Chilli: Difference between revisions
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The word 'chilli'' (''"Capsicum annuum"'', first attested ) comes from Nahuatl <''chilli''> /''tʃi:l-li''/ of the same meaning. | The word '''chilli''' (''"Capsicum annuum"'', first attested in English in 1662 ([[Haugen, Jason D. 2009. Borrowed borrowings: Nahuatl loan words in English. Lexis: Journal in English Lexicology, (3).|Haugen 2009]])) comes from Nahuatl <''chilli''> /''tʃi:l-li''/ of the same meaning. | ||
The Nahua root ''[[chil-]]'' "chilli" is most likely derived in one of two ways: | The Nahua root ''[[chil-]]'' "chilli" is most likely derived in one of two ways: | ||
1. from Pre-Nahua *''[[tsira]]'' "red" from PSUA *''[[sita]]'' "red". One argument for this derivation is that one of the words for "red" in Nahuatl is <chichi:ltic> /tʃitʃi:ltik/ which is often thought to be derived from the word for chilli. The form *tsira is not supported by cognates in Coracholan, but it would not an unexpected development from *sita "red" given stress on the first syllable, which would motivate a fortis reflex of *s and a lenis reflex of *t, giving *''síta'' > *''tsíra'', following lateralization of the r the unaccented second syllable is then lost with compensatory lengthening of the vowel in the first syllable *''tsíra'' > *tsi:l, and then the ts is palatalized giving /tʃi:l/ . | :1. from Pre-Nahua *''[[tsira]]'' "red" from PSUA *''[[sita]]'' "red". One argument for this derivation is that one of the words for "red" in Nahuatl is <chichi:ltic> /tʃitʃi:ltik/ which is often thought to be derived from the word for chilli. The form *tsira is not supported by cognates in Coracholan, but it would not an unexpected development from *sita "red" given stress on the first syllable, which would motivate a fortis reflex of *s and a lenis reflex of *t, giving *''síta'' > *''tsíra'', following lateralization of the r the unaccented second syllable is then lost with compensatory lengthening of the vowel in the first syllable *''tsíra'' > *tsi:l, and then the ts is palatalized giving /tʃi:l/ . | ||
or | or | ||
2 from PSUA *''[[tsiri]]'' "singe, burn". | :2. from PSUA *''[[tsiri]]'' "singe, burn". | ||
[[Category:English entries]] | [[Category:English entries]] | ||
Latest revision as of 12:22, 9 June 2025
The word chilli ("Capsicum annuum", first attested in English in 1662 (Haugen 2009)) comes from Nahuatl <chilli> /tʃi:l-li/ of the same meaning.
The Nahua root chil- "chilli" is most likely derived in one of two ways:
- 1. from Pre-Nahua *tsira "red" from PSUA *sita "red". One argument for this derivation is that one of the words for "red" in Nahuatl is <chichi:ltic> /tʃitʃi:ltik/ which is often thought to be derived from the word for chilli. The form *tsira is not supported by cognates in Coracholan, but it would not an unexpected development from *sita "red" given stress on the first syllable, which would motivate a fortis reflex of *s and a lenis reflex of *t, giving *síta > *tsíra, following lateralization of the r the unaccented second syllable is then lost with compensatory lengthening of the vowel in the first syllable *tsíra > *tsi:l, and then the ts is palatalized giving /tʃi:l/ .
or
- 2. from PSUA *tsiri "singe, burn".