crayfish

noun animal

Proto-Siouan-Catawba

Proto-Siouan

Proto-Mississipi-Valley *mą́-ška

Proto-Dakota *mąthúška

Lakota matúška ‘crayfish’ EB:334a , mąthúška ‘crayfish’ EJ

Dakota matuṡka , †mąthúška ‘crayfish’ WM:41b

Proto-Hoocąk-Chiwere *wątúške

Chiwere hįdúsge ‘crawdad, crayfish’ JDH , mandúnske, madúnsge , †mądų́ske ‘crawfish’ JGT:125

Hoocąk waǰųsgé ‘crab, crayfish’ KM:3331 , wajųsge ‘crab, crayfish’ KM:3456 , waruwíwišge , waruwiwišge

Proto-Dhegiha *mą́ška

Omaha-Ponca mą́ška ‘crayfish’ RR

Kanza/Kaw mą́ška ‘crayfish’ RR

Osage moⁿ´shkoⁿ , †mą́šką ‘crawfish’ LF:101b

Quapaw mą́ška, mǫ́ška ‘crayfish’ RR

Proto-Southeastern

Proto-Biloxi-Ofo

Biloxi aⁿskí, aⁿsŭkí , †ąskí~ąsəkí ‘bivalves, including oysters and mussels’ D&S:178a

General comment

Two alternants: Proto-Mississipi-Valley *mą́ška and *mą́tuška. Lakota and Hoocąk may show contamination from Proto-Mississipi-Valley *tuki ‘clam, shellfish’. The Chiwere/Hoocąk forms clearly suggest an unaspirated t. This set presents another interesting case in which *wą is being replaced by Chiwere hį. The same change characterizes ‘we, 12Act’ in Chiwere and perhaps one of the 1poss prefixes as well, q.v. It seems to be a semi-regular and perhaps diffusing sound change.

Language Cognate Phonetic Siouan Meaning Comment Sources