potlatch means 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.
potlatch is pronounced /ˈpɒtlætʃ/.
Why “potlatch” is a great word
A ceremonial feast among certain Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, characterized by the host's lavish distribution of gifts and sometimes the destruction of property as a display of wealth and status. From Chinook Jargon potlatch, pátlač ("to give; gift; gift-giving ceremony"), from Nootka Jargon pa'chatle, pa'chēētle, pah-chilt ("to give, give me"), from Nootka p̕ačiƛ ("to give a gift during a potlatch ceremony"). Unlike a "potluck" (a casual, communal meal of contributed dishes) or a "donation" (a unilateral transfer without intricate social calculus), a potlatch is an act of competitive generosity where giving is a form of power, a binding contract, and a public ledger of standing. It is the crushing of a copper plaque to render its value indisputable, the deep-throated rhythm of a song that is itself a heritable property, and the silent, heavy weight of a woolen blanket that carries an entire history of obligation and rank—a radical economy where wealth flows not to the hoarder, but to the one who can most dramatically let it go.
Etymology
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
- 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.
- A communal meal to which guests bring dishes to share; a potluck.
verb
- To give; especially, to give as a gift during a potlatch ceremony.e.g.“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.” — [1869 November 10, “[Accompanying Papers. Alaska.] Appendix M. Letter from William S. Dodge, Ex-mayor of Sitka, on Affairs in Alaska Generally.”, in Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Made
- To carry out or take part in a potlatch ceremony.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.