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powisi

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Sranan Tongo

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Etymology

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According to Van Donselaar, borrowed from Dutch pauwies,[1] from Spanish pauxi,[2] possibly of Amerindian origin. Alternatively, borrowed from Kari'na [Term?].[3] Compare Guyanese English powis.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /poˈwisi/, [pʊ̞ˈwisi], [pɔ̝ˈwisi]

Noun

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powisi

  1. black curassow (Crax alector)
    • 1984, Edgar Cairo, “Jonguwenke fu mi dren [Virgin of my dreams]”, in Lelu! Lelu! Het lied der vervreemding‎[3], Haarlem: In de Knipscheer, →ISBN, page 786:
      Mi safu dagwe, / mi moi powisi, / mi pikin watra-mama! / Mi lobi Ana!
      My soft boa constrictor / my beautiful black currassow / my little mermaid! / My beloved Ana!
    • 1985, Albert Helman, “Powisi e ridyeri [The black currassow plays up]”, in Adyosi / Afscheid‎[4], Nijmegen: Instituut ter Bevordering van de Surinamistiek, published 1994, page 89:
      Powisi tya' koni. A pres' a si gowtu / a e swar' en bika a de ab' en fanowdu.
      The black currassow is clever. As soon as it sees gold / it will swallow it, because it needs it.
    • 1986, Ané Doorson, “Owpa Paulus [Grandad Paulus]”, in Michiel van Kempen, editor, Nieuwe Surinaamse verhalen‎[5], Paramaribo: Uitgeverij de Volksboekwinkel, →ISBN, page 100:
      Nanga wan ‘Dag mis, dag mis’ a ben e waka leki wan powisi - en alanya-tiki na wansei fu en mofo - go miti na oso fu Sa Jana, di ben e kon na dronmofo[sic – meaning dromofo] fu miti en.
      With a 'Good day, Miss, good day, Miss', she walked like a black currassow - her bitter orange chewstick on one side of her mouth - up to the house of Sister Jana, who was coming into the front yard to meet her.

Descendants

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  • → Dutch: powisi

References

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  1. ^ J. van Donselaar (2000) “Gelebek en andere namen van vogels in het Surinaams-Nederlands - hun oorsprong en geschiedenis ['Gelebek' and other names of birds in Surinamese Dutch - their origin and history]”, in OSO. Tijdschrift voor Surinaamse taalkunde, letterkunde en geschiedenis‎[1] (in Dutch), Instituut ter Bevordering van de Surinamistiek, →ISSN, page 267
  2. ^ J. van Donselaar (2013) Nicoline van der Sijs, editor, Woordenboek van het Nederlands in Suriname van 1667 tot 1876 [Dictionary of the Dutch Language in Suriname from 1667 to 1876] (in Dutch), Amsterdam, The Hague: Meertens Instituut/Nederlandse Taalunie, →ISBN, page 172
  3. ^ Herman Benjamins, Johannes François Snelleman, editors (1914-1917), Encyclopaedie van Nederlandsch West-Indië [Encyclopaedia of the Dutch West Indies]‎[2] (in Dutch), Den Haag/Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff/E.J. Brill, page 382.
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