potlatch
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potlatch
- /ˈpɒtlætʃ/ UK
- /ˈpɑtˌlæt͡ʃ/ US
Where it comes from
The noun is borrowed from Chinook Jargon potlatch, pátlač (“to give; gift; gift-giving ceremony, potlatch”), from Nootka Jargon pa'chatle, pa'chēētle, pah-chilt (“to give, give me”), from Nootka p̕ačiƛ (“to give a gift during a potlatch ceremony”).
Sense 1 of the verb (“to give; especially, to give a gift during a potlatch ceremony”) is borrowed from Chinook Jargon potlatch, pátlač (see above); sense 2 (“to carry out or take part in a potlatch ceremony”) is derived from the noun.
noun potlatches · potlach · potlache
- 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. First, the Indian himself is to be sought out; then the horse is to be tried; next the price is to be discussed, then the mode of payment, and finally the potlatch: each and all are matters of grave consideration and delay, during which the Indians make a business of watching every circumstance of w
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A communal meal to which guests bring dishes to share; a potluck.
If all went according to plan, the bands could harvest tons of meat, fat and animal skins in a single afternoon of collective effort, and either consume these riches in a giant potlatch, or dry, smoke or (in Arctic areas) freeze them for later usage.
Similar: fuddle
verb potlatches · potlatching · potlatched
- To give; especially, to give as a gift during a potlatch ceremony. He was a Chilkaht chief, and it being New Year's day, he had been to General Davis's house and "potlatched" (treated) to a bottle of whiskey.
- To carry out or take part in a potlatch ceremony. [page 85] In Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska, a native who has acquired a large share of this world's goods becomes at times stricken with a sort of ecstasy, when he feels it incumbent on himself to organize a sort of conscience fund on his own hook. He calls his neighbors together,
Translations
Every language
noun communal meal to which guests bring dishes to share — see also potluck
| Español | comelata, kermés, quermés, comelana |
|---|---|
| Português | festa americana |
| Français | auberge espagnole, buffet canadien, repas-partage |
| Deutsch | Potluck |
| Italiano | pranzo al sacco |
noun ceremony amongst certain indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest
| 日本語 | ポトラッチ |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 散財宴 /散财宴 sǎncáiyàn |
| Français | potlatch |
| Deutsch | Mitbringbuffet |
| Русский | по́тлач pótlač |
Talk about this word "potlatch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/potlatch. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. potlatch. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/potlatch "potlatch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/potlatch.Cite this
@misc{potlatch_2026,
title = {potlatch},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/potlatch},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
