Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

indian giving

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.71 in modern English

Syllables
in-di-an -giv-ing
IPA
18
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
5
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The act of demanding the return of a gifted item or taking back something that was previously given, or expecting something in return.

Derogatory; Informal; Offensive; Uncountable

Etymology

From Meriwether Lewis' and William Clarke's misunderstanding of how Native Americans traded: a tribe that traded beads for a dog might later trade the dog back to its original owner, expecting something (such as the beads) in return, and taking it if it was not offered.

Usage

Phrases

Indian giver Indian gift

Frequently Paired Words

Indian giver Indian gift

Questions

What does indian giving mean?
The act of demanding the return of a gifted item or taking back something that was previously given, or expecting something in return.
Where does indian giving come from?
From Meriwether Lewis' and William Clarke's misunderstanding of how Native Americans traded: a tribe that traded beads for a dog might later trade the dog back to its original owner, expecting something (such as the beads) in return, and taking it if it was not offered.

How to pronounce indian giving

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