Characteristics:
I am a Native American lean-to typically found in the mountains of upstate New York and Canada. I am usually round in shape. The first letter in my name is an a.
What am I?
Algonquian bark wigwam?
[/gessin!]
ajoupa? (but that's West Indies.. otoh, it's of Fr. origin)
The Aleut Barabara?
(but that's Alaskan, rather a long way from NY)
EDIT - P.S.It wouldn't be anything to do with Black Elk's Earth Prayer, would it?
Earth Prayer
"Grandfather, Great Spirit, once more behold me on earth and, lean to, hear my feeble voice.
EDIT - II.
More seriously, I have found a number of references to the Adirondack Lean-to, which was a Native American type of shelter.
I have a feeling (given which forum our gal's chosen!) that we may be guessing far too strait-laced and the answer will have us groaning yet...
c'mon back WW!
I chose this forum just because I set up the question more as a game than as a straightforward question. Although it was. A straightforward question.
Anyway, Rhubarb is correct: Adirondack Lean-to
Now my serious question is, why isn't the adirondack lean-to listed in any dictionary if it's a structure that at least people interested in Native American history would know about? I can't find the term in any dictionary.
Sorry to disappoint you, mav', about that anticipated groan, but maybe Ted will look in and provide one.
WW
why isn't the adirondack lean-to listed in any dictionary if it's a structure that at least people interested in Native American history would know about?
because it's a type of structure (lean-to) that comes from a region (Adirondack)?
-ron o.
In reply to:
why isn't the adirondack lean-to listed in any dictionary if it's a structure that at least people interested in Native American history would know about?
it's right there with Mississippi Mud.
So for clarification, are wigwams, teepees and (adirondack) lean-tos words to describe essentially the same structure with a different regional or cultural name?
Don't forget the wikiup and the hogan.
Tipis and hogans are very specific structures. The tipi is, traditionally, buffalo skin over a conic structure of long poles, very portable. It evolved from a less substantial structure with the introduction of the horse to the plains culture. Prior to the introduction of the horse the main pack animal was the dog.
The hogan is a permanent structure of log and mud, still used today as the primary housing for many Navajo on the reservation. I visited one once. It's the only time I have ever seen a gas refrigerator in use.
>and the yurt
is never called that by those who live in it, as Dr. Bill once pointed out here.
http://www.chaingang.org/yurtquest/FAQ.html
did I say yurt? I meant Ger.
so should yurtmany be capitalised?
So yogurt is made in gers not yurts?
>so should yurtmany be capitalised?
It took me a while to figure out how the above was in any way yurtmane to this thread.
I guess that the comic duo of 50s and 60s radio would never have been so popular if they had been named Yurt and Daisy, either.