I'm sorry this is a day late--yesterday was a crazy day for us.

-------------------- shaa -- sun, moon, month ----------------------

shaa -- sun, moon, month

Pronunciation:
  "SHAH" (Listen)

Etymology:
  Shaa is from the general Athabaskan word for sun, moon, and sun.

Meaning:

  This word has a potentially confusing range of meanings. Fortunately, the Naahneesh, unlike many Athabaskan peoples have another word that means more specifically "moon" (naaghai), so most often shaa either means "sun" or "month" and only sometimes "moon." Usually the context makes clear which meaning is intended.

Culture:

  In the Naahneesh cosmology, the sun travels two east-west roads cut in the stone slab that makes up the sky. There is one path to the north for the winter, and one to the south for the summer (see the Creation story).

  The Naahneesh have a version of the "Stealing the Light" story which is found in much of Native America.
    The Securing of Light
    The Securing of Light (shorter version)

Related Languages:

  Lassik, Nongatl, Sinkyone, Wailaki: shaa
  Hupa: wha

-------------------------
Sally Anderson
sally@turtlenodes.com
Cahto Language Home Page: http://www.turtlenodes.com/calath/caindex.html