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pemmican
[< Algonk.: < Cree pimii fat, grease + -kān prepared]
DCHP-1 (pre-1967)
Entry from the DCHP-1 (pre-1967)
This entry may contain outdated or offensive information, terms, and examples.
1n.
beaten or pounded meat mixed with melted animal fat and, sometimes, berries, the preparation being sewn in a skin bag to form a hard, compact mass that would keep for a long time under almost any conditions.
Of great importance in the fur trade, pemmican was made from the flesh of buffalo (and at times from that of caribou, moose, etc.) and in preparations of varying quality and composition. Consequently, numerous compound terms were in use, as deer pemmican, berry pemmican; the qualifier being self-explanatory, few such terms have been entered here.
Quotations
1743
Pimmegan as the Natives styles itt, is some of the Ruhiggan fait and cranberries mixd. up togeather, and Reckon'd by some Very good food by the English as well as Natives.
1817
Their crews encamp on the banks every night; and they generally land also to cook their meals, except when they are compelled to subsist on pemmican, a sort of dried, husky compound, composed of pounded venison and deer's fat mixed together.
1817
Pemmican . . . requires no cooking, and is sometimes rendered more palatable by addition of berries.
1875
I got some "sheep" pemmican from these hunters, and thought it very good--rather sweet and perhaps a bit richer, than the common buffalo pemmican.
1886
But pemmican for breakfast, pemmican for dinner, pemmican for supper, is beginning to pall; and we can only move up and down the sea-beach, for beyond us is the inevitable muskeg.
1966
They used to get together to chew over pemmican and offer up incantations to the great god Scouse for the preservation of the fertility of the muskrat and things like that
2n. — Fur Trade, Hist.
a rawhide bag containing 90 pounds of pemmican.
See: taureau(def. 2)
Quotations
1824
A Pemican put into a Sand bank here two months ago is not in the least spoiled.
1825
Half a Doz Pemicans is all that is required for the Voyage Westward which the Crew can carry on their backs and coming East a couple Bags may be transported in like Manner.
2bn.
a strong bag made of buffalo rawhide sewn hair side out, used as a container for 90 pounds of pemmican (def. 1).
Quotations
1944
These sacks are known as taureaux . . . or pemmicans.