potlatch

Etymology

Borrowed from Chinook Jargon potlatch (“to give; gift”), from Nootka p̕ačiƛ (“to give in ceremony”). Compare potluck.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɒtˌlætʃ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɑtˌlætʃ/

Noun

potlatch (plural potlatches)

1. 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 wealth and generosity.
2. A communal meal to which guests bring dishes to share; a potluck.

   Synonyms: fuddle, potluck

Etymology

From Nootka p̕ačiƛ (“to give in ceremony”).

Noun

potlatch

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

Verb

potlatch

1. to give, receive

Etymology

Borrowed from Chinook Jargon potlatch (“gift”), from Nootka p̕ačiƛ (“to give in ceremony”).

Noun

potlatch m (plural potlatchs)

1. potlatch

Further reading

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