Sweet potato: Difference between revisions
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The word for '''sweet potato''' or '''camote''' (''Ipomoea batata'', "camote" first attested in English in 1842 [[Haugen, Jason D. 2009. Borrowed borrowings: Nahuatl loan words in English. Lexis: Journal in English Lexicology, (3).|Haugen (2009)]] ) in Southern Uto-Aztecan languages, is derived from the root PSUA *''kamáwi''. | The word for '''sweet potato''' or '''camote''' (''Ipomoea batata'', "camote" first attested in English in 1842 [[Haugen, Jason D. 2009. Borrowed borrowings: Nahuatl loan words in English. Lexis: Journal in English Lexicology, (3).|Haugen (2009)]] ) in Southern Uto-Aztecan languages, is derived from the root PSUA *''kamáwi''. | ||
''Ipomoea batata'' was first cultivated in the Amazon spread across the Andes and was brought to Mesoamerica from there, and it is interesting to note that in Quechua it's name is ''kumara'' (which also spread to the Polynesian languages), while in Aymara it is ''qama'' [[Adelaar, Willem F. H. & Pieter C. Muysken. 2004. Genetic relations of South American Indian languages. in The Languages of the Andes. Cambridge University Press.|(Adelaar & Muysken 2004:41)]]. It seems | ''Ipomoea batata'' was first cultivated in the Amazon spread across the Andes and was brought to Mesoamerica from there, and it is interesting to note that in Quechua it's name is ''kumara'' (which also spread to the Polynesian languages), while in Aymara it is ''qama'' [[Adelaar, Willem F. H. & Pieter C. Muysken. 2004. Genetic relations of South American Indian languages. in The Languages of the Andes. Cambridge University Press.|(Adelaar & Muysken 2004:41)]]. It seems a fascinating possibility that PSUA *''kama ''could have originated as a Wanderwort, arriving in Mesoamerica with South American sea-faring traders who also brought the tuber. | ||
The word "camote" is borrowed from Nahuatl ''camohtli'' into Spanish ''camote'', which was in turn borrowed into English. | The word "camote" is borrowed from Nahuatl ''camohtli'' into Spanish ''camote'', which was in turn borrowed into English. | ||
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::'''Tepehuán '''''kamaʔb'' <''kama'b''> "camote" TEP1:195 | ::'''Tepehuán '''''kamaʔb'' <''kama'b''> "camote" TEP1:195 | ||
{{how to cite}} | |||
[[Category:English entries]] | [[Category:English entries]] | ||
Latest revision as of 07:46, 29 January 2026
The word for sweet potato or camote (Ipomoea batata, "camote" first attested in English in 1842 Haugen (2009) ) in Southern Uto-Aztecan languages, is derived from the root PSUA *kamáwi.
Ipomoea batata was first cultivated in the Amazon spread across the Andes and was brought to Mesoamerica from there, and it is interesting to note that in Quechua it's name is kumara (which also spread to the Polynesian languages), while in Aymara it is qama (Adelaar & Muysken 2004:41). It seems a fascinating possibility that PSUA *kama could have originated as a Wanderwort, arriving in Mesoamerica with South American sea-faring traders who also brought the tuber.
The word "camote" is borrowed from Nahuatl camohtli into Spanish camote, which was in turn borrowed into English.
- PCN *kamáwi
- Proto-Nahuatl *kamoh < *kamow
- based on:
- Nahuatl kamoh- <camoh-tli> "sweet potato / batata, raíz comestible" (Karttunen 1992:24)
- Wixárika kamáwi <camávi> "camote de castilla" (Grimes et al. 1981:19)
- Náayeri kamwah <camuaj> "sweet potato / batata, raíz comestible" (McMahon & McMahon 1959:16)
- PSUA: *kamáwi
- based on:
- Eudeve kamá <camá> "calabaza" OPA1:109 (Pennington 1981:109)
- Tepehuán kamaʔb <kama'b> "camote" TEP1:195
How to cite:
Pharao Hansen, Magnus. 2026. Sweet potato. In SUALEX: A Southern Uto-Aztecan Etymological Dictionary. https://sualex.cenzontle.org/index.php?title=Sweet_potato (accessed 20 April 2026).