Quapaw designation (fwd)

[R. Rankin]

I strongly suspect a mis-copying, at some point, of Akansa, Acansa, Acansea,
etc., etc., in its many incarnations.  Almost NO Native American languages had
the consonant [v], and, as far as I know, none east of the Plains.  (I think
maybe some modern Mohawk and Creek dialect(s) may have it as an allophone.)  I
think someone just picked up the Dhegihan term /hkaaNze/, like the Illinois did,
and Margry or his source made a mistake with it.  The initial A- in the
Algonquian borrowings of it is a reflex of Algonquian short */o/ that becomes
/a/ in Illinois.  It's used with a number of ethnonyms including the O- of
Ojibwe.

Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Mccafferty" <mmccaffe at indiana.edu>
To: <siouan at lists.colorado.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 6:22 AM
Subject: Quapaw designation (fwd)


> I received this note, and am wondering if anyone has any Siouan light to
> offer.
> Thanks, Michael
>
> The M-I term he's referring to is, of course, /akaansa/, i believe.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I do Chickasaw topographical nomenclature, among other things, and while
> searching for something else I came across the following enigmatic
> designation for the Quapaw in Margry's Découverts... (1: 616): Savansa.
> According to the Handbook of NA Indians, this is the sole occurrence of
> such a name for them. It bears some resemblance to Miami-Illinois terms
> for the Quapaw tribe. Hodge in the earlier Handbook mentions a Quapaw
> gens name, Wasa, that could be the last two syllables of Savansa. Do you
> see anything that might suggest a possible Miami-Illinois source for
> calling the Quapaw Savansa?
>
> Thanks, as always,
>
> John
>
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