wocus
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From the Klamath-Modoc word for the plant's seeds, wocus.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
wocus
- (US, regional) A large yellow water lily (Nuphar polysepala) found in the northwestern United States.
- (US, regional) The seeds of this water lily, eaten by the Klamath and others.
Synonyms edit
- (Nuphar polysepala): Rocky Mountain spatterdock
Klamath-Modoc edit
Alternative forms edit
- wókash (Gatschet)
Etymology edit
From the name of the lily, woksʔam.[1]
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
wocus
- the seeds of the yellow water lily (Nuphar polysepala), which ripen in July and August and are harvested, parched, hulled, and eaten by the Klamath and Modoc
References edit
- Gatschet, Samuel S. (1890). The Klamath Indians of southwestern Oregon. Volume II, Part II. United States Government Printing Office.
- Sturtevant, William C. (1978). Handbook of North American Indians, page 449