tomol

English

Etymology

From a Chumashan language.

Paddlers aboard a reconstructed tomol.

Noun

tomol (plural tomols)

1. A planked boat used by the Chumash and Tongva peoples of California since pre-Columbian times, propelled by crouching occupants using paddles.
   • 2004, Jeanne E. Arnold, Foundations of Chumash Complexity, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, →ISBN:

     For this reason a better understanding of their earliest acquisition and the implications for the invention of the tomol require further analysis using the higher caliber "high-resolution" data.

   • 2012, Carl W. McClure, And That's the Truth!: Meaningful Fiction to Stimulate Your Mind and Nurture Your Soul, →ISBN, page 656:

     K'twa, the primary tomol maker, had worked his way up the society to become the most important carpenter in the village. It was his job to ensure that the village had a sufficient number of tomols.

   • 2013, Lincoln Paine, The Sea and Civilization: A Maritime History of the World, Vintage, →ISBN, page 34:

     Apart from the dalca of southern Chile, the only pre-Columbian planked boat in the Americas is the tomol, built by the Chumash Indians, who lived in the Channel Islands and along the coast between Los Angeles and Point Conception[.]