powwow
English
editAlternative forms
edit- pau wau
- almost all capitalization, punctuation, and spacing variants are attested, such as pow wow, Pow-Wow, etc.
Etymology
editFrom an Eastern Algonquian language, probably Massachusett pauwau (“he uses divination; he practices magic or sorcery”) or Narragansett powwáw (“sorcerer, shaman”), from Proto-Algonquian *pawe·wa (“one who dreams”).
Noun
editpowwow (plural powwows)
- A ritual conducted by a Native American shaman.
- A Native American shaman. [from 17th c.]
- A Native American council or meeting.
- (informal, often offensive) A short, private conference. [from 19th c.]
- 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter XII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
- While the powwow was going on the big woman came back again. She was consider'ble rumpled and scratched up, but there was fire in her eye.
- (Canada, US) A large gathering during which Indigenous songs and dances are showcased for an audience, essentially a recital or concert. Often also doubles as a fundraiser, or can be held in conjunction with a non-indigneous fair or exhibition in order to attract a large crowd, as at the Calgary Stampede and K-Days.
Translations
edita Native American council or meeting
|
Verb
editpowwow (third-person singular simple present powwows, present participle powwowing, simple past and past participle powwowed)
- (intransitive, of Native Americans) To hold a meeting; to gather together in council.
- 2005, Glen Tucker, Tecumseh: A Vision of Glory, page 224:
- [The] Indians saw everything that happened and powwowed all night, needing more than anything else the presence of Tecumseh. The most aggressive element was the Winnebagos, who insisted on attacking.
- (intransitive, of Native Americans and by extension other groups, such as the Pennsylvania Dutch) To conduct a ritual in which magic is used.
- 2007, David W. Kriebel, Powwowing Among the Pennsylvania Dutch, page 10:
- Maybe no one— except possibly Leah— powwowed anymore.
- (informal, intransitive, often offensive) To hold a private conference.
Usage notes
editThe senses related to having "a short, private conference or meeting" are generally seen as an offensive appropriation of the cultural gathering by Indigenous Americans.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
References
edit- ^ “powwow”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
- ^ “powwow”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- ^ Akila McConnell (2023 December 8) “3 Common Workplace Phrases Rooted In Indigenous Stereotypes”, in Forbes[1]
- ^ S. Mitra Kalita (2023 June 13) “The Phrases You Should Banish From Your Work Vocabulary”, in TIME - charter[2]
- ^ Simon Moya-Smith (2020) “38 Ways to Support—Not Appropriate From—Native People!”, in Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness[3]
- ^ “Use These Culturally Offensive Phrases & Questions at Your Own Risk”, in Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.[4], 2015 September 22
- ^ Patricia Sabine (2011 November 16) “Did they really just say that?”, in Hanscom Air Force Base[5], United States Airforce
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Eastern Algonquian languages
- English terms derived from Eastern Algonquian languages
- English terms derived from Massachusett
- English terms derived from Narragansett
- English terms derived from Proto-Algonquian
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English informal terms
- English offensive terms
- English terms with quotations
- Canadian English
- American English
- English verbs
- English intransitive verbs
- en:People
- en:Native Americans