Talk:scoke

RHU Etymology

"1785–95, Americanism; < a New England Algonquian language; compare Eastern Abenaki skókimin pokeberry (equivalent to Proto-Algonquian *aθko·-ka snake + *-i-min berry)" — This unsigned comment was added by DCDuring (talk • contribs).

If this word existed in isolation, that would be plausible. Skokimin (though I cannot find it in use) is indeed the expected Penobscot derivative of PA *aɬko·ka + *-min-. However, it seems more likely that scoke is a shortening of skokeberry. That word, in turn, may be from a word for "red berry", or from skokimin "snake berry" (since the berries are poisonous). - -sche (discuss) 01:46, 6 December 2013 (UTC)