different between potlatch vs potlatcher

English

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from Chinook Jargon potlatch, pátla? (“to give; gift; gift-giving ceremony, potlatch”), from Nootka Jargon pa'chatle, pa'ch??tle, pah-chilt (“to give, give me”), from Nootka p?a?i? (“to give a gift during a potlatch ceremony”).

Sense 1 of the verb (“to give; especially, to give a a gift during a potlatch ceremony”) is borrowed from Chinook Jargon potlatch, pátla? (see above); sense 2 (“to carry out or take part in a potlatch ceremony”) is derived from the noun.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p?tlæt?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p?t?læt?/
• Hyphenation: pot?latch

Noun

potlatch (usually uncountable, plural potlatches)

1. (Canada, US, also figuratively) A ceremony amongst certain indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest in which gifts are bestowed upon guests and personal property is destroyed in a show of generosity and wealth.
2. (US, chiefly Alaska) A communal meal to which guests bring dishes to share; a potluck.

   Synonym: (Britain, dialectal) fuddle

Alternative forms

• potlach
• potlache (dated)

Derived terms

• potlatcher

Translations

Verb

potlatch (third-person singular simple present potlatches, present participle potlatching, simple past and past participle potlatched)

1. (transitive) To give; especially, to give as a gift during a potlatch ceremony.
2. (intransitive) To carry out or take part in a potlatch ceremony.

Derived terms

• potlatching (noun)

Translations

References

Further reading

• potlatch on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Chinook Jargon

Etymology

From Nootka p?a?i? (“to give in ceremony”).

Noun

potlatch

1. gift
2. giving
3. gift-feast, potlatch

Verb

potlatch

1. to give, receive

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Chinook Jargon potlatch (“gift”), from Nootka p?a?i? (“to give in ceremony”).

Noun

potlatch m (plural potlatchs)

1. potlatch

Further reading

• “potlatch” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

potlatch +? -er

Noun

potlatcher (plural potlatchers)

1. One who holds a potlatch, a traditional giving-away ceremony among certain coastal peoples of the Pacific Northwest