| 释义 |
▪ I. ˈpotlatch, ˈpotlach(e, n.
[Chinook jargon, from Nootka Indian potlatsh, patlatsh n. a gift, vb. to give.]
Among some N. American Indians of the Pacific coast: a. A gift, a present.
1883T. Winthrop Canoe & Saddle iv. 42 They [Klickatat Indians]..expressed the friendliest sentiments, perhaps with a view to a liberal ‘potlatch’ of trinkets.
b. A tribal feast at which presents are given and received, given by an aspirant to chiefship. Also, an extravagant giving away or throwing away of possessions to enhance one's prestige or establish one's position. Also attrib., transf., and fig.
1865C. C. Leighton Jrnl. 30 Aug. in Life at Puget Sound (1884) 25 There was going to be a great potlach at the coal-mines, where a large quantity of iktas would be given away,—tin pans, guns, blankets, canoes, and money... It seems that anyone who aspires to be a chief must first give a potlach to his tribe. 1884San Francisco Chron. Sept., A potlatch is..a sort of grand reunion and general gathering.., an occasion for the exchanging of big presents. 1890Amer. Antiquarian Mar. 75 On his return he again called the people together and held a big potlatch, giving the Indians what appeared to them at that time great curiosities. 1895Westm. Gaz. 18 July 8/1 In a far-away corner of British Columbia, on the occasion of the last birthday..the Redskins held a ‘pot⁓lach’ in honour of their Great White Mother. 1902H. L. Wilson Spenders xxx. 357 This life of idleness you been leadin'—one continual potlatch the whole time—it wa'n't doin' you a bit of good. 1907C. Hill-Tout Brit. N. Amer. 52 Occasions of public festivity such as potlatch gatherings. 1916[see give-away 1]. 1934R. Benedict Patterns of Culture (1935) vi. 202 A variant of this type of potlatch was that which was given upon the adolescence of the woman of highest rank. 1957Times 12 Nov. (Canada Suppl.) p. v/3 Another change was the removal of the prohibition on potlatches and on some traditional religious ceremonies, an ironic measure, as they have now practically disappeared. 1965H. Kahn On Escalation xiii. 270 ‘Potlatch’ wars. Competitions in conspicuous consumption of resources or spectacular successes in such areas as space, economic growth, and ‘showy’ military systems are employed to gain prestige and influence events. 1969Times 22 Sept. 14/3 Potlatch was an obligation to anyone caught out in a misdemeanour, or who had suffered loss of face through some mishap. Only by a parade of wealth or wild generosity or conspicuous waste could such a man regain his shattered image. 1970Globe & Mail (Toronto) 26 Sept. 29/3 (Advt.), The game has become secondary to a potlatch ceremony called tailgate picknicking... This..requires that the host participants outdo their neighbours in the quality and variety of food and drink and the elegance of serving accessories. 1976New Yorker 22 Mar. 44/3 But in September the potlatch ends and there is no one left but old men and women caring for babies whose parents cannot afford to keep them abroad.
Hence ˈpotlatching n., holding a potlatch.
1896Pall Mall Mag. Sept. 106 After two or three days of feasting and pot-latching. 1964Gould & Kolb Dict. Social Sci. 523/1 Potlatching demanded reciprocity. 1975H. White Raincoast Chron. (1976) 182/1 There was incessant potlatching.
▪ II. ˈpotlatch, v.
[f. the n.]
To give; spec. to establish one's name or position by the extravagant giving or throwing away of goods or by holding a feast, which entails some form of reciprocity or return.
1901Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 6 Oct. 2/2 He had $120 coming to him, and he went to Mr. Landsberg and asked if he would potlatch one half of his wages to him and give the other half to the Duke. 1911Ibid. 30 Apr. 8/3 The forty-one family heads of the Songhees band of Indians..had the pleasure of collecting the last of the moneys potlached to them by the provincial government. 1934R. Benedict Patterns of Culture (1935) vi. 203 Potlatching for an heir on the North West coast. 1943W. H. Chase Sourdough Pot xxiii. 171 The deal was closed, the butter potlatched to her father. 1958A. R. Radcliffe-Brown Method in Social Anthropol. i. v. 123 Amongst the Tlingit..it is members of one moiety who potlatch against members of the other moiety. 1964Gould & Kolb Dict. Social Sci. 523/1 If..a person were humiliated by an accident which made him appear ridiculous, or if he were taken in war and made a slave, he or his relatives must potlatch in his name in order to reinstate him in public esteem. |