Where I grew up we had a Sacajawea Street (w/ a j), Sacajawea School (w/ a j), even Sacajawea State Part (w/ a j). Yet when the government issued the coin, her name is spelled Sacagawea? Does anyone know which is correct?
2006-07-30 14:32:38 · 8 answers · asked by Annie 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
I am a history buff. Specifically, native American history.
Most people pronounce it with the "j". But historians that are experts in the field write it with a "g" and most of them pronounce it with a gutteral "g" sound with a hint of "j". It's an odd sound.
Actually, the different tribes up there would have had all sorts of mishmashed dialects and languages and translations. It would be next to impossible to get a definitive answer on who is right and who is wrong. I highly recommend you watch the Ken Burns film on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Actually, the real name of the expedition is the Corps of Discovery. But there were something like 23 people on this expedition. To communicate from tribe to tribe usually took many translations.
There's a neat story in the film about how when Sacagawea was a little girl her brother was taken by other Indians during a raid (common occurrance). She found him on the trip, and they were having to do like 8 or 9 translations to communicate back and forth between Sacagawea and her long-lost brother. It's a very moving story in the film.
2006-07-30 14:41:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Her name was spelled with a G by the French and with a J by the English Lewis and Clark. So I guess both are really correct since no one knows the correct spelling. Native Americans did not have a written alphabet so L&C just spelled it how it sounded.
2006-07-30 21:37:35 · answer #2 · answered by cathcoug 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sac·a·ga·we·a ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sk-g-w, sä-kägä-wä) or Sac·a·ja·we·a (sk-j-w), 1787?-1812.
QAC
2006-07-30 22:30:10 · answer #3 · answered by Questions/Answers Critic (QAC)! 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because people are having a sort of dispute over the spelling of her name..since she is so old, so you know..they aren't really sure which is right.
2006-07-30 21:39:52 · answer #4 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both are correct
2006-07-30 21:37:16 · answer #5 · answered by Joe P 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They both are correct.
2006-07-30 21:36:50 · answer #6 · answered by Kitty/Penguin Jillian 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Either is correct.
2006-07-30 21:36:25 · answer #7 · answered by Judy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Isn't that a bag of Jawea?
2006-07-30 21:38:20 · answer #8 · answered by kitten lover3 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋