-------------------- Laashii'lhgaitc -- Buckeyes White month, September/October --------------------

Laashii'lhgaitc -- Buckeyes White month, September/October

Pronunciation:

  "LAH - shee' - lh - GICHE" (Listen)

Etymology:

  Laashii' means "buckeye," the tree or the nut.
  Lhgai means "it is white."
  -tc is the diminutive ("small") suffix.
  So, Laashii'lhgaitc means literally something like "little white buckeyes" or perhaps "buckeyes are a little white." This refers to the fact that when the buckeyes get ripe (around this time of year) they split at the seams revealing a bright white inner membrane.

Culture:

  The month of Laashii'lhgaitc began today, at the time of the September new moon. Today and the next three days would be naaghiisyiitc' (rest days) for the Naahneesh. This is the first month of T'ang'kw'it (Fall) for the Naahneesh.

  Traditionally, the most important activity for this month was the acorn harvest. The acorns were one of the most important foods of the Naahneesh. They collected them in Laashii'lhgaitc then prepared them and stored them so that they would have plenty throughout the year.

  The Naahneesh (and other Californians) harvested, carefully prepared, cooked and ate buckeye nuts (laashii'). Note that laashii' are POISONOUS! The Naahneesh went through a long drawn-out process to leach out the poisons before consuming them. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! :-)

Related Languages:

  Lassik, Nongatl, Sinkyone, Wailaki: laashee' (buckeye)
  Northern Sinkyone: laashee'-s'ii (buckeye tree)
  Eel River Wailaki: laashii'-ts'ii (buckeye tree)
  Bear River: laawhee'-s'ii (buckeye tree)
  Mattole: laawhee'-ts'ii (buckeye tree)
  Hupa: la:whe' (buckeye)

-------------------------
Sally Anderson
sally@turtlenodes.com
Cahto Language Home Page: http://www.turtlenodes.com/calath/caindex.html