1
Stage 1 of 3
qém̓es
Nez Perce · pre-1800s
"sweet; the camas lily bulb"
meant 'sweet', naming the starchy bulb of a blue-flowered lily prized as a food staple
2
Stage 2 of 3
kamas
Chinook Jargon · 1800s
"the edible bulb of the camas lily"
spread into the Pacific Northwest trade language among many indigenous groups
3
Stage 3 of 3
camas
English · 1805
"a blue-flowered lily with an edible starchy bulb"
recorded by the Lewis and Clark expedition after being fed camas bulbs by the Nez Perce
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