Another Proto-Mississippi Valley *py Set

[Koontz John E]

On Sun, 5 Oct 2003, Jimm GoodTracks wrote:
> This term is really meant for "wild mint" and includes another plant, the
> "Indian Perfume" plant, which is more specifically, as John found:
> "HaN'pyubraN", which is tall and has a pink/ purplish flower that resembles
> clover.  While it is used as an herbal tea ...

This sounds like it might be what is variously called horsemint or
bergamot or blazing star in English.  It does usually have a very pleasant
smell to it.  The common garden varieties smell a bit like a cross between
mint and basil.  The smell is strong enough that it can be unpleasant if
smelled too much.  The genus is Monarda, a member of the mint family, with
the diagnostic square stems and characteristic strong smell.  It's not
genus Mentha in the strict Linnaean sense.

I noticed Gilmore has an interesting discussion for horsemint.  In the
theory of the groups he consulted there are two varieties of Monarda
fistulosa:  a bitter or bad smelling variety and a pleasant smelling
variety.  The former is used medicinally, while the latter is considered a
perfume.  He mentions that Dorsey says that the Dakota use the latter in
connection with the Sun dance, which recalls Jimm's comment on its use by
Iroshka.

The first variety is:

Da xexaka tha phez^uta 'elk medicine' or xexaka tha wote 'elk food'
OP ppez^e ppa 'bitter herb'
Pa "tsusahtu" 'ill smelling'

The second variety is:

Da waxpe was^temna 'fragrant leaves'
OP is^na=khidhe igahi 'hair pomade' or ppez^e ppa miNga 'female bitter
herb'
Pa "tsostyu" (meaning unknown)

Gilmore indicates that the Pawnee distinguish two more forms, and
indicates that at least the first two are distinct genetic strains in his
own experience, and not seasonal or locational variations.  He says he has
found them sometimes quite close to each other.

Dorsey has a story about the elk having to eat bitter weeds.

Notice that the Dakota name of the second variety of these follows the
pattern for mint names that we have been noticing - waxpe 'leaves' refers
to the plant, which is then characterized as was^te 'nice' mna(N) 'having
a smell', where mnaN is the equivalent of the (u)bdhaN, (u)braN form we've
seen in the other languages.

I wonder about the first element in the IO term - the haN.  I couldn't
find anything that would fit.

JEK