Historical questions

[Rory M Larson]

Alan wrote:
> Illinois mihs- could stem from either Proto-Algonquian *me?T- [glottal
> stop; unvoiced th]  ‘big’ or *mehT-  ‘wooden’ which have identical
> reflexes in Illinois, but the gloss ‘wooden canoe’ is made less likely
> by the existence of the Illinois word meehtikoosia ‘Frenchman’ (lit.
> ‘wooden-boat person’).

I'm probably about to get myself in over my head here,
but I'm not following this argument.  If Proto-Algonquian
'big' *me?T- => mihs- in Illinois, and if Proto-Algonquian
'wood' *mehT- => mihs- in Illinois, then how does Illinois
get meeht- for 'wood' in the case of Frenchmen?  Would
this be a borrowing from some other Algonquian language?
If so, what would that have to do with their local word
for a 'big' or 'wooden' canoe?

Thanks,
Rory