About John McLaughlin Expertise I am a specialist in the Native American languages of the Great Basin and can answer nearly any question about the languages of the Numic family of the Uto-Aztecan stock (Shoshoni, Timbisha [Panamint], Comanche, Kawaiisu, Southern Paiute-Ute-Chemehuevi, Mono, and Northern Paiute). I can also answer questions about the science of linguistics, especially about comparative and historical linguistics, phonetics, phonology, and the classification of the world`s languages. I can answer most questions about the history of the English language, but would rather not get into questions about the origins of particular idioms or expressions.
Experience I have a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Kansas and am an Associate Professor at Utah State University. I teach both on-line and traditional classroom courses in linguistics. My dissertation was the first grammar of the Timbisha language of Death Valley, based on fieldwork among some of the last speakers.
Organizations Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas
Publications International Journal of American Linguistics; Anthropological Linguistics; Kansas Working Papers in Linguistics; Names; Publications of the Mid-America Linguistics Conference; Uto-Aztecan: Structural, Temporal, and Geographic Perspectives (2000, Universidad de Sonora)
Education/Credentials B.A., Geography, Utah State University; M.A., Linguistics, University of Utah; Ph.D., Linguistics, University of Kansas
Expert: John McLaughlin Date: 11/11/2005 Subject: meaning of Mukuntuweap, Parunuweap, Wahweap
Question I'm writing a travel journal about Zion National Park. So far googling various internet sources, Mukuntuweap is said to be Southern Paiute language for "straight arrow", "straight canyon", "straight river", or "land of the springs". Parunuweap, "land of the birds", and Wahweap, "bitter water".
Please correct, clarify and/or elaborate. Your expertise greatly appreciated.
Tanja
Answer Mukuntuweap: Southern Paiute mukkunta 'straight', uippy 'canyon' [the 'y' is a vowel pronounced kind of like the 'u' in put, but without the lips rounded] "Straight Canyon"
Parunuweap: Southern Paiute patu 'whitewater' (shortened from pa 'water' plus tosa 'white'), noippy 'canyon with water' "Whitewater Canyon"
Wahweap: Southern Paiute wa'a 'cedar, pinyon pine', uippy 'canyon' OR Ute oa 'salt', uippy 'canyon'. It is probable that Wahweap in Arizona comes from 'Cedar Canyon' in Southern Paiute, and Wahweap in Utah comes from 'Salt Canyon' in Ute, but both would sound nearly alike to English ears and eventually be spelled alike. Southern Paiute and Ute are just different dialects of the same language that I call Colorado River Numic. "Cedar Canyon" or "Salt Canyon"
For a bibliographical reference you can consult:
William Bright. 2004. Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press
I was the consultant for the Great Basin names, so I've just given you exactly what I wrote for the book. Have a great day. If you have further questions, you can contact me directly at mclasutt@brigham.net
