Arikara

Words Arikara Reise Modern Orthography Modern Orthography (Commentary)
Arm Uíhnu (‘Uíh’ very long, ‘nu’ very short and soft) wiínu’
Arrow Níhschu (‘Níh’ strongly stressed, ‘schu’ very short with falling intonation) niíšu’
Bow Náhtsch (‘sch’ soft, and sibilant) tinaátš
Child Pihráu (‘Pih’ long, ‘r’ apical, ‘ráu’ together and stressed) piirá’u’ ‘baby’ The word in this form, piirá’u’, suggests a younger child, a “baby”. In the modern language, a different form, piirátš, is used for child in general
Earth Honáhnin (‘náh’ very long, everything as in German) hunaaníni’ (loc.) This form, hunaaníni’, means roughly–depending on context–“on the earth”. Another form of the word, hunaánu', might be used to refer to earth (land, soil) itself
Eye Tschiríhko (‘ko’ short and soft) čiriíku’
Fire Ha-níh-tu (‘Ha’ short, ‘tu’ barely audible) haahniítu’ ‘burning coal, live coal, ember’ This is the word for a burning coal. Fire itself would be čeeká'u'
God Pachkatsch (‘ch’ velar) pAhkátš ‘Kit Fox’ (a mythological figure) This word refers to a “kit fox”, and is the name of a figure from stories (captured in Pawnee stories–less so in modern Arikara. “God” is typically nowadays refered to as atí'Ax tⁱnačitákUx
Hair Úhchu (‘Úh’ back vowel, ‘ch’ velar, final ‘u’ very short) uúxu’
Hand Éschu íšu’
Head Páchu (‘ch’ velar) páxu’
Man Uíhta (‘Uí’ indistinct, almost ‘Wi,’ ‘Uíh’ very long, ‘ta’ very soft and short) wiítA
Moon Pá páh
Mouth Hahkáu (‘káu’ together and stressed) haaká’u’
Pipe Nauschkatsch (entirely as in German) hAhnaaWIškáhtš var. haahnaaWIškahtš Alternative pronunciations are NAhnaaWIškáhtš and haahnaaWIškáhtš
Star Sakkáh sákaa’A
Sun Schakúhn šakuúnu’
Tomahawk Katarax-nauschkatsch (as in German) kaatarátš hAhnaaaWIškáhtš ‘axe pipe’ kaataráts hAhnaaWiškáhtš, Maximilian writes the first word with “x”, perhaps representing what he heard as “ks”, a sound combination not obviously present in this interpretation. I might therefore suggest changing Douglas Parks’s transcription from kaatarátš to the slightly different kaataráts
Water Stóhcho (‘St’ apical, ‘ch’ velar, ‘cho’ very short) tstoóxu’
Woman Sapá sápat

 

Names of Places and Geographical Features

Words Arikara Reise Modern Orthography Modern Orthography (Commentary)
(Arikara) village Sånisch-Etuhn sáhniš-ituúnu’ or sahNIšituúnu’ ‘People/Arikara Village’
Arikara village, southern Hóhka-wiratt or Achtárahä Hóhka-Wirátt huukaawirát ‘Eastern’; AxtáRAhi ‘Concave Base’ or ‘Notched Foot’
Arikara village, northern Nahokáhta Nahokáta NAhuukaátA ‘By the Water’
Bad River Sih-sawíh-tiï (Standing Water) čiisawiitií’It ‘Still Water’
Beaver Creek Zitech-Saháhn (‘Zi’ as in German, ‘ech’ velar like ‘uch,’ very short) čítUx sAhaánu’ čítUx hUsAhaánu’ Maximilian’s transcription suggests “beaver” was pronounced tsítUx, which could represent a dialect distinct from what’s reflected in the modern language where it’s pronounced čítUx
Bighorn River Arikúss-okaháhn arikúsu’ huukaahaánu’
Blind Buffalo Creek Okoss-tírikaruch (‘ruch’ German) hukós tičirikarúx ‘a buffalo bull is blind’ hukosčirikarúx Douglas Parks represents this as a two word name hukós tičirikarúx “the bull is blind”. Maximilian’s spelling seems to suggest a compound “blind bull”
Butte au Grès Skatararisch Skatarárisch skataRAhíRIš ‘pumice’
Cannonball River Nonatsch-Tirahnehuh-Osähneni (River of Many Antelope) NAhnunaáhtš tiraaNIhuú’U hUsAhaahnini’ ‘many deer are by the creek’ NAhnunáhtš tiraaNIhuú’U hUsAhaáhnini’
Cheyenne Hills Uatolkaak, la Butte de Cheyenne Uatolkáhk ? waatookaákUx Uncertain interpretation: sitting on a sloping hill
Grand River Sáchkan-waháhn-áhji (‘ach’ velar, ‘an’ barely audible) saxkaWAhaanu’ ‘Lucky Turtle’? Another mixed language representation? Maximilian’s áhji found also in Hidatsa names of Rivers, reflecting Hidatsa áàshi. Dubious of Douglas Parks’s interpretation of saxkaWAhaánu’ “Lucky Turtle”. Another possible interpretation is sahkaWIhaánu', referring to an “echo”
Heart River Tostschiita Tostschíta tUtsčítA ‘it is a river branch’
Knife River Ésitsch-Kaháhn neesihUsAhaánu’ or neesítš huukaahaánu’ ‘Knife Creek’ neesitšUsAhaánu’
Little Bighorn River Ariksúh-kaháh-schiripáss arikúsu’ huukaahaahčiripásIt
Little Missouri River Ohkaháh-tschiripass huukaahaahčiripásIt ‘little tributary of the Missouri’
Little Muddy River Hohrutschitt (entirely as in German, ‘r’ tongue-trilled) hoorutsčítA ‘Muddy Fork’ hooRUtsčítA
Missouri River Swahrúchti (‘ch’ velar), “medicine water,” or Hokaháh-nin Swarúchti tswaarúxti’ ‘Holy Water’ or huukaahaahníni’ ‘River; River Trench’
Moreau River Kadih-kahitt karikaátit ‘Black Patch’ (as in wild grapes) Douglas Parks interprets this as “black patch”, based on a root kari, which is no longer used in Arikara–and is pronounced kani where it is attested. This pronunciation would otherwise seem like it would mean “black liver”
Musselshell River Skápedoch-saháhn (‘e’ half [=ə]) skaapiróx sAhaánu’ skaapiróx hUsAhaánu’
Powder River Kanáchtu-suhukaháhn (‘ách’ velar, otherwise as in German) ItkaNAhtuúsu’ huukaahaánu’ ‘Powder/Ashes River’
Rampart Island Rampart-Auahk (‘A’ and ‘u’ separate, Auahk [=] “island”) awaahákUx ‘Island’ Rampart nawaahákUx
Rampart River Laráh-páhwi naRAhpaáWI ‘Plant Growth’ (along the river) Douglas Parks suggests the Arikara name means “plant growth”. However, the name may mean “ramparts, palisades”, although the modern pronunciation I would expect to be naRAhwaáWI
Tongue River Hatúhu-kaháhn haátu’ huukaahaánu’
White Earth River Horúss-tuhusseháhn (‘e’ half [=ə] entirely as in German) hoorutsAhaánu’ ‘Mud River’ hooRUtsUsAhaánu’
White River Hokahach-kúss (‘ach’ velar, ‘kúss’ stressed) huukaahaahkúsu’ ‘Large River’
Yellowstone River Wáh-hukaháhn waahuukaahaánu’ ‘Yellow Stone River’

 

Other Terminology

Words Arikara Modern Orthography Modern Orthography (Commentary)
Arapahoes Schahä́ Šaahé’ ‘Cheyenne’ šaahé’
Assiniboines Páhoak-sá Paahúkasa ‘Roached Head’ waahukAxá; psí'a'
Blackfoot Chochkátit XUhkátit ‘Black Moccasin’ xUhkátit
Crows, tribe Tuch-káh-ka TUhkaáka’ ‘Crow Village’ tUhkaáka’
Dacotas Schaónn Ša’oóNI sanánat
Dance of the Ghosts Naníschta NaaNIštá ‘Deer Lance (Society)’ naaNIštá
Dance, Hot (or of the Black Arms) Wichkatítt WIhkatít ‘Black Arms’
Dance of the Little Birds Hunúchka ?
Dance of the Prairie Foxes Nánisch-Táhka naaNIštaáka ‘White Lance (Society)’
Dance, Scalp Tiráhna-Uï ?
Dance of the Stretched Robe Tschiri-Wakáh Sčiriiwakaánu’ ‘Din of Wolves’
Dance of the White Earth Náhni-Schahía NaaNIšhí’A ‘Cree Lance (Society)’
Dance of the Youngest Child Cáwita KaawítA ‘Last-Born Child’
Devil (Small Hairy One) Nachskunachkoch nuux- ‘rectum’ + skuun- ‘animal fur’ + raan- ‘plural’ + kooč-I ‘being on’; “Furry Rectum” [?]
First Man Íhkochu or Szirítsch Sčiríhtš ‘Wolf, Coyote’
God; see Lord of Life
Hidatsas Uïtatt-saháhn Wiitatshaánu’ ‘Well-Watered Place Man’
Lord of Life or Prairie Wolf Pachkátsch PAxkátš ‘kit fox’ pAhkátš
Mandans Kánich KáNIt ‘Mandan’; kanítš ‘stone’ káNIt
Pawnees Tschíhri Sčiíri ‘Wolf ’; also ‘Skiri Pawnees’ sčiíri
Pipe, medicine Napáhruchti napaarúxti’ ‘holy pipe’
Society of the Bears Kúhnuch-Tiranehúh KuuNUx TiraaNIhuú’U ‘Many Bears’ kuúNUx tiraaNIhuú’U
Society of the Crazy Buffaloes Okóss-Sakkahúhn Hukos-sakAhuúnu’ hukoosIsakAhuúnu’
Society of the Crazy Dogs Háhtschti-Sakkahúhn Xaatš ‘Dog’+ TiisakAhuú’U ‘Society’ xaatšiisakAhuú'U
Society of the Crazy Wolves Stiri-Sakkahúhn SčiriisakAhuúnu’ sčiriisakAhuúnu’
Society of the Foxes Titschiswáhn Tiisčiriiwaahna’ ‘The Coyote/Wolf Howls’ (not foxes) tiisčiriiwáhna'
Society of the Soldiers Tirúh-Pahi Tiruupahi ‘Fighting Lance (Society)’ taróxpa
Village, northern Nahokáhta NAhuukaátA ‘By the Water’
Village, southern Hóhka-Wirátt; Achtárahä Huukaawirát ‘Eastern’; AxtáRAhi ‘Concave Base’
Wolf, Prairie (see Lord of Life)