vermin (3)

noun animal_insect

Proto-Siouan-Catawba

Proto-Siouan *-kreSka

Proto-Mississipi-Valley *(hta)-kréSka

Proto-Dakota *-kreska

Lakota thathį́gleska ‘intestinal worms’ EB:484a , agléšk̇a ‘lizard; alligator’

Proto-Hoocąk-Chiwere

Chiwere tagréske , †thagréske ‘flea’ LWR:52

Proto-Dhegiha *htakréSka RR

Osage ṭagðéshka , †htaléška ‘(deer) tick’ LF:137a

Quapaw ttakdéska ‘flea’ RR

Proto-Southeastern

Proto-Biloxi-Ofo *reska

Biloxi kûdĕskạ́, kûtská , †kudeská ‘flea’ D&S:217a

Ofo tĕ´fka , †téfka ‘flea’ D&S:330b

General comment

La Flesche notes that the Osage word refers to ‘deer tick’ and to ‘grubs that burrow beneath the skin’, presumably the larvae of bot-flies. The Lakota gloss may simply extend this to ‘internal parasite’. MVS always compounds with hta- ‘ruminant’.

Language Cognate Phonetic Siouan Meaning Comment Sources