Ocananhowan and Occaneechi

[Rankin, Robert L]

I'd have to agree.  Add to this the fact that many tribal names have no identifiable historical meaning and are "interpreted" locally by folk etymology.  Many of these folk interpretations even become "official".  These include Baxoje 'Ioway' (supposedly meaning an unlikely "dusty noses" or "gray snow", take your pick), Kansa (supposedly meaning 'south wind' -- not), Ponca, Biloxi, Ofo, Otoe (supposedly meaning 'lovers of sexual pleasure'), etc., etc.  Such ethnonyms are very susceptible to folk guesswork; everybody including linguists want names to "mean something", but many are lost in the mists of time.  

(Please, no responses explaining to me that such names REALLY DO mean what people say they mean.  I'm aware of all the strong beliefs in this department.)

Wish I could be more optimistic.

Bob


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-siouan at lists.Colorado.EDU on behalf of Bryan James Gordon
Sent: Thu 9/30/2010 2:44 AM
To: siouan at lists.Colorado.EDU
Subject: Re: Ocananhowan and Occaneechi
 
It's a stretch.

Given the word parts yu:xkan + ohon + hi wa, there would have to have been a
lot of metathesis (rearranging the sounds) to get to the attested form
"Ocananhowan".

My suspicions are also raised by the fact that the "Algonquian" form (which
language?) starts with a similar first two syllables. That is a hint that,
if they are from separate language families, one may be borrowed. And the
beginning of that word does look Algonquian. But the end reminds me of Creek
placenames in the Southeast, and many Creek words begin like these two words
do, too.

The case for a Tutelo source would be helped if we had any reason to believe
that certain Tutelo dialects would have dropped the "y" in "yu:xkan", or
that certain English-speakers might have heard a Tutelo "yu:xkan" as "Ocan".

Just my nine cents.

- Bryan

2010/9/30 Scott Collins <saponi360 at yahoo.com>

> Is the following correct information:
>
>  "Ocananhowan - Recorded by Smith, and later by Starchey. It has not been
> decipherable in Algonquian. This is because the word is Siouan. Its
> construction is derived from the Tutelo yu:xkan, "man," "person" + ohon,
> "many" + hi wa, "come," "gather." Its meaning: "many people gather here." We
> have seen the exact word before in Algonquian: Occaneechi, the place where
> people gather." ----- "Roanoke" by Lee Miller Pg. 258 & 259
>
>
>