that 1995 handout on Sanganash

[Campbell, Sky]

Wow, Bob.  That gives me another way to look at the Otoe-Missouria term for raccoon.  If I’d seen that name “Mi-dayinga” without seeing a translation for “furious one” but saw a reference to a Raccoon clan, from an Otoe-Missouria perspective, I would have assumed that “Mi-dayinga” might translate to Little Raccoon since in Otoe-Missouria it would be Minkeinge (minke + -inge).  This may open up a possibility of translating our term “minke” (meeng-KAY) by giving us a peek at its possible descriptive meaning beyond simply “raccoon” (IE what that term is actually saying/describing).  And I am also curious if the similar term “minke” (MEENG-kay) (notice the change in stress there) which means true/correct might be affected as well.  As of right now, I have no idea if those terms are similar just because they are or if they are related.

PS:  I am liking this list VERY much!

Sky Campbell, B. A.
Language Director
Otoe-Missouria Tribe
580-723-4466 ext. 111
sky at omtribe.org

From: Siouan Linguistics [mailto:SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu] On Behalf Of Rankin, Robert L.
Sent: Friday, August 23, 2013 3:54 PM
To: SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: that 1995 handout on Sanganash

Thanks to Anthony we have basically the last and most authoritative word on Saganash and its cousins in Colonial North America.

Just a quick note on the Osage <me-gra-sha>.  I assume this represents an attempt to render something like mi gráša or mį gráša using English spelling conventions.  Mi, in this instance, appears to be 'one', as in the Kansa (Kaw) personal name Mi-dayinga 'furious one' (referring to a wounded raccoon, i.e., in this case, a member of the raccoon clan).  I'd have expected wį in Osage for 'one', but a mishearing as mi isn't out of the question.  The term could also have been borrowed into Osage from Kaw just to the North.  In any event, the use of 'one' as a head noun in this case follows Dhegiha naming practice, even though it follows the noun when it functions as an indefinite article.  So mį gráša is '(some)one English', whereas gráša-mi would be 'an English something-or-other' or 'English woman'.

Bob

> Here it is!

Anthony
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