Cheyenne homonyms

Homonyms are words which sound the same but have different meanings. Some people also require of homonyms that they be spelled the same, as well; others do not. Some English homonyms are the pairs "plain" and "plane", and "beet" and "beat."

There are several Cheyenne homonyms:

mo'eško 'ring' (inanimate); 'finger' (animate)

hameško 'beetle' (animate); 'spoon' (inanimate)

hooma 'blanket'; 'mosquito' (both animate)

ve'ho'e 'whiteman (obsolescing as 'trickster'); 'spider' (both animate) me'ko 'head' (inanimate); 'tribal councilman (animate)'

mȯhenėšemo 'ladybug'; 'playing card' (both animate)

matana 'milk' (inanimate); 'breast' (animate)'

Notes:

'Ring' and 'finger' are semantically related because they are physically close--a ring is worn on a finger.

There are Cheyenne explanations that relate 'whiteman' and 'spider'. One explanation is that the whiteman fenced in the rangeland making it look like a spider's web. Arapaho also has homonymns 'whiteman' and 'spider.' Historically, Cheyenne ve'ho'e is derived from the Proto-Algonquian word for the culture hero who sometimes was a trickster.

'Head' and 'tribal councilman' are clearly related semantically, as they are in English where 'head' can refer to the head of a physical body or the head of a group.

'Blanket' and 'mosquito' are accidental homonymy, based on historical sound changes from Proto-Algonquian (PA). PA 'blanket' is something like *akwe'mi. PA 'mosquito' is *sakime:wa. We would expect the Cheyenne corresponding to PA 'mosquito' to be hóema, but I have never been able to hear an "e" in this word, and no Cheyennes with whom I have worked hear an "e" or write one.

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