Chilli: Difference between revisions
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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: | ||
#. 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/ . | |||
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# from PSUA *''[[tsiri]]'' "singe, burn". | |||
[[Category:English entries]] | [[Category:English entries]] | ||
Revision as of 12:20, 9 June 2025
The word 'chilli ("Capsicum annuum", first attested ) 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:
- . 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
- from PSUA *tsiri "singe, burn".