=xti 'Real' (RE: "bow")

Koontz John E John.Koontz at colorado.edu
Mon Nov 14 18:17:47 UTC 2005


On Sat, 12 Nov 2005, Rankin, Robert L wrote:
> Yes, it's not uncommon to see it (or its analog, -xca) used in this way.
> *ihta is the original term for 'deer' and forms the basis for the deer
> term in most of the languages.  But in at least some (maybe all) Dakotan
> dialects the reflex, tha, is also used famously in tha thaNka '(bull)
> buffalo', and the ordinary white tailed deer is referred to as tha xca
> 'real deer'.

Or, even without attested forms involving 'buffalo', OP has tta=xti
'deer'.

Along the same lines there is a Ponca subclan called ppaNkka=xti.  This
probably reflects the original ppaNkka clan (as opposed to the whole
tribe, called by the same name).  PpaNkka is one of the "standard" Dhegiha
clans.

> I've never heard of it being used with the dog/horse pair,
> but -xti means 'real, true' pretty routinely as well as being an
> augmentative.  Bob

I think we had an example for 'dog' from Crow recently.  I will leave
tracking it down as an exercise for the reader!



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