[Mihalic] More etymology

[TIDA Syuntaroo]

Mi laik toktok long "demdem".  

Mi wanpela mangi Japan, taim mi go long PNG na harim dispela tok
"demdem", mi kirap nogut.  Em olsem tokples bilong mi stret.

A Japanese word for snail "dendenmusi" (kunrei-siki romanisation) or
"dendenmushi" (Hepburn romanisation) may be related to "demdem", if
the story about introduction of a kind of snail into PNG by Japanese
is true.

/musi/ is a word for bugs and worms.  /denden/ is a part of the word
like "cran" in "cranberry".

Note that in Japanese coda /n/ is not specified for the place of
articulation, and can be realised as any nasal sounds (but usually
regressively assimilated -> [dendemmuSi]).

For further study about words for snail in Japanese, refer to YANAGITA
Kunio's classic book "Kagyuu-koo" ("A study about snail", 1927, now
available at the Iwanami publisher), which shows distribution of
different words for snail in Japan and advocates a kind of wave
theory.  You will see that there are so many patois for snail.

http://www.iwanami.co.jp/.BOOKS/33/9/3313870.html

Although it might not have been a standard word, "dendenmusi" is one
of the most popular variations meaning snail, possibly because of a
famous children's song about snail, which starts with "denden musimusi
katatumuri".  

http://ingeb.org/songs/ckatatum.html

Em tasol,

TIDA Syuntaroo

>> Long dispela pas "[Mihalic] More etymology" 
>>    Long deit, Wed, 30 Jul 2003 22:24:10 -0800 
>> "Thomas H. Slone" i tok olsem:

THSlone> Demdem: Tryon (1995, part 2, p. 391) lists demdem as an introduced 
THSlone> word for snail into the Dami Language (Papua Province [ex-Irian 
THSlone> Jaya], Indonesia), but gives no explanation as to its origin.

THSlone> Both Bergmann (1982: 156) and Tietze (1996: 36) suggest that "demdem" 
THSlone> applies to more than just the introduced African snail.  Bergmann 
THSlone> (1982: 156) says, "Wanpela kain demdem i stap, em i save kaikai kiau 
THSlone> bilong bikpela demdem bilong Afrika."  Tietze says, "Kain kain demdem 
THSlone> i stap long PNG.  Tasol wanpela nupela kain demdem i save bagarapim 
THSlone> moa kaikai.  Dispela demdem bilong ol ples hat ol i save kolim 
THSlone> 'Afrika' demdem."

THSlone> Bergmann (1982: 156) says that the African snail was introduced to 
THSlone> PNG during World War II by the Japanese for use as a food source. 
THSlone> This does not appear to be a Japanese word, though, e.g., 
THSlone> http://www.freedict.com/onldict/jap.html gives esu"karugo", 
THSlone> "katatsumuri", "makigai", and "kagyuu" for snail.