Wickiup

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈwɪkɪʌp/

Definitions

1. A form of indigenous shelter commonly utilized by Native American tribes, featuring a conical or dome shape made from natural resources and aimed at providing seasonal lodging
2. This structure, often temporary, consists of a framework designed to be easily constructed and deconstructed, typically used for community living
3. An indigenous dwelling traditionally built by some Native American cultures, characterized by a circular shape with a covering made of available materials for temporary use

Etymology: The Fox language gives us the most likely source of this term: "wîkiyâpi" meant "house," and the word traveled out of Algonquian-speaking territory into English usage. Its deeper ancestor is a Proto-Algonquian root, "*wi·kiwa·ʔmi," also meaning "house," which is the same root behind "wigwam." The two words are doublets, meaning they descend from one ancestral word yet reached English by different routes. The sheer number of Native American peoples who built similar dome-shaped shelters across the Southwest helps explain why related terms turn up in many communities, from Arizona and New Mexico to Utah, Idaho, and California. The English word "wickiup" is therefore best understood as one of several local forms of a shared idea: a house made of bent poles and brush, rounded in shape, easily built and easily left behind.