Loanwords from

American Indians

97501032 Veronica Pan

background

American Indians :

indigenous peoples from North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii.(Wikipedia)

British colonization of the Americas

background

Algonquian languages :

a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family, an indigenous language family of North America.

→ indigenous languages

American Indian Loanwords

→ more than Russian but less than French or Spanish

Colonial background

Historical background

Racial bias

Indianisms: defined by John L. Cutler

” any English words or phrases specifically related to Indians.”

Examples

places: countless places in Canada and the United States, ex. eight American states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Mi

ssouri, and Wyoming), three Canadian provinces (Quebec, Saskatchewan and Manitoba)

eight American states

three Canadian provinces

Examples

Indigenous Culture:

• powwow: a gathering of North America's Native

people.

Examples

Indigenous Culture:

• wigwam:

a domed room dwelling used by certain Native American tribes.

Examples

Indigenous Culture:

• moccasin:

a shoe made of deerskin or other soft leather, the footwear of many Native American tribes.

Examples

Indigenous Culture:

• squaw:

whose present meaning is an indigenous woman of North America.

Examples

North American Life :

• moose : a kind of big deer

Examples

North American Life :

• raccoon

I am so cute >////<

Examples

Indianisms:

• Indian

• Indian summer

• Indian give

Examples

few words have passed into more general usage

• totem:

Examples

few words have passed into more general usage

• caucus: a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States.

Examples

few words have passed into more general usage

• toboggan: a simple sled which is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada.

conclusion

(1)racial bias toward North America’s Aboriginal populations:Indianisms

Cotton Mather “the best thing we can do for our Indians is to

Anglicise them in all agreeable Instances; and in that of Language, as well as others ”

conclusion

(2) inevitable linguistic borrowing :

Richard Bailey

“English has accumulated its [Indigenous] wordstock as an incidental consequence of the extension of anglophone power”

references• 1. Wyatt, Kyle. "Loanwords and Mascots: American India

nisms in the English Language". . 21 Mar. 2010 <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~cpercy/courses/6362-wyatt.htm>.

• 2. "Algonquian Words in English ". Native Languages of the Americas website. 21 Mar. 2010 <http://www.native-languages.org/wordalg.htm>.

• 3. Hartman, Holly. "American Indian Loan Words". Information Please. 21 Mar. 2010 <http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aihmwords1.html>.

• 4. "Algonquian languages". Wikipedia. 21 Mar. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquian_languages>.

• 5. "Native Americans in the United States". Wikipedia. 21 Mar. 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States>.

Thank You : )