taku- vs. taku-

[Koontz John E]

On Wed, 30 Jul 2003, ROOD DAVID S wrote:
> Any L/D word with first syllable stress SHOULD, theoretically, have an
> etymology that involves the loss of a vowel in front of that syllable.
> However, I have no idea whether that's true in this case, nor what the
> vowel or syllable might be.  I have long been suspicious on semantic
> grounds of equating the -yA 'to have as a relative' with the causative
> -yA, but I can't come up with any credible non-semantic evidence to
> distinguish them.  I hope you'll get an informed answer from someone else.

This is indeed a surprising function - at least it was to me initially,
before I got used to it - it does seem to be the causative.  Parallels in
other Mississippi Valley Siouan languages are always the causative stem of
that language - yA in Dakotan, dhE in Omaha-Ponca, hi in Winnebago, etc.

For what it's worth, Omaha-Ponca uses gaghe 'to make' in the sense of 'to
perform, to imitate, to act as if one were', e.g., for a shaman magically
behaving as a particular bird or animal.  This strikes me as at least
analogous.

JEK