Colors in Dakota -Duta

[Koontz John E]

On Wed, 26 Mar 2003, Violet Catches wrote:
> So a red horse is a Hinsha, but in a name it should be Txashunke Luta.

It sounds like the distinction is essentially one of what they call
'register'.  Luta is preferred for more 'elevated' or 'special' contexts.
Perhaps this is consistent with it arising from a metaphor for 'ripened,
scarlet'?

I seem to recall that there were some interesting things in connection
with 'red' terms in Siouan words for 'watermelon', which in Omaha-Ponca is
sakka z^ide.

Another interesting use of 'red' in OP is the clan name iNgdhez^ide,
literally 'red excrement', said in Fletcher & LaFlesche to refer to the
coloring of the excrement of buffalo calves.  When I first began to change
the diapers of my kids I was struck by the bright coloring of a milkfed
baby's excement, though I would have called in more 'yellow' in English
terms, at least for a human's excrement.  I'm told that there has been a
tendency to modify the Omaha clan name, which some now consider
embarassing as a result of European cultural influences.