Sweet potato: Difference between revisions
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The word for '''sweet potato''' or '''camote''' (''Ipomoea batata'', | 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 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. | ||
:'''PCN''' *''kamáwi'' | :'''PCN''' *''kamáwi'' | ||
:'''Proto-Nahuatl''' *''kamoh'' < *''kamow'' | :'''Proto-Nahuatl''' *''kamoh'' < *''kamow'' | ||
:based on: | :based on: | ||
::'''Nahuatl '''''kamoh-'' <''camoh-tli''> "sweet potato / batata, raíz comestible" [[Karttunen, Frances E. 1992. An analytical dictionary of Nahuatl. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.|Karttunen 1992:24]] | ::'''Nahuatl '''''kamoh-'' <''camoh-tli''> "sweet potato / batata, raíz comestible" ([[Karttunen, Frances E. 1992. An analytical dictionary of Nahuatl. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.|Karttunen 1992:24]]) | ||
::'''Wixárika '''''kamáwi'' <''camávi''> "camote de castilla" [[Grimes, Joseph E., Pedro de la Cruz Ávila, José Carrillo Vicente, Filiberto Díaz, Roman Díaz, Antonio Rosa, and Toribio Rentería. 1981. El huichol: apuntes sobre el lexico. Ithaca: Cornell University Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics.|Grimes et al. 1981:19]] | ::'''Wixárika '''''kamáwi'' <''camávi''> "camote de castilla" ([[Grimes, Joseph E., Pedro de la Cruz Ávila, José Carrillo Vicente, Filiberto Díaz, Roman Díaz, Antonio Rosa, and Toribio Rentería. 1981. El huichol: apuntes sobre el lexico. Ithaca: Cornell University Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics.|Grimes et al. 1981:19]]) | ||
::'''Náayeri '''''kamwah'' <''camuaj''> "sweet potato / batata, raíz comestible" [[McMahon, Ambrose & Maria Aiton de McMahon. 1959. Vocabulario Cora. México, D.F. Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.|McMahon & McMahon 1959:16]] | ::'''Náayeri '''''kamwah'' <''camuaj''> "sweet potato / batata, raíz comestible" ([[McMahon, Ambrose & Maria Aiton de McMahon. 1959. Vocabulario Cora. México, D.F. Instituto Lingüístico de Verano.|McMahon & McMahon 1959:16]]) | ||
:'''PSUA''': *''kamáwi'' | :'''PSUA''': *''kamáwi'' | ||
:based on: | :based on: | ||
::'''Eudeve '''''kamá'' <camá> "calabaza" OPA1:109 [[Pennington, Campbell W. 1981. Arte y vocabulario de la lengua dohema, heve o eudeva: Anónimo (siglo XVII). Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas.|Pennington 1981:109]] | ::'''Eudeve '''''kamá'' <camá> "calabaza" OPA1:109 ([[Pennington, Campbell W. 1981. Arte y vocabulario de la lengua dohema, heve o eudeva: Anónimo (siglo XVII). Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas.|Pennington 1981:109]]) | ||
::'''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).