fire

verb natural_phenomenon

Proto-Siouan-Catawba

Proto-Siouan *(wa-)hpé•te RR

Pre-Mandan *-pte-

Mandan rápteʔš ‘it’s burning’ RTC

Proto-Mississipi-Valley *hpé•te

Proto-Dakota *phéta

Lakota phéta ‘fire’ RTC

Sioux Valley phéta PAS

Proto-Hoocąk-Chiwere *phé•te

Chiwere phé•ǰe RR

Hoocąk péeč ‘fire, n.; stove’ KM:2453 , peec

Proto-Dhegiha *hpé•te

Omaha-Ponca péʔde RR , ppé•de RTC

Kanza/Kaw ppéǰe RR

Osage hpé•ce ‘fire’ RR

Quapaw ppétte RR

Proto-Southeastern *aphé•ti

Proto-Biloxi-Ofo *aphé•ti

Biloxi pɛʔteʔ MRH , pɛʔtiʔ MS , péti, pĕtí, pĕt, pĕ´ti D&S:244b

Ofo aphéti, aphé̄ti, aphī´ti , †aphé•ti ‘fire’ D&S:321a, JSS , aphé̄sni , †aphé•ti ‘coals’ D&S:321a

Proto-Tutelo-Saponi

Tutelo pītç; pēti, pētç , †pe•ti ‘fire’ N, H

Proto-Catawba

Catawba į́•pi•ʔ ‘fire’ FGS:9

General comment

The Vʔ sequences found in Omaha-Ponca and Biloxi represent the reflex of the long falling pitch characteristic of long accented vowels in many Siouan languages. Extreme pitch drop results in creaky voice or phonetic ʔ at the end of the syllable. In DH such a sequence always betrays a long vowel, and the same was probably true in Biloxi. This term has numerous look-alikes in Uto-Aztecan. Syllable restructuring, if that is what it is, in Mandan is unexplained.

Other languages

  • PUA #63 Mn: pita; My: béete; Yq: béete ‘burn’ (Miller)
Language Cognate Phonetic Siouan Meaning Comment Sources