Quamash
/ˈkwɑː.mæʃ/noun
A North American plant of the genus Camassia, especially one with edible bulbs traditionally harvested by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.
Did you know?Quamash bulbs were traditionally pit-cooked for long periods, converting their otherwise indigestible inulin into a sweet, starchy food.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact period
Nimi'ipuu
qém'es
“A term for the camas plant or its edible bulb, traditionally used as food.”
18th Century
Chinook Jargon
kamass or quamass
“A borrowed name for camas, used as a trade-language term in the Pacific Northwest.”
1790s
English
quamash
“An English rendering of the Indigenous and Chinook Jargon plant name.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Camassia
“The botanical genus containing camas and related species; the name is based on the same Indigenous plant name.”
Modern English
English
quamash
“A common name for Camassia plants, especially the edible-bulbed species Camassia quamash.”
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