"bow"

Rankin, Robert L rankin at ku.edu
Mon Nov 14 16:28:28 UTC 2005


> Biloxi 'horse', by the way, D-S showed as 'tohoxka'.  I think I've settled on 'tahoxka' based on Haas's interview with the last Biloxi speaker where she transcribed the first syllable as t +(schwa).  Haas commented that she thought this first syllable, ta-, may be the word for deer, 'ta,' (which may actually be 'tha' with aspiration).  I have no clue what the -hoxka ending would be here though.
 
Me either, but I think you're on the right track with /ta/ or /tha/ 'deer'.  This also matches the Muskogean pattern:  Choctaw issi+oba 'deer+augmentative' = 'horse' and Creek ico+lhakko 'deer+big' = 'horse'.  So I'd look for hoxka to be a modifier or verb along those lines.  You'll probably find other examples of it somewhere.
 
Bob



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