Lakota wa- 'variety object'

[Koontz John E]

On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 bi1 at soas.ac.uk wrote:
> While we are on this subject, does anyone have an explanation for the
> fact that in Lakota iyopheya seems to mean 'to reproach, scold' and
> wiyopheya means 'to sell'.  Is there a semantic connection or is this a
> coincidence.  Or is my data wrong?  Any help forthcoming?

I'd be surprised if they weren't connected.  If you think of selling (or
buying) as bargaining, especially in a barter-system, then "product
disparagement," alternating with some disparagement of the emptor (or
anti-vendor), is the essence of thing.

JEK