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Onion, Egg, or Squash? Don’t get confused!

Audio Clip of Donna Powless, Cayuga, Six Nations. Recorded a Friends of Allan Gardens program on June 22nd, 2023.

In the Cayuga language, the words for:

  • onions is oˀnǫ́hsaˀ,

  • eggs is onhǫ́hsaˀ, and

  • squash is ohnyǫ́hsaˀ .

These words are just one syllable different from each other.

It’s easy to get them confused, and therefore it’s the source of many family jokes at the dinner table!