Shoshone - settle a bet...

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

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Rusty, Yvsa, Bill...anybody who knows...

Settle a bet:

What is the correct pronounciation of Shoshone?

I'm not talking about how it's said by the locals, etc.

I want linguistic evidence, based on historical fact.

This has been an ongoing debate between my wife and I. Her grandmother lives in Shoshone, Idaho and we go there to visit often. In fact, we'll be there in less than 3 weeks.

Also, this is not a situation where "better let the wife win" applies. We're both looking for the real pronounciation, backed by good reasoning.
 
I can't answer your question, but i have a caution for you and your wife. I read about the Crow for awhile when living in Wyoming. The Absorakee (badly mispelled on my part) do not pronounce their name the same now as they did one hundred years ago. I am warning you there may be more than one right answer.

munk
 
I've kinda figured that would be the case.

In many cases, American-ized pronounciations (especially of settlements) tainted the original. Other times, plain-ole laziness has changed how words are said.

Most of the K'ekchi' could only count to ten in their native tongue. They were astounded to hear me count to 100+...I had spent time researching the old numbering system. It's a bittersweet moment = it's a shame to see them lose their culture, but at the same time, they benefit from new technologies, science, increased health care, better education, etc. by learning Spanish.
 
Spent my time on a Paiute res. Though there are several combined Paiute-Shoshone res's around I had little contact with them.
 
Yes, Pen, but the ndn's I met spoke fluent Absorakee, the language had changed.

munk
 
Originally posted by pendentive
.. Other times, plain-ole laziness has changed how words are said.
Click to expand...

Languages just change too - mouse used to be pronounced like 'moose' - it's surely not 'laziness' which causes changes like this...

--B.
 
still not sure.

they spell it like this:

sosoni'


but is the ' a glottal stop?

Also, there is no accented syllable, so the stress must fall on the first syllable. ?!?
 
I ran across a few in the Death Valley area years ago and they called themselves "show - show - nee" with accent on middle sylsable. I'm not sure if this is what they called each other or if it was a word just for me and other whities.
 
It's not the first time folks have fudged on pronunciation for my benefit. The Nepalis used to do it on a regular basis where proper names were concerned. "Just call me BJ -- or PG -- or NB."
 
Ok...now I'm in for it...

I told my wife during lunchtime about the new-found pronounciation. She was thrilled. :rolleyes:

Her mother grew up in Shoshone. The state of Idaho does have a funny way with names...They pronounce it /SHOH-shohn/.

The National Park Service calls it /sh-SHOH-nee/.

I'm thinking that it was originally pronounced /SHOH-shoh-nee/ and that's why Idahoans added an "e" instead of an "i". Then, after time (and laziness of the tongue) it changed to /SHOH-shohn/, without the "ee" at the end.

Very interesting indeed!
 
Originally posted by pendentive
Ok...now I'm in for it...

I told my wife during lunchtime about the new-found pronounciation. She was thrilled. :rolleyes:

Her mother grew up in Shoshone. The state of Idaho does have a funny way with names...They pronounce it /SHOH-shohn/.

The National Park Service calls it /sh-SHOH-nee/.

I'm thinking that it was originally pronounced /SHOH-shoh-nee/ and that's why Idahoans added an "e" instead of an "i". Then, after time (and laziness of the tongue) it changed to /SHOH-shohn/, without the "ee" at the end.

Very interesting indeed!
Click to expand...

Looks like a sound analysis to me :) THough I would guess that /SHOH-shohn/ is just 'spelling pronunciation' (e.g. the English word 'shone').

--B.
 
sorry. don't know if I properly explained myself.
I bolded the accented part of the word.
 
I've always heard it as Show Shown-Knee here in Oklahoma whether it was spoken by a Shoshoni or another ndn.
The Show is a little seperate from the Shown-Knee, but I don't know if that's what one would call an accent mark or not.
There's around 86 tribes represented here in Oklahoma, The Land of the Redman.:)
 
I did away with a few beers with the Shoshone in Idaho.

They pronounced it show shown.
 
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