Giveaways: An ABC Book of Loanwords from the Americas

by Linda Boyden

Overview

Did you know that the okra plant and the word "okra" were introduced to the Americas from Africa? Or that "squash" was first a word from the language of the Narragansett tribe of New England? According to etymologists—people who study words, languages, and word histories—many languages grow by adopting words from other languages, or loanwords. American English is a giant stew, simmering with loanwords like "okra" and "squash."

In her latest book, Linda Boyden shares an alphabet list of indigenous loanwords from North, South, and Central America that have found their way into common usage either nationally or regionally. "Nēnē," for example, is the Hawaiian name for a goose native to the islands and the official state bird. From "abalone" to "zopilote," Boyden celebrates the cultural diversity of American English while her brilliantly colored collage illustrations and simple, direct text reveal the flexibility and adaptability of language to young readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826347268
Publisher:	University of New Mexico Press
Publication date:	10/30/2010
Pages:	74
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Linda Boyden is a former elementary school teacher and author of Powwow's Coming (University of New Mexico Press) and The Blue Roses. The latter won the 2003 Paterson Prize in its age category, the Wordcraft Circle of Native American Writers and Storytellers' Book of the Year for Children's Literature, 2002-2003, and was included on the prestigious CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center) 2003 Choices list of recommended titles.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3–6—Boyden uses the ABC format to introduce animals, plants, and objects whose names are derived from Native American words. "Loanwords" is a bit of a misnomer as many of the words are obscure species (kinnikinnik, Néné), or in one case, a place-name (Fanilusa Bayou), which will not be familiar to North American English speakers of all regions. However, the author makes good use of the opportunity to familiarize children with the lesser-known topics while providing intriguing details about the more familiar ones. Each entry contains a few paragraphs related more to the history or ecology of the subject than to the linguistic origins of its name. Through the engaging and chatty prose, students will learn many "weirdly wonderful" facts, e.g., that raccoons are one of the few species known to observe themselves in reflective surfaces, that yuccas are poisonous unless first soaked in water, and that xat totem poles were originally used as tombs. A positive ecological thread weaves throughout the narrative, advising kids to leave endangered species undisturbed in their natural habitats and mentioning new environmental laws. Boyden paints a fair portrait of modern Native people, noting that most live in apartments and houses like other Americans, and that those who practice traditional skills like canoe-building use modern tools. Additional facts and Internet sources are provided at the end. Full-page, cheerful collages in warm colors and high-quality printing make this volume inviting. This collection of facts is more appropriate for relaxed browsing than for reports, but will make a worthwhile addition for many libraries.—Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI

School Library Journal

An abecedary from a Native American author presents 26 American English words acquired from First Nations languages from North, Central and South America paired to colorful collages. This is no mere word-and-picture-for-every-letter alphabet book; each word is accompanied by a pronunciation as well as the etymological chain that leads from its original language to English and an enthusiastic, sometimes rambling gloss--in a few cases, even a story--on the word. Abalone, readers will learn, comes from the Ohlone word aulon and traveled through Spanish (abulones) before taking its familiar English form. They will learn how we have used the abalone, what they are, that their populations are decreasing, that abalone farming may save them and that they are protected and should be left alone if found at low tide. While many of the words presented are not exactly in regular use (Kinnikinnik, Pogonip, Xat, Zoplote), many are common (Barbecue, Opossum, Skunk, Toboggan). The bibliography is just as enthusiastic, offering more facts on each word and the occasional website or book as a resource. An ebullient and salutary, if occasionally haphazard, reminder of our cultural and linguistic heritage. (Picture book. 6-12)

Kirkus Reviews