ià:ia’k

Mohawk

Etymology

Perhaps derived from the root -iahia’k- (“cross over”) as seen in tetià:ia’ks (“I cross over”), referring to crossing over from finger-counting on one hand to the other. If true then inherited from Proto-North Iroquoian *-jahjaɁk-.

Numeral

ià:ia’k

1. six

Derived terms

• ià:ia’k iawén:re’ (“sixteen”)
• ià:ia’k niwáhsen (“sixty”)

References

• Nora Deering, Helga H. Delisle (1976) Mohawk: A teaching grammar (preliminary version), Quebec: Manitou College, page 17
• Michelson, Gunther, Michelson, Karin, Canadian Deer, Glenda (2024) A Dictionary of Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) with Connections to the Past, University of Toronto Press, page 163