strawberry

noun plant_part

Proto-Siouan-Catawba

Proto-Siouan

Proto-Mississipi-Valley

Proto-Dakota

Dakota waz´úśteća , †wažúšteča ‘strawberries’ SRR:563b

Yanktonai wazhushtecha , †wažušteča ‘strawberries’ [prob. Yankton]

Proto-Hoocąk-Chiwere *há•šte-(ke)

Chiwere hášče ‘strawberries’ GM, RR

Hoocąk haašǰék, haasǰék ‘strawberries’ KM:536 , haašjek, haascek

Proto-Dhegiha *pašté-(ka)

Omaha-Ponca bašté ‘strawberries’ RR

Kanza/Kaw ppąščéga ‘strawberries’ RR

Osage pašcéka ‘strawberries’ JOD

Quapaw paštéka ~ mastéka ~ wasteka ‘strawberries’ RR

Proto-Southeastern

Proto-Biloxi-Ofo

Biloxi ástĕpáx kotká , †ástepáx ‘strawberries’ [kotká ‘wild’] D&S:174b

General comment

This term shows all the earmarks of a borrowed and adapted form. There have been different reanalyses in the different subgroups. Chiwere and Hoocąk show possible contamination from ha•s- ‘berry, grape’. Kanza/Kaw folk etymologizes the initial syllable as ppą ‘nut’. And cf. Dakota wašté ‘good’. Quapaw has competing forms, some with s. The Biloxi form (also with s) is analyzed by Dorsey and Swanton as consisting of así ‘berry’ and an unidentified, compounded element, (like the Chiwere/Hoocąk forms), but it could just as well be yet another restructuring of the same elements found in MVS. Lakota †wazíškeca , wazíśk̇eca ‘strawberry’ B-575a represents yet another folk etymology.

Language Cognate Phonetic Siouan Meaning Comment Sources