flower (1)

noun plant

Proto-Siouan-Catawba

Proto-Siouan *xyéhe

Pre-Mandan

Mandan sréh ‘to bloom, open’ H:216 , waʔósere ‘flower’ H:216 , wąʔpéʔ ósere ‘sunflower’ RTC

Proto-Mississipi-Valley

Proto-Hoocąk-Chiwere

Hoocąk hoxeré ‘blossom’ KM:1586 , hoxere

Proto-Southeastern

Proto-Biloxi-Ofo *-xyé•hi

Biloxi áxiyehí, axiyé, xyéhi, xayehí , †x(i)yéhi ‘blossoms, flowers’ D&S:221a

Ofo akĭktcéhi ‘a flower’ D&S:320a , ktcé̄hi , †kčé•hi ‘rose’ D&S:326, JSS

Proto-Catawba

Catawba serak ‘grass’ KS , sərak FGS:88

General comment

Cf. ‘flower (2)’. Mandan shows a different fricative symbolism grade. Biloxi xy before a front vowel is the normal reflex of *x; here, however, the intervening vowel suggests an original cluster. Ofo k should not correspond with Biloxi x. Ofo suggests possible Proto-Siouan length.

Language Cognate Phonetic Siouan Meaning Comment Sources