kahomni

[Koontz John E]

Buechel gives kaho'mni(N) as 'to make something turn around by striking,
as a top'.  He also offers an intransitive gloss, 'to turn around, as a
wheel by striking; to spin, as a top'.  The intransitive gloss is
inherited from Riggs, but the transitive definition is new.

Riggs also offers a transitive definition based on action of wind or
water, 'to turn, as water or wind does a mill-wheel'.

Williams gives (under 'spin') a transitive definition pahomni(N),
kahomni(N) 'to spin a top'.  Williams also gives kahomni as the transitive
of 'whirl'.

The intransitive is given as homni.  Homni(N)' is given in Riggs as
'round, going round', with crossreferences to oho'mni, and yuhomni.
Buechel doesn't list homni separately, either in the main list or in the
supplement.

Williams gives 'whirlpool' as mniomni and 'whirlwind' as t[h]ateiyumni.
Buechel gives wamniomni as 'whirwind, whirlpool' and yumnimni as
'hurricane'.  Ingham lists both wamni'omni 'whirlpool, whirlwind' and
thate'iyumni 'whirlwind'.

Given the strong connections among the Riggs/Williams/Buechel
dictionaries, it's interesting to see such variation, however minor, in
their treatment of a particular form.

Clearly there are some complications to the form of (h)(o)mni 'to turn in
circles (?)'.  Perhaps homni is a compoiund based on mni, or perhaps some
contraction of V(h)V is involved.

Examples of ka- 'by wind or water':

kaghi' 'to stop one's progress, to be in one's way, as a river'
kaxtaN' to soak up, to soak in, as does grease in wood'
kaxwo'ka 'to be carried along by the wind; to float like clouds'
kai'c^ogha 'to come off, slide away, as wood in water'
kai'z^ena 'to confuse, mix up, as the wind does'
kai's^tamnihaNpi hiyuya (?) 'to bring tears to one's eyes, as the wind
does'
kaz^a'z^a 'to wash away, as bridge by a flood'
kaz^o' 'to have diarrhoea; to whistle as the wind does'
kak?o'za, etc. 'to leave hard and bare, as the wind does the ground'
kala' 'to scatter, as grain'
...



John E. Koontz
http://spot.colorado.edu/~koontz