Early Hick Lexicon — Spirit Terms

Entries in the Spirit Terms semantic field.

'etil /ʔe.til/

living thing (noun) [Spirit Terms, Sacred Terms]

Proto-Hick *hi-etilu

'imer /ʔi.mer/

life (noun) [Spirit Terms, Sacred Terms]

Proto-Hick *hi-mer

'imeritares /ʔi.me.ri.ta.res/

welcome; raised spirits (noun) [Common Phrases, Spirit Terms, Sacred Terms]

Dialectal loss of initial glottal allows reanalysis with imer 'breath/soul'

imer /i.mer/

breath, soul (noun) [Sacred Terms, Spirit Terms]

Proto-Hick *imeru

Basic term for breath/soul

imeresp /i.me.resp/

sleep (noun) — Shows metaphorical extension of breath/spirit sinking [Spirit Terms, Body Terms]

imerimris /i.me.rim.ris/

expression (noun) [Spirit Terms, Communication Terms]

Shows productive use of ellative case for outward expression

imerlas /i.mer.las/

inspiration (noun) [Spirit Terms, Mental Terms]

Shows productive use of illative case for inward inspiration

takimer /ˈta.ki.mɛr/

echo (noun) [Sound Terms, Spirit Terms]

sound spirit (noun) [Sound Terms, Spirit Terms]

Reflects early animistic understanding of sound phenomena

temer /te.mer/

death (noun) [Spirit Terms, Sacred Terms]

Proto-Hick *telu-himeru

Literally 'end of life'