ià꞉iaʼk

Mohawk

Etymology

Perhaps derived from the root -iahiaʼk- (“cross over”) as seen in tetià꞉iaʼks (“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꞉iaʼk

1. six

Derived terms

• ià꞉iaʼk iawén꞉re (“sixteen”)
• ià꞉iaʼk 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