Sample Entry: OTOE

Sample entry OTOE

Alan H. Hartley

The following material is a "mock-up" of a possible OED entry for the new word "Otoe", based on the raw slips. I have written the entry to satisfy my own curiosity as to how my slips would look written up in "final" form and to illustrate to the interested public the metamorphosis slips undergo in the writing of an entry. The published entry may differ in many respects from the tentative one presented here. Subject to editorial judgment are the very inclusion of the entry in the Dictionary, typography (critical in allowing the reader to distinguish the functionally different parts of the entry), pronunciation, etymology, definition, selection and editing of supporting citations, and bibliographic details. There is a prodigious amount of work between slips and entry.

Otoe /oto/, n. Forms: 16 Authoutantas, Metotantes, 17- Oto, 17 Mactotatas, Outantes, Outentontes, 17-18 Otto, 18 Otteau, Zotoe, Wadotan, Wahtehtana, Wahtohtata, Otoetata, Otheues, Wahtohtanes. Pl. unchanged or with -s. [< Fr. 8tantanta (and the shortened form Oto) < Chiwere watótta, and an extended type in the Dhegiha languages, e.g., Kansa wadóttatta / wadóttadã, Omaha-Ponca wadúttada. The 8- in quot. 1673 was intended to represent wa-, but was also used to represent o- (and in Fr., ou-), and 8tantanta thus came to be read as Otantanta instead of the intended Watantanta. Forms in wa- are prob. directly from the Chiwere word; forms in m- (quots. 1698, 1761) perhaps have an intermediate Algonquian (e.g., Fox, Illinois, Shawnee) etymon.; forms in z- incorporate the final consonant of the Fr. article les (cf. quot. 1736). A long-standing folk-etymological association with the Chiwere verb watúhtanã 'copulate' is linguistically unsubstantiated; see quot. 1823.]

a. (A member of) a Native American people residing, at the time of first European contact, in agricultural villages along the lower Platte and adjacent Missouri Rivers. Also attrib. or as adj.

[1673 J. MARQUETTE (map reproduced in Wisconsin Hist. Coll. XVI. facing p. 88) Otantanta.] 1698 L. HENNEPIN New Discovery (1903) I. 166 The Authoutantas and Maskoutens-Nadouessians live within one hundred and thirty leagues of the Illinois, in three great Villages, on the Banks of a fine River which discharges itself into the Great River Meschasipi. [Ibid. The Meschasipi...receives but two Rivers from the west Side, one whereof is called Otontenta.] Ibid. II. 443 Numerous Nations, as the Panimaha, who have but one Captain and 22 Villages, the least of which contains 200 Cabbins. The Paneassa, the Pana, the Panaloga and the Metotantes, each of which is as considerable as the Panimaha. [1736 in Bull. Recherches Historiques XXXIV. (1928) 550 Les Sotos.] 1761 tr. Charlevoix' Journal of a Voyage to North-America II. 224 A little higher [sc. on the Missouri River] we find the Cansez, then the Octotatas, called by some the Mactotatas. 1774 A. S. LE PAGE DU PRATZ Hist. Louisiana 321 The principal nations who inhabit upon the banks, or in the neighborhood of the Missouri, are..the Othoues [et al.]. 1804 R. G. THWAITES Jrnls. Lewis & Clark exped. I. (1904-5) 47 This nation (Missouries)..now reduced to about 30 f^es [i.e., fires] and that few under the protection of the Otteaus on R Platt. Ibid. VII. 45 G. Drewyer & St. Peter Set out to go to the Zotoe & Paunie village 45 miles. 1805 Z. M. PIKE Jrnls. (1966) I. 232, I will send a Subaltern & Party to winter with the Houteaux or Ottos, at their Towns fifteen leagues up the river plate. 1814 H. BRACKENRIDGE Views Louisiana 75 Ottoes (Wa-dook-to-da.) They are the descendants of the ancient Missouris, and speak their language, which is remarkably lofty and sonorous.—They are not numerous, but esteemed brave and warlike. They reside fifteen leagues up the river Platte, and live in community and friendship with the Panis. 1814 A. ARROWSMITH Map N. Amer. Otto & Missouri Vill. 1823 E. JAMES Exped. Rocky Mts. (Philadelphia) I. 338 The Oto nation of Indians is distinguished by the name of Wah-toh-ta-na...Although this nation distinguish themselves by the name Wahtohtata..they say it ought to be pronounced Wah-toh-ta-na, or Wa-do-tan, which means those who will copulate...in consequence of their chief, at the period of their separation from the Missouries..having carried off a squaw from that nation. 1836 A. GALLATIN Synopsis 127 The Ottoes or Wahtootahtah. Ibid. The Ottoes and the Omahaws..now occupy the territory on the southwest side of the Missouri...They speak kindred..dialects. 1843 J. NICOLLET Hydographical Basin Upper Mississippi (map) Otoe Indian Country. 1844 G. CATLIN Letters & Notes I. 238 I passed the Sacs and Ioways—the Konzas—the Omahaws, and the Ottoes. 1853 H. R. SCHOOLCRAFT Indian Tribes III. 402 Sioux...Ottoes, Missouris, Ioways. 1910 F. W. HODGE Hdbk Amer. Indians II. 165 The Oto seem to have been most intimately associated with the Iowa. Ibid. This tradition..was communicated to Maj. Bean, the Indian agent, by an old Oto chief. 1953 J. R. SWANTON Indian Tribes N. Amer. 270 According to tradition, the Missouri, Iowa, and Oto separated from the Winnebago at some indefinite period in the past. 1996 Hdbk. N. Amer. Indians XVII. 282 The Otoe-Missouria..were never particularly proficient in sign use.

b. The dialect of the Chiwere language spoken by the Otoe and most closely related to the Iowa and Missouri dialects.

1834 in H. R. SCHOOLCRAFT Indian Tribes IV. (1854) 550 Otoe hymn book [title]. 1859 L. H. MORGAN Indian Jrnls. (1959) 67 The difficulty with the Otoe was the want of a competent English interpreter. 1891 J. W. POWELL Indian Ling. Families (1966) 192 Otoe (Wa-to'-qta-ta), on Otoe Reserve, Indian Territory. 1984 B. GRIMES Ethnologue (10^th ed.) 48 Oto..100 or fewer speakers out of 1,400 population...North Central Oklahoma...Adequately bilingual. 1996 Hdbk. N. Amer. Indians XVII. 322 Chiwere, consisting of the very similar Otoe, Missouri, and Iowa, is sometimes subgrouped with Winnebago.

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Last modified 23 January 2002.