Sioux.

[Koontz John E]

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005, R. Rankin wrote:
> So is the analysis of the name Sioux as a variant of 'those who speak a
> different language' Doug's or is it based on some earlier analysis?
> Lots of linguists were consulted about the Plains Volume synonymy
> including myself, on numerous occasions (I contributed nothing on the
> name Sioux, however).  My understanding was that the reanalysis
> originated with Ives, but maybe I was wrong.

Doug's synonymy (2001, HBNAI 13:749-760) seems to espouse the etymology in
terms of a medial *-aatowee- 'speak a (foreign) language' and attributes
it to Pentland 1979, an article in the Calgary Working Papers in
Linguistics and Goddard 1984, an article on Native North American
Ethnonymy.  I first encountered the claim in an article by Fenton (1978,
HBNAI 15:320-321), though probably Pentland and/or Goddard are the source
behind that.  However, Doug also mentions Siebert's 1996 etymology in
terms of a term for 'massasuga' (a kind of rattler) as an alternative.
At a guess, this reference was added in revision, and the absence of
further discussion reflects an uncertainty as to which analysis to favor,
given the division within the Algonquian field.  Certainly that's the
position I find myself in!

The synonymy for Dakota/Sioux is by Doug, of course, and quite a tour de
force, but if Bob accidentally attributed it to Ives Goddard that would be
a natural accident, as many of the preceeding HBNAI synonymies have been
compiled by him, albeit with assistance from numerous experts and, I
believe, a small, but select body of student researchers at the SI.  The
HBNAI synonymies represent enormous scholarly labor.

I think the only person on the list who has been notably guilty of not
consulting HBNAI 13 when appropriate has been myself.  This has been
mostly because I haven't been as able to purchase expensive references
lately.  (Not that the HBNAI is unreasonably expensive.  Actually, it's a
real bargain, given its huge size and the limited market.)  Anyway, I do
now have a copy, and I will try to do better.