Re: Word of the day: ?Papoose?

On Mon, 2 Sep 2024 11:56:07 +0100, Janet <nobody@home.com> wrote:

In article <qteadjt6e04h35hok2fpurqgo5b8kukutb@4ax.com>,
tonycooper214@gmail.com says...

I don't have a lot of experience discussing (American) Indian
children, so I - too - have never before been challenged with coming
up with a word to describe an unbound one. 
 
It would have been my impression that an Indian woman uses/used the
papoose-on-the-back as a means of comfortably transporting the child
when she's on the move.  It's never occured to me that keeping the
child bound at all times is/was the objective.

>
 Binding or swaddling babies, exists in many other
cultures.
>
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swaddling
>
  My (midwife) mother firmly swaddled all her babies( as
did her mother, and so did I).  Mary did the same to
Jesus.
>

I'm fully aware of what "swaddling" is, but I don't see that it
pertains to this discussion.

I haven't seen/heard that the reason the (American) Indian women are
pictured with a papoose is because they were practicing swaddling.  I
think it was purely a convenient and more confortable means of
remaining mobile while accompanied by an infant. 

It left the arms free to carry things.  The infant was more secure
when carried over uneven ground. 

Also, I think the main point in this discussion is about whether
"papoose" describes the infant, describes the material used to contain
the infant, or describes an infant in the material.

At some time during the day, the infant could be removed from the
carrier.  To be nursed or fed, for example.  Is it still called a
"papoose" during that time?