Talk:Cass Lake (Minnesota)

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Minnesota

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Breakdown of the the name "Gaa-miskwaawaakokaag"

Originally in the article, this clarification request was posted: {{Clarify|reason=The University of Minnesota's Ojibwe People's Dictionary states that "miskwaawaakokaa" means " there are (many) red cedars" (https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/miskwaawaakokaa-vii), but I don't have enough of a background to know whether "gaa-" refers to the Eastern Canadian Border Lakes Ojibwe word for relative tense under initial change, e.g., while, as; someone who..., something that... (https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/gaa-pv-tns-f65365d4-8ec2-4718-a65b-2251928feca2) or the South Central Region Ojibwe word for past tense with initial change, e.g., -ed, did, was (https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/gaa-pv-tns-469c098f-071d-4484-b3f1-62604526a53d)|date=November 2020}}

So, this is how the word is constructed: The Ojibwe word for the Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is miskwaawaak (https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/miskwaawaak-na) which literally means /miskwaa/ "it is red[-coloured]" (https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/miskwaa-vii) and /aakw/ "wood" (https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/word-part/aakw-final). To indicate abundance, /kaa/ (https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/word-part/kaa-final-1393) is added to result in miskwaawaakokaa (https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/miskwaawaakokaa-vii). Next, to indicate the "place where ...", /gaa-...g/ is added. This form is the past tense VII conjunct experiencing an initial change. The /gaa-/ part of that is (https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/gaa-pv-tns-469c098f-071d-4484-b3f1-62604526a53d), while the /...g/ part of that is (https://ojibwegrammar.langsci.wisc.edu/Grammar/HTMLParadigms/viivconpos.htm). And yes, in this use, the /gaa-/ is very similar to the Eastern Canadian Border Lakes Ojibwe word for relative tense under initial change (https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/gaa-pv-tns-f65365d4-8ec2-4718-a65b-2251928feca2) but the relativity is indicated not by the /gaa-/ but rather by the /...g/ in conjunction with /gaa-/.

CJLippert (talk) 18:46, 17 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]