Reconstruction:Proto-Algonquian/maka·lipowa

This Proto-Algonquian entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Algonquian

Etymology

From *maka·l- (“scrape, shovel, remove (snow)”) + *-i(x)po(w)- (“snow”) (compare *so·kixpowi (“it snows”)). Literally "it shovels snow", in reference to the animals' habit of using their hooves to dig through snow to find lichens to eat.

Noun

*maka·lipowa

caribou

Descendants

Eastern Algonquian:
- Mi'kmaq: qalipu
  - → French: caribou
    - → Dutch: kariboe
    - → English: caribou
    - → Italian: caribù
    - → Irish: carabú
    - → Portuguese: caribu
    - → Russian: кари́бу (karíbu)
    - → Spanish: caribú
      - → Tetelcingo Nahuatl: caribú
- Abenaki: magôlibo (“caribou”)
- Penobscot: the first element of ma'gɑli·'buwewa·'ye (“(made of) caribou-skin”)
- Malecite-Passamaquoddy: mokalip (“caribou”)

References

Actes du quatorzième Congrès des algonquinistes (1983), page 305: "Since PA */k/ following */a/ or */a·/ gave /q/ in Micmac, words that begin with /q/ betray the loss of initial syllables as is shown by
qalipu 'caribou'; *maka·lipowa 'he shovels snow'"