'u꞉s
O'odham
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Proto-Tepiman *ʼuusi (“tree”),[1] from Proto-Uto-Aztecan *huC (“arrow, wood”) (from earlier *huc(a)),[2] with regular sound change of Uto-Aztecan *-c- > Tepiman *-s- intervocalically. The Tepiman languages also show a notable semantic shift where other Uto-Aztecan languages retain the original meaning of “arrow”.
The sense of “yard” as in the unit of measurement is a semantic loan from Spanish vara (“rod, pole”).
Cognate with Northern Tepehuan uúxi and Southeastern Tepehuan uux.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʔuːs/
Noun
'u꞉s (plural 'u'us, possessive 'u꞉sga)
- tree, bush
- stick, post, pole
- wood, timber
- (by extension, measure) yard (unit of measure)
- cu꞉dp 'u꞉s ― six yards
Derived terms
- 'u꞉s ṣon (“tree base”)
- 'u꞉s-bawi (“black-eyed pea”, literally “tree bean”)
- 'u꞉s-gat (“bow”)
- 'u꞉s-jevuḍpaḍ (“lotebush (Ziziphus obtusifolia)”)
- 'u꞉s-kokmagi (“arrowweed (Pluchea sericea)”)
- 'u꞉s-ṣonjun (“peg, stake”)
- 'u꞉sbaḍ (bush species, literally “deceased bush”)
- 'u꞉sga (“to have a tree/pole/post”)
- 'u꞉sig (“to be full of bushes (in one location)”)
Adjective
'u꞉s (plural 'u'us)
References
- ^ Burton William Bascom, Jr. (1965), “330. *ˈˀuusi 'tree,'”, in Proto-Tepiman (Tepehuan-Piman) (Thesis), Seattle, Washington: University of Washington, 66-5811, page 157
- ^ Stubbs, Brian D. (2020) [2011], “63. *huc(a) > *huC ‘arrow’”, in Uto-Aztecan: A comparative vocabulary[1], revised online edition, Flower Mound, Texas: Shumway Family History Services, page 57
- Mathiot, Madeleine (2013), Tohono 'O'odham–English Dictionary[2], volume II, archived from the original on 22 November 2019, page 553
- Saxton, Dean; Saxton, Lucille; Enos, Susie (1983), “uhs”, in Dictionary: Tohono Oʼodham/Pima to English, English to Tohono Oʼodham/Pima, 2nd edition, Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, published 1998, →ISBN, page 60