In Winnebago (Hochank) it is rendered "WakaNja'"
(Thunders/ Thunder Birds).  The Winnebago retains an older meaning/
application of the word, which was apparent in IOM & Osage, et.al., as
noted by LaFleshe, Osage Dictionary, pp.193-194.  As such, when the term
appears in an IOM Clan Name, it is best rendered as "thunder", e.g.,
WakandaKipa (Meets The Thunders).

All Dhegiha dialects have a version of *wahkaNta as a noun, but do any of
these languages also have a reflex of *wahkaN, the verb?  If not, it is
quite possible that Dhegiha underwent the same change as OVS and Ioway-Otoe
and that we's?a has replaced it.

We see here the usual progression of derived replacement forms by which the
older FORM takes on the newer MEANING and a newer, derived form takes the
old meaning.  'Dog' and 'horse' are a good parallel.

Bob