kokanee
UK[kəʊˈkɑːni]US[koʊˈkɑːni]
n
a small landlocked sockeye salmon found in lakes and rivers of western north america.
Etymology
the word 'kokanee' entered english in the late 19th century, borrowed directly from the shuswap language spoken in the interior of british columbia, canada. it is believed to derive from the shuswap word 'kəknǝ́xʷ', which specifically refers to this type of freshwater salmon. the adoption of the term by english-speaking settlers and biologists exemplifies the common practice of incorporating indigenous names for local flora and fauna. as a loanword, its form and meaning were adopted wholesale, with no further morphological analysis possible within the framework of english or classical word roots.
Analysis
this word is a loanword from a native american language (shuswap, part of the salishan language family). it is not composed of identifiable greek, latin, or germanic morphemes and therefore cannot be segmented within the english spelling system.
Examples
we spent the afternoon fishing for kokanee on the clear mountain lake.
the kokanee run attracts both wildlife and anglers to the river each autumn.
biologists are studying the impact of climate change on kokanee spawning grounds.