Word for 'prairie'?

[R. Rankin]

Kaw /zaNje/ is 'upland forest' and the village /zaNjo:'liN/ is usually given as
'they live in the forest'.  Kaw /ttaNje/ is 'land like up on a hill/ according
to Mrs. Rowe.  It's possible that either of these terms might be extended, but
the one with /z/ seems to refer to an area with lots of trees.  Both Dakota and
Crow seem to translate 'flatland', but I don't have an exact Dhegiha equivalent.

Again, thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "Carolyn Q." <cqcqcq1 at earthlink.net>
To: <siouan at lists.colorado.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 2:53 PM
Subject: RE: Word for 'prairie'?


> Mrs. Holding (Osage) always said that the name for Hominy district
> zaaNce'oliiN was 'living on the prairie' (oliiN' is 'live, dwell').  I think
> LF says "living in the upland forest" in this instance, but she said that
> was wrong, insisted on 'prairie' or 'country' which she felt to be the same.
> Carolyn
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-siouan at lists.colorado.edu
> [mailto:owner-siouan at lists.colorado.edu]On Behalf Of Alan Hartley
> Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 1:05 PM
> To: siouan at lists.colorado.edu
> Subject: Re: Word for 'prairie'?
>
>
> Rankin, Robert L wrote:
>
> > how to say 'prairie' in Kaw.  I don't have much I can tell them.
> > Does any of your work with Omaha, Ponca or Osage (or other languages)
> > yield any insight.
>
> Some Algonquian languages have a word based on a root (*mas^kw- ?)
> meaning 'grass', e.g., Fox mas^kote:wi, Ojibway mas^kode.
>
> Canadian French and American English 'prairie' refers to grassy areas
> ranging in size from a small meadow to a great plain.
>
> Alan
>
>