'iswet

Cahuilla Etymology chl 'isill wet coyote big Noun chl noun 'íswet A large carnivore, either a wolf or a jaguar Usage notes This animal has not been seen in Cahuilla territory within living memory, but is still important in old stories. Some translate this as mountain lion, but the word is related to chl 'isill coyote, and there is already a word for mountain lion (chl tukwet) related in the same way to chl tukut bobcat. In two checklists by naturalist Clinton Hart Merriam C. Hart Merriam from field interviews, "Jaguar" is written in by hand;C. Hart Merriam Frank Albers C. Hart Merriam papers relating to work with California Indians, 1850-1974. (bulk 1898-1938) https://archive.org/details/bancroft_chartmerriam_1556_60 Robert F. Heizer Schedule 106: Field Check Lists: Pow´-we Cahuilla: Cahuilla Valley: Frank Albers, June 1, 1933, (full blood) 191 http://archive.org/stream/bancroft_chartmerriam_1556_60#page/n191/mode/1up 1934 in the second one, 'Jaguar ("Tiger")' is written.C. Hart Merriam C. Hart Merriam papers relating to work with California Indians, 1850-1974. (bulk 1898-1938) https://archive.org/details/bancroft_chartmerriam_1556_60 Robert F. Heizer Schedule 106: Field Check Lists: "Cahuilla"=Pow´-we-am: Cahuilla Valley, Calif.: June 1910, June 1933, 1934 221 http://archive.org/stream/bancroft_chartmerriam_1556_60#page/n221/mode/1up 1934 Jaguars are known to have formerly lived in California, so it's possible that an inherited word for wolf and the stories connected with it were transferred to another large carnivore in the absence of real wolves. References chl Carnivores