break long things

verb physical_contact_deformation

Proto-Siouan-Catawba

Proto-Siouan *-šíšE

Proto-Crow-Hidatsa *-šišE

Crow -šíaxšišii, dax- ‘break into pieces, smash’ [redupl] RG, GG:43 , daxšiší ‘broken’ [du-] GG:43 , dúššiši ‘break’ GG:44, RGG:26

Hidatsa -šíšši, ha- ‘cut through with knife’ J , -šišši, nú- ‘turn meat in pot with stick’ J

Proto-Mississipi-Valley *šíše

Proto-Hoocąk-Chiwere

Hoocąk -šíš, boo- ‘break something in two leaving a ragged break, by shooting, bumping or hitting’ KM:92 , boošiš ‘break in two something having length, not leaving a clean break’ KM:415 , -šíš, gi- ‘cut something having length, not making a clean cut’ KM:2025 , gišiš ‘break with the foot, something having length, not making a clean break’ KM:2240 , -šíš, mąą- ‘bite in two something long, not leaving a clean break’ KM:2573 , mąąšiš ‘pull in two something long, not leaving a clean break’ KM:2733 , -šíš, nąą- ‘break something having length by pressure or pushing, not leaving a clean break’ KM:3487 , nąąšiš , -šíš, ra- , rašiš , rušíš , rušiš , -šíš, wa- , wašiš

Proto-Dhegiha

Omaha-Ponca gaxixe ‘crack’ MAS:49 , gashishe , †gašiše ‘crack’ MAS:49

General comment

Gemination in Crow and Hidatsa is unexplained. Crow forms reflect the x grade of the fricative. Kanza/Kaw yüxíɣe ‘catch someone’ fits phonologically but is not relatable semantically at present. This root evidently has forms in more than one fricative grade, but š is the only one reconstructible.

Language Cognate Phonetic Siouan Meaning Comment Sources