GLOSSARY OF CHEROKEE WORDS.
The Cherokee language has the continental vowelsounds a, e, i, and u, but lacks o, which is replaced by a deep a. Theobscure or short u is frequently nasalized, but the nasal sound isseldom heard at the end of a word. The only labial is m, which occursin probably not more than half a dozen words in the Upper and Middledialects, and is entirely absent from the Lower dialect, in which wtakes its place. The characteristic l of the Upper and Middle dialectsbecomes r in the Lower, but no dialect has both sounds of theseletters, but g and d are medials, approximating the sounds of k and trespectively. A frequent double consonant is ts, commonly rendered chby the old traders.
a | as in far. |
ă | as in what, or obscure as in showman. |
à | as in law, all. |
d | medial (semisonant), approximating t. |
e | as in they. |
ĕ | as in net. |
g | medial (semisonant), approximating k. |
h | as in hat. |
i | as in pique. |
ĭ | as in pick. |
k | as in kick. |
l | as in lull. |
ʻl | surd l (sometimes written hl), nearly the Welshll. |
m | as in man. |
n | as in not. |
r | takes place of 1 in Lower dialect. |
s | as in sin.[200] |
t | as in top. |
u | as in rule. |
û | as in cut. |
ûñ | û nasalized. |
w | as in wit. |
y | as in you. |
′ | a slight aspirate, sometimesindicating the omission of a vowel. |
A number of English words, with cross references, havebeen introduced into the glossary.
Chimney Rock.
“Like a monolith it rises
To a grand majestic height.”
adaʻlanunʻsti—a staff or cane.
adanʻta—soul.
adaʻwehi—a magician or supernaturalbeing.
adaʻwehiʻyu—a very great magician;intensive form of adaʻwehi.
aʻgana—groundhog.
Aʻganstaʻta—“groundhog-sausage,” fromaʻgana, ground-hog, and tsistaʻu, “I am poundingit,” understood to refer to pounding meat, etc., in a mortar,after having first crisped it before the fire. A war chief, noted inthe Cherokee war of 1760, and prominent until about the close of theRevolution, known to the whites as Oconostota. Also the Cherokee namefor Colonel Gideon Morgan of the war of 1812, for Washington Morgan,his son, of the Civil war, and now for a full-blood upon thereservation, known to the whites as Morgan Calhoun.
Aʻgan-uniʻtsi—“Ground-hog’smother,” from aʻgana and uniʻtsi, their mother, pluralof utsiʻ, his mother (etsiʻ, agitsiʻ, my mother). TheCherokee name of the Shawano captive, who, according to tradition,killed the great Uktena serpent and procured the Ulunsuʻti.[201]
Agaweʻla—“Old Woman,” aformulistic name for corn or the spirit corn.
agayunʻli—for agayunlige, old, ancient.
agidaʻta—see edaʻta.
agidutu—see eduʻtu.
Agi′li—“He is rising,” possiblya contraction of an old personal name. Aginʻ-agi′li,“Rising-fawn.” Major George Lawrey, cousin of Sequoya, andassistant chief of the Cherokee Nation about 1840. Stanley incorrectlymakes it “Keeth-la, or Dog” for gi′liʻ.
aginʻsi—see eniʻsi.
agiʻsi—female, applied usually toquadrupeds.
Agisʻ-eʻgwa—“Great Female,”possibly “Great Doe.” A being, probably an animal godinvoked in the sacred formulas.
agitsiʻ—see etsiʻ.
Agitsta′tiʻyi—“where they stayedup all night,” from tsigitsunʻtihu, “I stay up allnight.” A place in the Great Smoky range about the head of Nolandcreek, in Swain County, N. C.
Aguaquiri—see Guaquili.
Ahaluʻna—“Ambush,”Ahalununʻyi, “Ambush place,” or Uniʻhaluʻna,“where they ambushed,” from akaluʻga, “I amwatching.” Soco gap, at the head of Soco creek, on the linebetween Swain and Haywood counties, N. C. The name is also applied tothe lookout station for deer hunters.
ahanuʻlahi—“he is bearded,” fromahanuʻlahu, a beard.
Ahuʻludeʻgi—“He throws away thedrum” (habitual), from ahuʻli, drum, and akwadeʻgu,“I am throwing it away” (round object). The Cherokee nameof John Jolly, a noted chief and adopted father of Samuel Houston,about 1800. [202]
ahyeliʻski—a mocker or mimic.
aktaʻ—eye; plural, diktaʻ.
aktaʻti—a telescope or field glass. The namedenotes something with which to examine or look into closely, fromaktaʻ, eye.
akwanduʻli—a song form forakwiduʻli (-hu,) “I want it.”
Akwan′ki—see Anakwanʻki.
Akwe′tiʻyi—a location on Tuckasegeeriver, in Jackson county, North Carolina; the meaning of the name islost.
Alarka—see Yalagi.
aligaʻ—the red-horse fish (Moxostoma).
Alkiniʻ—the last woman known to be of Natchezdecent and peculiarity among the East Cherokee; died about 1890. Thename has no apparent meaning.
amaʻ—water; in the Lower dialect, awaʻ;cf. aʻma salt.
amayeʻhi—“dwelling in the water,”from amaʻ (amaʻyi, “in the water”) and ehuʻ,“I dwell,” “I live.”
Amaye′l-eʻgwa—“Greatisland,” from amaye′li, island (from amaʻ, water, andaye′li, “in the middle”) and eʻgwa, great. Aformer Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, at Big island, ashort distance below the mouth of Tellico, in Monroe county, Tenn.Timberlake writes it Mialaquo, while Bartram spells it Nilaque. Not tobe confounded with Long-Island town below Chattanooga.
Amaye′li-gunahiʻta—“Long-island,” fromamaye′li, island, and gunahiʻta, long. A former Cherokeesettlement, known to the whites as Long-Island town, at the Long-islandin Tennessee river, on the Tennessee-Georgia line. It was one of theChickamauga towns (see Tsikamaʻgi). [203]
amaʻyineʻhi—“dwellers in thewater,” plural of amayeʻhi.
Anadaʻduntaski—“roasters,” i. e.,cannibals; from gunʻtaskuʻ. “I am putting it (round)into the fire to roast.” The regular word for cannibals isYunʻwiniʻgiski, q. v.
anagahunʻunskuʻ—the green-corn dance;literally, “they are having a green-corn dance”; thepopular name is not a translation of the Cherokee word, which has noreference either to corn or dancing.
Anakwan′ki—the Delaware Indians; singularAkwan′ki, a Cherokee attempt at Wapanaqki,“Easterners,” the Algonquian name by which, in variouscorrupted forms, the Delawares are commonly known to the westerntribes.
Anantooeah—see AniʻNunʻdaweʻgi.
a′neʻtsa, or anetsaʻgi—theball-play.
a′netsaʻunski—a ball-player; literally,“a lover of the ball-play.”
aniʻ—a tribal and animate prefix.
aniʻdaʻwehi—plural of adaʻwehi.
aʻnigantiʻski—see dagan′tu.
AniʻGatageʻwi—one of the seven Cherokeeclans. The name has now no meaning, but has been absurdly rendered“Blind savana,” from an incorrect idea that it is derivedfrom Igaʻti, a swamp or savanna, and digeʻwi, blind.
Ani-Gilaʻhi—“Long-haired people,”one of the seven Cherokee clans; singular, Agilaʻhi. The wordcomes from agilaʻhi (perhaps connected with afi′lge-ni,“the back of (his) neck”), an archaic term denoting wearingthe hair long or flowing loosely, and usually recognized as applyingmore particularly to a woman. [204]
Aniʻ-Giliʻ—a problematic tribe, possiblythe Congaree. The name is not connected with giʻliʻ, dog.
Aniʻ-Gusa—see AniʻKuʻsa.
aʻnigwa—soon after; dineʻtlanaaʻnigwa, “soon after the creation.”
Aniʻ-Hyunʻtikwalaʻski—“TheThunders,” i. e., thunder, which in Cherokee belief, iscontrolled and caused by a family of supernaturals. The word hasreference to making a rolling sound; cf. tikwaleʻlu, a wheel,hence a wagon; amaʻ-tikwalelunyi, “rolling waterplace,” applied to a cascade where the water falls along thesurface of the rock; ahyunʻtikwalaʻstihuʻ, “it isthundering,” applied to the roar of a railroad train orwaterfall.
Aniʻ-Kawiʻ—“Deer people,”one of the seven Cherokee clans; the regular form for deer isa′wiʻ.
Aniʻ-Kawiʻta—the Lower Creeks, fromKawiʻta or Coweta, their former principal town on Chattahoocheeriver near the present Columbus, Ga.; the Upper Creeks on the headstreams of Alabama river were distinguished as Aniʻ-Kuʻsa (q.v.) A small creek of Little Tennessee river above Franklin, in Maconcounty, N. C., is now known as Coweeta creek.
Aniʻ-Kituʻhwagi—“Kituʻhwapeople,” from Kituʻhwa (q. v.), an ancient Cherokeesettlement.
Aniʻ-Kuʻsa or Aniʻ-Guʻsa—theCreek Indians, particularly the Upper Creeks on the waters of Alabamariver; singular AʻKuʻsa or Coosa (Spanish, Coca, Cossa) theirprincipal ancient town.
Aniʻ-Kutaʻni (also Aniʻ-Kwataʻni, orincorrectly, Nicotani)—traditional Cherokee priestly society orclan exterminated in a popular uprising. [205]
aninaʻhilidahi—“creatures that flyabout,” from tsinaiʻli, “I am flying,”tsinaʻilidaʻhu, “I am flying about.” The genericterm for birds and flying insects.
Aniʻ-Na′tsi—abbreviated Anintsi,singular A-Na′tsi. The Natchez Indians. From coincidence withnaʻtsi, pine, the name has been incorrectly rendered “PineIndians,” whereas it is really a Cherokee plural name of theNatchez.
Aninʻtsi—see AniʻNa′tsi.
AniʻNundaweʻgi—singular,Nunʻdaweʻgi; the Iroquois, more particularly the Seneca, fromNundawao, the name by which the Seneca call themselves. Adair spells itAnantooeah. The tribe was also known as Aniʻ-Seʻnika.
Aniʻ-Sahaʻni—one of the seven Cherokeeclans; possibly an archaic form for “Blue people,” fromsa′kaʻni, saʻkaʻnigeʻi, blue.
Aniʻ-Saʻni, Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni—seeAniʻ-Sawanuʻgi.
Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi (singularSawanuʻgi)—the Shawano Indians. Aniʻ-saʻni andAniʻ-Sawahaʻni may be the same.
Aniʻ-Seʻnika—seeAniʻNundaweʻgi.
Anisgaʻya Tsunsdiʻ (ga)—“TheLittle Men”; the Thunder Boys in Cherokee mythology.
Aniʻ-sgayaiyi—“Men town” (?), atraditional Cherokee settlement on Valley river, in Cherokee county,North Carolina.
Aniʻsgiʻna—plural of asgiʻna, q.v.
Aniʻ-Skalaʻli—the Tuscarora Indian;singular, Skalaʻli or A-Skalaʻli.
Aniʻskwaʻni—Spaniards; singular,Askwaʻni.
Aniʻ-Suwaʻli—orAniʻ-Swqaʻla—the Suala, Sara or Cheraw Indians,formerly about the headwaters [206]of Broad river, NorthCarolina, the Xuala province of the De Soto chronicle, and Joara orJuada of the later Pardo narrative.
Aniʻtaʻgwa—the Catawba Indians;singular, Ataʻgwa or Tagwa.
Aniʻ-Tsaʻguhi—the Cherokee clan,transformed to bears according to tradition. Swimmer’s daughterbears the name Tsaguhi, which is not recognized as distinctivelybelonging to either sex.
Aniʻ-Tsaʻlagiʻ—the Cherokee.
Aniʻ-Tsa′ta—the Choctaw Indians;singular, Tsa′ta.
Aniʻ-Tsiʻksu—the Chickasaw Indians;singular, Tsiʻksu.
Aniʻ-Tsiʻskwa—“Bird people”;one of the seven Cherokee clans.
Aniʻ-Tsuʻtsa—“The Boys,”from atsuʻtsa, boy; the Pleiades.
Aniʻ-Waʻdi—“Paint people”;one of the seven Cherokee clans.
Aniʻ-Wa′dihiʻ—“Place of thePaint people or clan”; Paint town, a Cherokee settlement on lowerSoco creek, within the reservation in Jackson and Swain counties, NorthCarolina. It takes its name from the Aniʻ-Waʻdi or Paintclan.
aniʻwaniʻski—the bugle weed, Lycopus virginicus; literally, “the talk” or“talkers,” from tsiwaʻnihu, “I amtalking,” awaniski, “he talks habitually.”
Aniʻ-Wasaʻsi—the Osage Indians;singular, Wasaʻsi.
Aniʻ-Waʻya—“Wolf people”;the most important of the seven clans of the Cherokee.
Aniʻ-Yunʻwiyaʻ—Indians,particularly Cherokee Indians; literally “principal or realpeople,” from yunwi, person, ya, a suffix implying principal orreal, and aniʻ, the tribal prefix.
Aniʻ-Yuʻtsi—the Yuchi or Uchee Indians;singular, Yuʻtsi. [207]
Annie Ax—see Sadayiʻ.
Aquone—a post-office on Nantahala river, in Masoncounty, North Carolina, site of the former Fort Scott. Probably acorruption of egwani, river.
Arch, John—see Atsi.
Asaʻgwalihuʻ—a pack or burden;asaʻgwal luʻ, or asaʻgwi liʻ, “there is apack on him.”
asehiʻ—surely.
Aseʻnika—singular ofAniʻ-Seʻnika.
asgaʻya—man.
asgaʻya Giʻgagei—the “RedMan”; the Lightning spirit.
asgiʻna—a ghost, either human or animal; fromthe fact that ghosts are commonly supposed to be malevolent, the nameis frequently rendered “devil.”
Asheville—see Kasduʻyi andUntaʻkiyastiʻyi.
asi—the sweat lodge and occasional winter sleepingapartment of the Cherokee and other southern tribes. It was a low builtstructure of logs covered with earth and from its closeness and thefire usually kept smoldering within was known to the old traders as the“hot house.”
asiyuʻ (abbreviated siyuʻ)—good; thecommon Cherokee salute; gaʻsiyuʻ, “I am good”;hasiyuʻ, “thou art good”; aʻsiyu, “he (it)is good”; astu, “very good.”
Askwaʻni—a Spaniard. SeeAniʻskwaʻni.
astuʻ—very good; astu tsikiʻ, very good,best of all.
Astuʻgataʻga—A Cherokee lieutenant inthe Confederate service killed in 1862. The name may be rendered,“Standing in the doorway,” but implies that the man himselfis the door or shutter; it has no first person; gataʻga, “heis standing”; stuti, a door or shutter; stuhu, a closed door orpassage; stugiʻsti, a key, i. e., something with which to open thedoor. [208]
asunʻtli, asuntlunʻyu—a footlog orbridge; literally, “log lying across,” from asiʻta,log.
ataʻ—wood; ataʻya, “principalwood,” i. e., oak; cf. Muscogee iti, wood.
Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ—a noted Cherokee chief,recognized by the British government as the head chief or“emperor” of the Nation, about 1760 and later, and commonlyknown to the whites as the Little Carpenter (Little Cornplanter, bymistake, in Haywood). The name is frequently spelled Atta-kulla-kulla,Ata-kullakulla or Ata-culculla. It may be rendered “Leaningwood,” from ataʻ, “Wood” and gul kalu, a verbimplying that something long is leaning, without sufficient support,against some other object; it has no first person form. Bartramdescribes him as “A man of remarkably small stature, slender andof a delicate frame, the only instance I saw in the Nation; but he is aman of superior abilities.”
Ataʻgwa—a Catawba Indian.
Atahiʻta—abbreviated from Atahitunʻyi,“Place where they shouted,” from gataʻhiuʻ,“I shout,” and yi, locative. Waya gap, on the ridge west ofFranklin, Macon county, North Carolina. The map name is probably fromthe Cherokee wa ya, wolf.
Ata-Kullakulla—see Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ.
aʻtali—mountain; in the Lower dialectaʻtari, whence the “Ottare” or Upper Cherokee ofAdair. The form aʻtali is used only in composition; and mountainin situ is atalunyi or gatuʻsi.
aʻtali-guliʻ—“it climbs themountain,” i. e., “mountain-climber”; the ginsengplant, Ginseng quinquefolium; from aʻtali,mountain, and guliʻ, “it climbs” (habitually);tsilahiʻ or tsiliʻ, “I am [209]climbing.” Alsocalled in the sacred formulas, Yunʻwi Usdiʻ, “Littleman.”
Atalaʻnuwaʻ—“Tlaʻnuwahole”; the Cherokee name of Chattanooga, Tennessee (seetsatanuʻgi); originally applied to a bluff on the south side ofthe Tennessee river, at the foot of the present Market street.
aʻtaluluʻ—unfinished, premature,unsuccessful; whence utaluʻli, “it is not yettime.”
Ataʻluntiʻski—a chief of the ArkansasCherokee about 1818, who had originally emigrated from Tennessee. Thename, commonly spelled Tollunteeskee, Taluntiski, Tallotiskee,Tallotuskee, etc., denotes one who throws some living object from aplace, as an enemy from a precipice.
Aʻtari—see aʻtali.
atasiʻ (or atasaʻ, in a dialecticform)—a war-club.
atatsunʻski—stinging; literally, “hestings” (habitually).
Aʻtsi—the Cherokee name of John Arch, one ofthe earliest native writers in the Sequoya characters. The word issimply an attempt at the English name Arch.
atsiʻla—fire; in the Lower dialect,atsiʻra.
Atsiʻla-waʻi—“Fire—”;a mountain sometimes known as Rattlesnake knob, about two milesnortheast of Cherokee, Swain county, N. C.
Atsilʻ-dihyeʻgi—“Fire-Carrier”; apparentlythe Cherokee name for the will-of-the-wisp. As is usually the case inthe Cherokee compounds, the verbal form is plural (“it carriesfire”); the singular form is ahyeʻgi.
Atsilʻ-sunti (abbreviatedtsilʻ-sunti)—fleabane (Erigeron canadense);the name signifies “material with which to make fire,” fromatsiʻla, fire, and gasunti, [210]gatsunti or gatlunti, material with which to makesomething, from fasunʻsku (or gatlunʻsku), “I makeit.” The plant is also called ihyaʻga.
atsilʻ-tluntuʻtsi—“fire-panther.” A meteoror comet.
Aʻtsinaʻ—cedar.
Aʻtsinaʻ-k taʻum—“Hangingcedar place”; from aʻtsinaʻ, cedar, and k taʻun,“where it (long) hangs down”; a Cherokee name for the oldTaskigi town on the Little Tennessee river in Monroe county, Tenn.
Atsiʻra—see atsiʻla.
Atsunʻsta tiʻyi (abbreviated Atsunʻstati)—“Fire-light place,” referring to the“fire-hunting” method of killing deer in the river atnight. The proper form for Chestatee river, near Dahlonega, in Lumpkincounty, Ga.
Attakullakulla—see Ata-gul kaluʻ.
awaʻ—see amaʻ.
awaʻhili—eagle; particularly Aquila Chrysaetus, distinguished as the“pretty-feathered eagle.”
awiʻ—deer; also sometimes written andpronounced ahawiʻ; the name is sometimes applied to the largehorned beetle, the flying stag of early writers.
awiʻ-ahanuʻlahi—goat; literally“bearded deer.”
awiʻ-ahyeliʻski—“deermocker”; the deer bleat, a sort of whistle used by hunters tocall the doe by imitating the cry of the fawn.
awiʻ-aktaʻ—“deer eye”; theRudbeckia or black-eyed Susan.
awiʻ-eʻgwa (abbreviatedaw-eʻgwa)—the elk, literally “great deer.”
awiʻ-unadeʻna—sheep; literally“woolly deer.”
AwiʻUsdiʻ—“Little Deer,” themythic chief of the Deer tribe.
Ax, Annie—see Sadayiʻ. [211]
Ax, John—see Itaguʻnahi.
awe li—half, middle, in the middle.
Ayphwaʻsi—the proper form of the namecommonly written Hiwassee. It signifies a savanna or meadow and wasapplied to two (or more) former Cherokee settlements. The moreimportant, commonly distinguished as Ayuhwaʻsi Egwaʻhi orGreat Hiwassee, was on the north bank of Hiwassee river at the presentSavannah ford above Columbus, in Polk county, Tenn. The other wasfarther up the same river, at the junction of Peachtree creek, aboveMurphy, in Cherokee county, N. C. Lanman writes it Owassa.
Ayrate—see eʻladiʻ.
Aysʻsta—“The Spoiler,” fromtsiyaʻstihu, “I spoil it”; cf. uyaʻi, bad. Aprominent woman and informant on the East Cherokee reservation.
Ayunʻini—“Swimmer”; literally,“he is swimming,” from gayuniniʻ, “I amswimming.” A principal priest and informant of the East Cherokee,died in 1899.
Ayulsuʻ—see Dayulsunʻyi.
Beaverdam—see Uy′gilaʻgi.
Big-Cove—see Kaʻlanunʻyi.
Big-Island—see Amaye′l-eʻgwa.
Big-Witch—see Tskil-eʻgwa.
Bird-Town—see Tsiskwaʻhi.
Bloody-Fellow—see Iskagua.
Blythe—see Diskwani.
Black-fox—see Inaʻli.
Boudinot, Elias—see Galagiʻna.
Bowl, The; Bowles, Colonel—see Diwali.
Brass—see Untsaiyiʻ.
Brasstown—see Itseʻyi. [212]
Breadth, The—see Unliʻta.
Briertown—see Kanuʻgulaʻyi.
Buffalo (creek)—see Yunsaʻi.
Bull-Head—see Sukwaleʻna.
Butler, John—see Tsanʻ-ugaʻsita.
Cade’s Cove—see Tsiyaʻhi.
Canacaught—“Canacaught, the greatConjurer,” mentioned as a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; possiblykanegwaʻti, the water-moccasin snake.
Canaly—see hiʻginaʻlii.
Canasagua—see Gansaʻgi.
Cannastion, Cannostee—see Kanaʻsta.
Canuga—see Kanuʻga.
Cartoogaja—see Gatuʻgitseʻyi.
Cataluchee—see Gadaluʻtsi.
Cauchi—a place, apparently in the Cherokee county,visited by Pardo in 1567.
Caunasaita—given as the name of a Lower Chief in1684; possibly for Kanunsiʻta, “dogwood.”
Chalaque—see Tsaʻlagi.
Chattanooga—see Tsatanuʻgi.
Chattooga, Chatuga—see Tsatuʻgi.
Cheeowhee—see Tsiyaʻhi.
Cheerake—see Tsaʻlagi.
Cheraw—see Aniʻ-Suwaʻli.
Cheowa—see Tsiyaʻhi.
Cheowa Maximum—see Schwateʻyi.
Cheraqui—see Tsaʻlagi.
Cherokee—see Tsaʻlagi.
Chestatee—see Atsunʻsta tiʻyi.
Chestua—see Tsistuʻyi.
Cheucunsene—see Tsiʻkamaʻgi.
Chilhowee—see Tsu lunʻwe. [213]
Chimney Tops—see Duniʻskwa lgunʻi.
Chisca—mentioned in the De Soto narratives as amining region in the Cherokee country. The name may have a connectionwith Tsiʻskwa, “bird,” possibly Tsiskwaʻhi,“Bird place.”
Choastea—see Tsistuʻyi.
Chopped Oak—see Digaluʻyatunʻyi.
Choquata—see Itsaʻti.
Citico—see Siʻtikuʻ.
Clear-sky—see Iskagua.
Clennuse—see Tlanusiʻyi.
Cleveland—see Tsistetsiʻyi.
Coca—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa.
Coco—see Kukuʻ.
Cohutta—see Gahuʻti.
Colanneh, Colona—see Kaʻlanu.
Conasauga—see Gansaʻgi.
Conneross—see Kawanʻ-uraʻsunyi.
Coosawatee—see Kuʻsawetiʻyi.
Cooweescoowee—see Guʻwisguwiʻ.
Coosa—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa, Kusa.
Corani—see Kaʻlanu.
Coweeʻ—see Kawiʻyi.
Coweeta, Coweta—see Aniʻ-Kawiʻta.
Coyatee (variously spelled Cawatie, Coiatee, Coytee,Coytoy, Kai-a-tee)—a former Cherokee settlement on LittleTennessee river, some ten miles below the junction of Tellico, aboutthe present Coytee post-office in Loudon county, Tennessee.
Creek-path—see Kuʻsa-nunnaʻhi.
Crow-town—see Kagunʻyi.
Cuhtahlatah—a Cherokee woman noted in theWahnenauhi manuscript as having distinguished herself by bravery inbattle. The proper form may [214]have some connection withgatunʻlati, “wild hemp.”
Cullasagee—see Kulseʻtsiʻyi.
Cullowhee, Currahee—see Gulahiʻyi.
Cuttawa—see Kituʻhwa.
Dagan tu—“he makes it rain”; fromagaʻska, “it is raining,” agaʻna, “it hasbegun to rain”; a small variety of lizard whose cry is said topresage rain. It is also called aʻnigantiʻski, “theymake it rain” (plural form), or rain-maker.
dagul ku—the American white-fronted goose. Thename may be an onomatope.
daguʻna—the fresh-water mussel; also avariety of face pimples.
Dagunʻhi—“Mussel place,” fromdaguʻna, mussel, and hi, locative. The Mussel shoals on Tennesseeriver, in northwestern Alabama. It was sometimes called also simply Tsustanalunʻyi, “Shoal’s place.”
Daguʻnawaʻlahi—“Mussel-liverplace,” from daguʻna, mussel, uweʻla, liver, and hi,locative; the Cherokee name for the site of Nashville, Tenn. No reasoncan now be given for the name.
Dahlonega—A town in Lumpkin county, Ga., nearwhich the first gold was mined. A mint was established there in 1838.The name is from the Cherokee dalaʻnigeʻi, yellow, whenceateʻla-dalaʻ-nigeʻi, “yellow money,” i. e.,gold.
daksawaʻihu—“he is sheddingtears.”
dakwaʻ—a mythic great fish; also thewhale.
Dakwaʻi—“dakwa place,” from atradition of a dakwaʻ in the river at that point. A formerCherokee settlement, known to the traders as Toqua or Toco, on LittleTennessee river, about the mouth [215]of Toco creek in Monroecounty, Tenn. A similar name and tradition attaches to a spot on theFrench Broad river, about six miles above the Warm springs, in Buncombecounty, N. C.
dakwaʻnitlastesti—“I shall have them onmy legs for garters”; from anitlaʻsti (pluraldinitlaʻsti), garter; d-, initial plural; akwa, first personparticle; and esti, future suffix.
daʻlikstaʻ—“vomiter,” fromdagikʻstihuʻ, “I am vomiting,” dalikstaʻ,“he vomits” (habitually); the form is plural. The spreadingadder (Heterodon), also sometimes calledkwandayaʻhu, a word of uncertain etymology.
Daʻ nagasta—for Daʻnawa-gastaʻya, “Sharp-war,” i. e.,“Eager-warrior;” a Cherokee woman’s name.
Daʻ nawa-(a)sa tsunʻyi,“War-ford,” from daʻ nawa, war, and asa tsunʻyi,“a crossing-place or ford.” A ford on Cheowa river about threemiles below Robbinsville, in Graham county, N. C.
Dandaʻganuʻ—“Two looking at eachother,” from detsiʻganuʻ, “I am looking athim.” A former Cherokee settlement, commonly known as LookoutMountain town, on Lookout Mountain creek, near the present Trenton,Dade county, Ga. One of the Chickamauga towns (seeTsiʻkamaʻgi), so-called on account of the appearance of themountains facing each other across the Tennessee river atChattanooga.
Daʻsi giyaʻgi—an old masculine personalname, of doubtful etymology, but commonly rendered by the traders“Shoe-boots,” possibly referring to some peculiar style ofmoccasin or leggin. A chief known to the whites as Shoe-boots ismentioned in the Revolutionary records. Chief Lloyd Welch, [216]ofthe eastern band, was known in the tribe as Daʻsi giyaʻgi,and the same name is now used by the East Cherokee as the equivalent ofthe name Lloyd.
Daʻskwitunʻyi—“Rafter’sPlace,” from daskwitunʻi, rafters, and yi, locative. Aformer settlement on Tusquittee creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county,North Carolina.
dasunʻtali—ant; dasunʻtali,“stinging ant,” the large red cowant (Myrmica?), also called sometimes, on account of its hardbody-case, nunʻyunuʻwi, “stone-clad,” after thefabulous monster.
Datleʻyastaʻi—“where they felldown,” a point on Tuckasegee river, a short distance aboveWebster, in Jackson county, North Carolina.
datsi—a traditional water-monster.
Datsiʻyi—“Datsi place”; a placeon Little Tennessee river, near junction of Eagle creek, in Swaincounty, North Carolina.
Datsuʻnalagunʻyi—“where there aretracks or footprints,” from utaʻsinunʻyi orulasgunʻyi, footprint. Track Rock gap, near Blairsville, Georgia.Also sometimes called Deʻgayelunʻha, “place of brandedmarks.”
daʻyi—beaver.
Dayulsunʻyi—“place where theycried,” a spot on the ridge at the head of Tuckasegee river, inJackson county, North Carolina; so-called from an old tradition.
daʻyuniʻsi—“beaver’sgrandchild,” from dayi, beaver, and uniʻsi, son’schild of either sex. The water beetle or mellow bug.
Degal gunʻyi—a cairn, literally “wherethey are piled up”; a series of cairns on the south side ofCheowa river, in Graham county, N. C. [217]
Deʻgataʻga—The Cherokee name of GeneralStamd Watie and of a prominent early western chief known to the whitesas Takatoka. The word is derived from tsitaʻga, “I amstanding,” da nitaʻga “they are standingtogether,” and conveys the subtle meaning of two persons standingtogether and so closely united in sympathy as to form but one humanbody.
Deʻgayelunʻha—seeDatsuʻnalagunʻyi.
detsanunʻli—an enclosure or piece of levelground cleared for ceremonial purposes; applied more particularly tothe green-corn dance ground. The word has a plural form, but cannot becertainly analyzed.
Deʻtsata—a Cherokee sprite.
detsinuʻlahunguʻ—“I tried, butfailed.”
Didalaskiʻyi—“Showering place.”In the story (number 17) the name is understood to mean “theplace where it rains fire.” It signifies literally, however, theplace where it showers, or comes down, and lodges upon somethinganimate and has no definite reference to fire (atsiʻla) or rain(afaska, “it is raining”); degalaskuʻ, “they areshowering down and lodging upon him.”
Didaʻskastiʻyi—“where they wereafraid of each other,” a spot on Little Tennessee river, near themouth of Alarka creek, in Swain county, N. C.
digaʻgwaniʻ—the mud-hen or didapper. Thename is plural form and implies “lame,” or “crippledin the legs” (cf. detsiʻnigwaʻna, “I amkneeling”), probably from the bouncing motion of the bird whenin the water. It is also the name of a dance.
Digaʻkatiʻyi—see Gakatiʻyi.
diʻgalungunʻyi—“where it rises, orcomes up”; the east. The sacred term is Nundaʻyi, q. v.[218]
digalunʻlatiyun—a height, one of a series,from galunʻlati, “above.”
Digaluʻyatunʻyi—“where it isgashed (with hatchets)”; from tsiluʻyu, “I am cutting(with a chopping stroke),” di, plural prefix, and yi, locative.The Chopped Oak, formerly east of Clarkesville, Ga.
Diganeʻski—“he picks them up”(habitually), from tsineʻu, “I am picking it up.” ACherokee Union soldier in the Civil War.
digiʻgageʻi—the plural ofgiʻgageʻi, red.
diguʻlanahiʻta—fordiguʻli-anahiʻta, “having long ears,”“long-eared”; from gule, “ear” andgunahiʻta, “long.”
Dihyunʻdulaʻ—“sheaths,” or“scabbards”; singular ahyunʻdulaʻ, “agun-sheath,” or other scabbard. The probable correct form of aname which appears in Revolutionary documents as “Untoola, or GumRod.”
Diktaʻ—plural of Aktaʻ, eye.
dilaʻ—skunk.
dilstaʻyati—“scissors”; thewater-spider (Dolomedes).
dindaʻskwateʻski—the violet; the namesignifies, “they pull each others' heads off.”
dineʻtlana—the creation.
di nuski—“the breeder”; a variety ofsmilax brier.
Disgaʻgistiʻyi—“where theygnaw”; a place on Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.
diskwa ni—“chestnut bread,” i. e., avariety of bread having chestnuts mixed with it. The Cherokee name ofJames Blythe, interpreter and agency clerk.
Distaiʻyi—“they are strong,”plural of astaiʻyi, “strong or tough.” The Tephrosiaor devil’s shoestring.
distaʻsti—a mill (generic). [219]
ditaʻstayeski—“a barber,”literally “one who cuts things (as with scissors), fromtsistaʻyu, “I cut.” The cricket (talaʻtu) issometimes so-called.
Diwaʻli—“Bowl,” a prominent chiefof the western Cherokee, known to the whites as The Bowl, or ColonelBowles, killed by the Texans in 1839. The chief mentioned may have beenanother of the same name.
diyaʻhali (or duyaʻhali)—the alligatorlizard (Sceloporue undulatus).
Diyaʻhaliʻyi—“Lizard’splace,” from diyaʻhali, lizard, and yi, locative. JoannaBald, a mountain at the head of Valley river on the line betweenCherokee and Graham counties, North Carolina.
Double-Head—see Tal-tsuʻskaʻ.
Dragging-Canoe—see Tsiʻyu-gunsiʻni.
Dudunʻleksunʻyi—“where its legswere broken off”; a place on Tuckasegee river, a few miles aboveWebster, in Jackson county, N. C.
Dugiluʻyi (abbreviated Dugiluʻ, and commonlywritten Tugaloo, or sometimes Toogelah or Toogoola)—a nameoccurring in several places in the old Cherokee country, the best knownbeing Tugaloo river, so-called from a former Cherokee settlement ofthat name situated at the junction of Toccoa creek with the mainstream, in Habersham county, Ga. The word is of uncertain etymology;but seems to refer to a place at the forks of a stream.
Dukasʻi, Dukwasʻi—The correct form ofthe name commonly written Toxaway, applied to a former Cherokeesettlement in S. C., and the creek upon which it stood, and extremeheadstream of Keowee river having its source in Jackson county, N. C.The meaning of the name is lost, although it has [220]beenwrongly interpreted to mean “place of shedding tears.”
Dulastunʻyi—“Potsherd place.” Aformer Cherokee settlement on Nottely river in Cherokee county, NorthCarolina.
duleʻtsi—“kernels,” a goitrousswelling upon the throat.
duluʻsi—a variety of frog found upon theheadwaters of Savannah river.
Duniya ta lunʻyi—“where there areshelves, or flat places,” from aya teʻni, flat, whencedaʻya tana lunʻi, a shelf, and yi, locative. A gap on theGreat Smoky range, near Clingman’s dome, Swain county, N. C.
Duniduʻlalunʻyi—“where they madearrows”; a place on Straight creek, a headstream of Oconalufteeriver, in Swain county, N. C.
Duniʻskwa lgunʻi—the double peak knownas the Chimney Tops, in Great Smoky Mountains about the head of Deepcreek, in Swain county, N. C. On the north side is the pass known asIndian gap. The name signifies a “forked antler,” fromuskwa lgu, antler, but indicates that the antler is attached in place,as though the deer itself were concealed below.
Duʻstayalunʻyi—“where it made anoise as of thunder or shooting,” apparently referring to alightning strike (detsistayaʻhihu, “I make a shooting or thunderingnoise,” might be a first person form used by the personifiedThundergod); a spot on Hiwassee river, about the junction of Shootingcreek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, N. C. A former settlement alongthe creek bore the same name. [221]
duʻstuʻ—a species of frog, appearingvery early in spring; the name is intended for an onomatope. It is thecorrect form of the name of the chief noted by McKenney and Hall as“Tooantuh or Spring Frog.”
Dutch—see Tatsiʻ.
duwe ga—a spring lizard.
Eagle Dance—see Tsugiduʻliulsgiʻsti.
Eastinaulee—see Uʻstanaʻli.
Echota, New—see Gansaʻgi.
edata—my father (Upper dialect); the Middle andLower dialect form is agidaʻta.
Ediʻhi—“He goes about”(habitually); a masculine name.
edutu—my maternal grandfather (Upper dialect); theMiddle and Lower dialect form is agidu tu; cf. enisi.
egwa—great; cf. utanu.
egwani—river.
Egwanulti—“By the river,” from egwani, river, and nulati or nulti, near, beside. The proper form ofOconaluftee, the name of the river flowing thru the East Cherokeereservation in Swain and Jackson Counties, N. C. The town, Oconaluftee,mentioned by Bartram as existing about 1775, was probably on the lowercourse of the river at the present Birdtown, on the reservation, wherewas formerly a considerable mound.
ela—earth, ground.
eladi—low, below; in the Lower dialect eradi,whence the Ayrata or Lower Cherokee of Adair, as distinguished from theOttara (atari, atali) or Upper Cherokee.
elanti—a song form for eladi, q. v. [222]
Elatseʻyi, (abbreviated Elatse)—“Green(verdant) earth,” from ela, earth, and itse yi, green, fromfresh-springing vegetation. The name of several former Cherokeesettlements, commonly known to the whites as Ellijay, Elejoy orAllagae. One of these was upon the headwaters of Keowee river in S. C.;another was on Ellijay creek of Little Tennessee river, near thepresent Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.; another was about the presentEllijay in Gilmer Co., Ga.; and still another was on Ellijay creek ofLittle river, near the present Maryville, in Blount Co., Tenn.
Elawa diyi (abbreviated Elawa di)—“Red-earthplace,” from ela, earth, wadi, brown-red or red paint, and yi,the locative. 1. The Cherokee name of Yellow-Hill settlement, nowofficially known as Cherokee, the post office and agency headquartersfor the East Cherokee, on Oconaluftee river, in Swain Co., N. C. 2. Aformer council ground known in history as Red Clay; at the site of thepresent village of that name in Whitfield Co., Ga., adjoining theTennessee line.
Ellijay—see Elatseʻyi.
eni si—my paternal grandfather (Upper dialect);the Middle and Lower dialect form is agani si, cf. edutu.
Eskaqua—see Iskagua.
Estanaula, Estinaula—see Uʻstanaʻli.
Etawa hatsistatlaʻski—“Deadwood-lighter,” a traditionalCherokee conjurer.
eti—old, long ago.
Etowah—see Iʻtawaʻ.
Etsaiyi—see Untsaiyi.
etsi—my mother (Upper dialect); the Middle andLower dialect form is agitsi. [223]
Euharlee—see Yuhaʻli.
Feather dance—see Tsugiduʻliulsgiʻsti.
Fightingtown—see Walasʻ-unulsti yi.
Flax-toter—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.
Flying-squirrel—see Kaʻlahuʻ.
Frogtown—see Walasiʻyi.
Gadaluʻla—the proper name of the mountainknown to the whites as Yonah (from yanu, bear); or upper Chattahoocheeriver, in White Co., Ga. The name has no connection with Tallulah (seeTalulu) and cannot be translated.
Gadaluʻtsi—in the corrupted form ofCataluchee this appears on the map as the name of a peak, or rather aridge, on the line between Swain and Haywood counties, N. C., and of acreek running down on the Haywood side into Big Pigeon river. It isproperly the name of the ridge only, and seems to refer to a“fringe standing erect,” apparently from the appearance ofthe timber growing in streaks along the side of the mountain; fromwadaluʻyata, fringe, gaduʻta, “standing up in a row orseries.”
gahawiʻsiti—parched corn.
Gahuti (Gahuʻta and Gwahuʻti in dialectforms)—Cohutta mountains in Murray Co., Ga. The name comes fromgahutaʻyi, “ashed roof supported on poles”, and refers to afancied resemblance in the summit.
Gakatiʻyi—“place of settingfire”; something spoken in the plural form,Digaʻkatiʻyi, “place of the setting free.” Apoint on Tuckasegee river, about three miles above Bryson City, inSwain Co., N. C. [224]
gaktunʻta—an injunction, command or rule,more particularly a prohibition or ceremonial tabu.Tsigaʻteʻgu. “I am observing an injunction ortabu”; adakteʻgi, “he is under taburegulations.”
Galagiʻna—a male deer (buck) or turkey(gobbler); in the first sense the name is sometimes used also for thelarge horned beetle (Dynastes tityus). The Indian nameof Elias Boudinot, first Cherokee editor.
galiʻsgisidaʻhu—“I am dancingabout”; from galiʻsgia, “I am dancing,” andedahu, “I am going about.”
galunkwʻtiʻyo—honored; sacred; used inthe bible to mean holy, hallowed.
galunʻlati—above, on high.
ganeʻga—skin.
ganidawaʻski—“the championcatchfly” or “rattlesnake’s master” (Silene stellata); the name signifies “it disjointsitself,” from ganidawskuʻ, “it is unjointingitself,” on account of the peculiar manner in which the driedstalk breaks off at the joints.
Gansagi (or Gansagiyi)—the name of several formersettlements in the old Cherokee country; it cannot be analyzed. One ofthis name was upon Tuckasegee river, a short distance above the presentWebster, in Jackson Co., N. C.; another was on the lower part ofCanasauga creek, in McMinn Co., Tenn.; a third was at the junction ofConasauga and Coosawatee rivers, where afterwards was located theCherokee capital, New Echota, in Gordon Co., Ga.; a fourth, mentionedin the De Soto narratives as Canasoga or Canasagua, was located in 1540on the upper Chattahoochee river, possibly in the neighborhood ofKennesaw mountain, Ga. [225]
Gansaʻtiʻyi—“robbing place,”from tsinaʻsahunsku, “I am robbing him.” Vengeancecreek of Valley river in Cherokee Co., N. C. The name vengeance wasoriginally a white man’s nickname for an old Cherokee woman, offorbidding aspect, who lived there before the Removal.
Ganseʻti—a rattle; as the Cherokee dancerattle is made from the gourd, the masculine name, Ganseʻti, isusually rendered by the whites, “rattling-gourd.”
gatausti—the wheel and stick of the Southerntribes, incorrectly called nettecwaw by Timberlake.
Gategwaʻ—for Gategwaʻhi, possibly acontraction of Igat(I)-egwaʻhi, “Great-swamp, “thicketplace.” A high peak southeast from Franklin, Macon Co., N. C.,and perhaps identical with Fodderstack mountain.
gaʻtsu—see hatluʻ.
Gatuʻgitseʻyi (abbreviatedGatuʻgitseʻ)—“New-settlement place,” fromgatuʻgi or agatuʻgi, town, settlement, itsehi, new,especially applied to new vegetation, and yi, the locative. A formersettlement on Cartoogaja creek near the present Franklin, in Macon Co.,N. C.
Gatugiʻyi—“Town building place,”or “Settlement place,” from gatuʻgi, a settlement, andyi, locative. A place on Santeetla creek, near Robbinsville, in GrahamCo., N. C.
Gatunʻitiʻyi—“Hemp place,”from Gatunʻlati, “wild hemp” (Apocynumcannabinum), and yi, locative. A former Cherokee settlement,commonly known as Hemptown, on the creek of the same name, nearMorgantown, in Fannin Co., Ga.
Gatunʻwaʻli—a noted western Cherokee,about 1842, known to the whites as Hardmush or Big-Mush. [226]
Gatunʻwaʻli, from gaʻtuʻ,“bread,” and unwaʻli, “made into balls orlumps,” is a sort of mush or parched corn meal, made very thick,so that it can be dipped out in lumps almost of the consistency ofbread.
geʻi—down stream, down the road, with thecurrent; tsaʻgi, up stream.
geseʻi—was; a separate word which, when usedafter the verb in the present tense, makes it past tense without changeof form; in the form hiʻgeseʻi it usually accompanies anemphatic repetition.
Geʻyaguʻga (forAgeʻhyaʻ-guga?)—a formulistic name for the moon(nunʻdaʻ); it cannot be analyzed, but seems to contain theword ageʻhya, “woman.” See also nunʻdaʻ.
giʻga—blood; cf. giʻgageʻi,red.
giʻga-danegiʻski—“bloodtaker,” from giʻga, blood, and adaʻnegiʻski,“one who takes liquids,” from tsiʻnegiaʻ(liquid). Another name for the tsaneʻni or scorpion lizard.
giʻgageʻi—red, bright red, scarlet; thebrown-red of certain animals and clays is distinguished aswaʻdigeʻi.
giʻga-tsuhaʻli—“bloody-mouth,” literally“having blood on the corners of his mouth”; fromgiʻga, blood, and tsuhanunsiʻyi, the corners of the mouth(ahaʻli, his mouth). A large lizard, probably the pleistodon.
gili—dog; the Lower dialect, giʻri.
Gili-dinehunʻyi—“where the dogslive,” from gili, dog, dinehuʻ, “they dwell”(ehu, “I dwell”), and yi, locative. A place on Oconalufteeriver, a short distance above the present Cherokee in Swain Co., N. C.[227]
Giʻliʻ-utsunʻstanunʻyi—“where the dogran,” from giliʻ, dog, and Utsunʻstanunʻyi,“footprints made by an animal running”; the Milky way.
ginunti—a song form for gunuʻtiiʻ,“to lay him (animate object) upon the ground.”
giri—see giʻliʻ.
Gisehunʻyi—“where the femalelives,” from agiʻsi, female, and yi, locative. A place onTuckasegee river a short distance above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N.C.
gitʻlu—hair. (Upper dialect); in Lower andMiddle dialects gitsu.
Glass, The—see Taʻgwadihiʻ.
Gohoma—A Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the formcannot be identified.
Going-snake—see Iʻnadunaʻi.
Gorhaleka—a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the formcannot be identified.
Great Island—see Amayel-eʻgwa.
Gregory Bald—see Tsistuʻyi.
Guachoula—see Guaxule.
Guaquila (Waki la)—a town in the Cherokee country,visited by De Soto in 1540, and again in 1567 by Pardo, who calls itAguaquiri, and the name may have a connection with waguli,“Whippoorwill,” or with uʻwaʻgiʻli,“foam.”
Guasula—see Guaxule.
Gusila—see Guaxule.
Guaxule—a town in Cherokee county, visited in 1540by De Soto. It was probably about at Nacoochee mound in White Co.,Ga.
guʻdayʻwu—“I have sewed myselftogether”; “I am sewing,” tsiyeʻwiaʻ;“I am sewing myself together.” [228]
gugweʻ—the quail or partridge.
gugweʻulasuʻla—“partridgemoccasin,” from guewe, partridge, and ulasula, moccasin or shoe;the lady slipper.
Gulahiʻyi (abbreviated Gulahiʻ, orGurahiʻ, in the Lower dialect)—“Gulaʻhiplace,” so-called from the unidentified spring plant eaten as asalad by the Cherokee. The name of two or more places in the oldCherokee country; one about Currahee mountain, in Habersham Co., Ga.,the other on Cullowhee river, an upper branch of Tuckasegee, in JacksonCo., N. C. Currahee Dick was a noted chief about the year 1820.
Guʻlaniʻyi—a Cherokee and Natchezsettlement, formerly about the junction of Brasstown creek withHiwassee river, a short distance above Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C.The etymology of the word is doubtful.
guleʻ—acorn.
guleʻdiskaʻnihi—the turtle-dove;literally “it cries, or mourns, for acorns,” from gule,acorn, and diskaʻnihiʻ, “it cries for them,”(di-. plural prefix, hi, habitual suffix). The turtle-dove feeds uponacorns and its cry somewhat resembles the name, gule.
guleʻgi—“climber,” from tsilahi,“I climb” (second person, hiʻlahi; third person,gulahi); the blacksnake.
Gulʻkalaʻski—an earlier name forTsunuʻlahunʻski, q. v.
gulʻkwaʻgi—seven; also themole-cricket.
gulʻkwaʻgine(-i)—seventh; fromgulʻkwagi, seven.
Gulsadihi (or Gultsadihiʻ?) a masculine name ofuncertain etymology.
gunahiʻti—long. [229]
Guʻnahitunʻyi—Long place (i. e., Longvalley), from gunahiʻti, long, and yi, locative. A formersettlement known to the whites as Valleytown, where now is the town ofthe same name on Valley river in Cherokee Co., N. C. The varioussettlements on Valley river and the adjacent part of Hiwassee wereknown collectively as “Valley towns.”
Gunʻdiʻgaduhunʻyi (abbreviatedGunʻ-digaduʻhun)—“Turkey settlement”(guʻna, turkey), so-called from the chief, Turkey or LittleTurkey. A former settlement, known to the whites as Turkeytown, uponthe west bank of Coosa river, opposite the present Center, in Cherokee,Co., Ala.
guʻni—arrow. Cf. Senica, gaʻna.
gunʻnageʻi (or gunʻnage) black.
Gunneʻhi—see Nunneʻhi.
Gunskaliʻski—a masculine personal name ofuncertain etymology.
Gunters Landing, Guntersville—seeKuʻsa-Nunnaʻhi.
Gun-tuskwaʻli—“short arrows,”from guni, arrow, and tsuskwaʻli, plural of uskaʻli, short; atraditional western tribe.
Gununʻdaʻleʻgi—seeNunna-hiʻdihi.
Gustiʻ—a traditional Cherokee settlement onTennessee river, near Kingston, Roane Co., Tenn. The name cannot beanalyzed.
Guʻwisguwiʻ—The Cherokee name of thechief John Ross, and for the district named in his honor, commonlyspelled Cooweescoowee. Properly an onomatope for a large bird said tohave been seen formerly at infrequent intervals in the old Cherokeecountry, accompanying the migratory wild geese, and described asresembling a large snipe, with yellow legs and unwebbed feet. Inboyhood John Ross was known as Tsanʻusdi, “LittleJohn.” [230]
Gwalʻgaʻhi—“Frog-place,”from gwalʻgu, a variety of frog, and hi, locative. A place onHiwassee river, just above the junction of Peachtree creek, nearMurphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C.; about 1755 the site of a village ofrefugee Natchez, and later of a Baptist mission.
gweheʻ—a cricket’s cry.
Ha!—an introductory exclamation intended toattract attention or add emphasis; about equivalent to Here! Now!
Haʻ-maʻmaʻ—a song term compoundedof ha! an introductory exclamation, and mamaʻ, a word which has noanalysis, but is used in speaking to young children to mean “letme carry you on my back.”
Hanging-maw—see Uskwaʻli-guʻta.
haʻnia-lilʻ-lilʻ—an unmeaning dancerefrain.
Hard-mush—see Gatunʻwali.
haʻtlu—dialectic form, gaʻtsu,“where?” (interrogative).
haʻwiyeʻehiʻ,haʻwiyeʻhyuweʻ—unmeaning dance refrains.
hayuʻ—an emphatic affirmative, aboutequivalent to “Yes, sir.”
hayuyaʻhaniwaʻ—an unmeaning refrain inone of the bear songs.
he-e!—an unmeaning song introduction.
Hemp-carrier—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.
Hemptown—see Gatunltiʻyi.
hi!—unmeaning dance exclamation.
Hickory-log—see Waneʻ-asunʻtlunyi.
hiʻginaʻlii—“(you are) myfriend”; afinaʻlii, “(he is) my friend.” Inwhite man’s jargon, canaly.
Hightower—see Iʻtawaʻ.
hilaʻgu?—how many? how much? (Upper dialect);the Middle dialect form is hunguʻ. [231]
hilahiʻyu—long ago; the final yu makes itmore emphatic.
hiʻlunnu—“(thou) go to sleep”;from tsiʻlihuʻ, “I am asleep.”
hiʻski—five; cf. Mohawk wisk. The Cherokeenumerals including 10 are as follows: saʻgwu, taʻli,tsaʻi, nunʻgi, hiʻski, suʻtali, gul kwaʻgi,tsuneʻla, askaʻhi
Hiwassee—Ayuhwaʻsi.
hiʻyaguʻwe—an unmeaning dancerefrain.
Houston, Samuel—see Kaʻlanu.
huhu—the yellow-breasted chat, or yellow mockingbird (Icteria virens); the name is an onomatope.
hunyahuʻska—“he will die.”
hwiʻlahiʻ—“thou (must)go.”
Iauʻnigu—an important Cherokee settlement,commonly known to the whites as Seneca, formerly on Keowee river, aboutthe mouth of Conneross creek, in Oconee county, S. C. Hopewell, thecountry seat of General Pickens, where the famous treaty was made, wasnear it on the east side of the river. The word cannot be translated,but has no connection with the tribal name, Seneca.
igaguʻti—daylight. The name is sometimesapplied to the ulunsuʻti (q. v.) and also to the clematisvine.
iʻhya—the cane reed (Arundinaria) of the Gulf states, used by the Indians forblow-guns, fishing rods and basketry.
ihyaʻga—see atsilʻsunti.
inaduʻ—snake.
Iʻnadu-naʻi—“Going snake,” aCherokee chief prominent about eighty years ago. The name properlysignifies that the person is “going along in company with asnake,” the verbal part being from the irregular verbastaʻi, “I am going along with him.” [232]Thename has been given to a district of the present Cherokee Nation.
iʻnageʻhi—dwelling in the wilderness, aninhabitant of the wilderness; from iʻnageʻi“wilderness,” and ehi, habitual present form of ehu,“he is dwelling”; geʻu, “I amdwelling.”
Iʻnage-utasunʻhi—“he who grew upin the wilderness,” i. e., “He who grew up wild”;from iʻnageʻi, “wilderness, unoccupied timberland,” and utasunʻhi, the third person perfect of theirregular verb gaʻtunskuʻ, “I am growing up.”
Inaʻli—Black-fox; the common red fox intsuʻla (in Muscogee, chula). Black-fox was principal chief of theCherokee Nation in 1810.
Iskagua—Name for “Clear Sky,” formerly“Nenetooyah or the Bloody Fellow.” The name appears thus ina document of 1791 as that of a Cherokee chief frequently mentionedabout that period under the name of “Bloody Fellow.” In onetreaty it is given as “Eskaqua or Bloody Fellow.” Bothforms and etymologies are doubtful, neither form seeming to have anyreference either to “sky” (galunʻlahi) or“blood” (giʻga). The first may be intended forIk-eʻgwa, “Great day.”
Istanare—see Ustanaʻli.
Itaba—see Iʻtawaʻ.
Itaguʻnahi—the Cherokee name of John Ax.
Iʻtawaʻ—The name of one or more Cherokeesettlements. One, which existed until the Removal in 1838, was uponEtowah river, about the present Hightower, in Forsyth county, Ga.Another may have been on Hightower creek of Hiwassee river in Townscounty, Ga. The name, commonly written Etowah and corrupted toHightower, cannot [233]be translated and seems not to be ofCherokee origin. A town, called Itaba, Ytaun or Ytava in the De Sotochronicles, existed in 1540 among the Creeks, apparently on Alabamariver.
Itsaʻti—commonly spelled Echota, Chota,Chote, Choquata (misprint), etc.; a name occurring in several places inthe old Cherokee country; the meaning is lost. The most importantsettlement of this name, frequently distinguished as Great Echota, wason the south side of Little Tennessee. It was the ancient capital andsacred “Peace town” of the Nation. Little Echota was onSautee (i. e., Itsʻti) creek, a head stream of the Chattahoochee,west of Clarksville, Ga. New Echota, the capital of the Nation for someyears before the Removal, was established at a spot originally known asGansaʻgi (q. v.) at the junction of the Oostanaula and Canasaugarivers, in Gordon county, Ga. It was sometimes called Newton. The oldMacedonia mission on Soco creek, of the N. C. reservation, is alsoknown as Itasʻti to the Cherokee, as was also the great Nacoocheemound. See Nagutsiʻ.
Itseʻyi—“New green place” or“Place of fresh green,” from itseʻhi, “green orunripe vegetation,” and yi, the locative; applied moreparticularly to a tract of ground made green by fresh springingvegetation, after having been cleared of timber or burned over. A nameoccurring in several places in the Old Cherokee country, variouslywritten Echia, Echoee, Etchowee, and sometimes also falsely rendered“Brasstown,” from a confusion of Itseʻyi withuntsaiyiʻ, “brass.” One settlement of this name wasupon Brasstown creek of Tugaloo river, in Oconee county, S. C.; anotherwas [234]on Little Tennessee river near the presentFranklin, Macon county, N. C., and probably about the junction ofCartoogaja (Gatug-itseʻyi) creek; a third, known to the whites asBrasstown, was on upper Brasstown creek of Hiwassee river, in Townscounty, Ga. In Cherokee, as in most other Indian languages, no cleardistinction is made between green and blue.
iʻya—pumpkin.
iʻyaʻ-iuyʻsti—“like apumpkin,” from iʻya and iyuʻsti, like.
iʻyaʻ-tawiʻskage—“ofpumpkin smoothness,” from iʻya, pumpkin, andtawiʻskage, smooth.
Jackson—see Tsekʻsiniʻ.
Jessan—see Tsesaʻni.
Jesse Reid—see Tseʻsi-Skaʻtsi.
Joanna Bald—see Diyaʻhaliʻyi.
Joara, Juada—see Aniʻ-Sawaʻli.
John—see Tsaʻni.
John Ax—see Itaguʻnahi.
Jolly, John—see Anuʻludeʻgi.
Junaluska—see Tsunuʻlahunʻski.
Jutaculla—see Tsulkaluʻ.
kaʻguʻ—crow; the name is anonomatope.
Kagunʻyi—“Crow place,” fromkaʻguʻ, and yi, locative.
kaʻi—grease, oil.
Kalaʻasunʻyi—“where he felloff,” from tsilaʻaskuʻ, “I am falling off,”and yi, locative. A cliff near Cold Spring knob, in Swain county, NorthCarolina.
Kaʻlahuʻ—“All-bones,” fromkaʻlu, bone. A former chief of the East Cherokee, also known inthe tribe as Sawanuʻgi. [235]
Kaʻlanu—“The Raven”; the name wasused as a war title in the tribe and appears in the old documents asCorani (Lower dialect, Kaʻranu) Colonneh, Colona, etc. It is theCherokee name for General Samuel Houston or for any person namedHouston.
Kaʻlanu Ahyeliʻski—the Raven Mocker.
Kaʻlanunʻyi—“Raven place,”from kaʻlanu, raven, and yi, the locative. The proper name ofBig-cove settlement upon the East Cherokee reservation, Swain county,N. C., sometimes also called Raventown.
kalasʻ-gunahiʻta—“long hams”(gunahiʻta, “long”); a variety of bear.
Kal-detsiʻyunyi—“where the bonesare,” from kaʻlu, bone, and detsiʻyunyi, “where(yi) they (de—plural prefix) are lying.” A spot near thejunction of East Buffalo Creek with Cheowa river, in Graham county, N.C.
kamaʻma—butterfly.
kamaʻma uʻtanu—elephant; literally“great butterfly,” from the resemblance of the trunk andears to the butterfly’s proboscis and wings.
kanahaʻna—a sour corn gruel, much in useamong the Cherokee and other Southern tribes; the tamfuli or “TomFuller” of the Creeks.
kananeʻski—spider; also, from a fanciedresemblance in appearance to a watch or clock.
kananeʻski amayeʻhi—the waterspider.
Kanaʻsta, Kanastunʻyi—a traditionalCherokee settlement, formerly on the head-waters of the French Broadriver, near the present Brevard, in Transylvania county, NorthCarolina. The meaning of the first name is lost. A settlement calledCannostee [236]or Cannastion is mentioned as existing onHiwassee river in 1776.
kanaʻtaluʻhi—hominy cooked with walnutkernels.
Kanaʻti—“Lucky Hunter”; amasculine name, sometimes abbreviated Kanatʻ. The word cannot beanalyzed, but is used as a third person habitual verbal form to mean“he is lucky, or successful, in hunting”; the opposite isukwaʻlegu, “unlucky, or unsuccessful, in hunting.”
kanegwaʻti—the water-moccasin snake.
Kanuga—also written Canuga; a Lower Cherokeesettlement, apparently on the waters of Keowee river, in S. C.,destroyed in 1751; also a traditional settlement on Pigeon river,probably near the present Waynesville, in Haywood county, N. C. Thename signifies “a scratcher,” a sort of bone-toothed combwith which ball-players are scratched upon their naked skin preliminaryto applying the conjured medicine; deʻtsinugaʻsku, “Iam scratching it.”
kanuguʻ la (abbreviated nunguʻla)—“scratcher,” a generic term for blackberry,raspberry, and other brier bushes.
Kanuʻgulayi, orKanuʻgulunʻyi—“Brier place,” fromkanuguʻla, brier (cf. Kanuʻga); a Cherokee settlementformerly on Nantahala river, about the mouth of Briertown creek, inMacon county, N. C.
Kanunʻnawuʻ—pipe.
Kasduʻyi—“Ashes place,” fromkasdu, ashes, and yi, the locative. A modern Cherokee name for the townof Asheville, Buncombe county, N. C. The ancient name for the same siteis Untaʻkiyastiʻyi, q. v. [237]
Katalʻsta—an East Cherokee woman potter, thedaughter of the chief Yanagunʻski. The name conveys the idea oflending, from tsiyatalʻsta, “I lend it”;agatalʻsta, “it is lent to him.”
Kawanʻ-uraʻsunyi—(abbreviatedKawanʻ-uraʻsun in the Lower dialect)—“where theduck fell,” from kawaʻna, duck, uraʻsa (ulaʻsa),“it fell,” and yi, locative. A point on Conneross creek(from Kawanʻ-uraʻsun), near Seneca, in Oconee county, S.C.
Kawiʻyi (abbreviated Kawiʻ)—a formerimportant Cherokee settlement commonly known as Cowee, about the mouthof Cowee creek of Little Tennessee river, some 10 miles below Franklin,in Macon county, N. C. The name may possibly be a contraction ofAniʻ-Kawiʻyi, “Place of the Deer clan.”
Occonestee Falls, In Transylvania Co., N. C. | Linville Falls, N. C. “O’er the precipice it plunges Bounds and surges down the steep.” |
Lower Fall. Triple Falls. Buck Forest, N.C. “Then it rushes fast and furious Into mist and fog and spray.” |
Keeowhee—see Keowee.
Kenesaw—see Gansaʻgi.
Keowee—the name of two or more former Cherokeesettlements. One sometimes distinguished as “Old Keowee,”the principal of the Lower Cherokee towns, was on the river of the samename, near the present Fort George, in Oconee county, of S. C. Another,distinguished as New Keowee, was on the head-waters of Twelve-milecreek, in Pickens county, S. C. According to Wafford the correct formis Kuwahiʻyi, abbreviated Kuwahiʻ, “Mulberry-groveplace.” Says Wafford, “the whites murdered the name as theyalways do.” Cf. Kuwaʻhi.
Keʻsi-kaʻgamu—a woman’s name, aCherokee corruption of Cassie Cockran; kaʻgamu is also theCherokee corruption for “cucumber.” [238]
Ketoowah—see Kiluʻhwa.
Kittuwa—see Kituʻhwa.
Kituʻhwa—an important ancient Cherokeesettlement formerly upon Tuckasegee river, and extending from above thejunction of Oconaluftee down nearly to the present Bryson City, inSwain county, N. C. The name, which appears also as Kettooah, Kittoa,Kittowa, etc., has lost its meaning. The people of this and thesubordinate settlements on the waters of the Tuckasegee were known asAniʻ-Kituʻhwagi, and the name was frequently extended toinclude the whole tribe. For this reason it was adopted in later timesas the name of the Cherokee secret organization, commonly known to thewhites as the Ketoowah society, pledged to the defense of Cherokeeautonomy.
kiyu ga—ground-squirrel; teʻwa, flyingsquirrel; salaʻli, gray squirrel.
Klausuna—see Tlanusiʻyi.
Knoxville—see Kuwandaʻta lunʻyi.
ku!—an introductory explanation, to fix attention,about equivalent to “Now!”
kukuʻ—“cymbling”; also the“jigger weed,” or “pleurisy root” (Asclepias tuberosa). Coco creek of Hiwassee river, and Cokerpost-office, in Monroe county, Tennessee, derive their name from thisword.
Kulsetsiʻyi (abbreviatedKulseʻtsi)—“Honey-locust place,” fromkulseʻtsi, honey-locust (Gleditschia) and yi,locative; as the same word, kulseʻ tsi, is also used for“sugar,” the local name has commonly been renderedSugartown by the traders. The name of several former settlement placesin [239]the old Cherokee country. One was upon Keoweeriver, near the present Fall creek, in Oconee county, S. C.; anotherwas on Sugartown or Cullasagee (Kulseʻtsi) creek, near the presentFranklin, in Macon county, N. C.; a third was on Sugartown creek, nearthe present Morgantown, in Fannin county, Ga.
Kunnesee—see Tsiʻyu-gunsiʻni.
Kunstutsiʻyi—“Sassafras place,”from kunstuʻtsi, sassafras, and yi, locative. A gap in the GreatSmoky range, about the head of Noland creek, on the line between NorthCarolina and Sevier county, Tenn.
kunuʻnu (abbreviated kununʻ)—thebullfrog; the name is probably an onomatope; the common green frog iswalaʻsi and there are also names for several other varieties offrogs and toads.
Kusaʻ—Coosa creek, an upper tributary ofNottely river, near Blairsville, Union county, Georgia. The change ofaccent from Kuʻsa (Creek, see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa) makes itlocative.
Kuʻsa-nunnaʻhi—“Creektrail,” from Kuʻsa, Creek Indian, and Nunnaʻhi, path,trail; cf. Suwaʻli-nunnaʻhi. A former important Cherokeesettlement, including also a number of Creeks and Shawano, where thetrail from the Ohio region to the creek country crossed Tennesseeriver, at the present Guntersville, in Marshall county, Ala. It wasknown to the traders as Creek-path, and later as Gunter’slanding, from a Cherokee mixed-blood named Gunter.
Kuʻswatiʻyi (abbreviatedKuʻsawetiʻ)—“Old Creek place,” fromKuʻsa, a Creek Indian (plural Aniʻ-kuʻsa), uweʻti,old, and yi, locative. Coosawatee, [240]an important Cherokeesettlement formerly on the lower part of Coosawatee river, in Gordoncounty, Ga. In one document the name appears, by error,Tensawattee.
Kuwaʻhi—“Mulberry place,” fromkuʻwa, mulberry tree, and hi, locative. Clingman’s dome,about the head of Deep creek, on the Great Smoky range, between Swaincounty, N. C., and Sevier county, Tenn. See also Keowee.
Kuwandaʻta lunʻyi (abbreviated Kuwandaʻtalun)—“Mulberry grove,” from kuʻwa, mulberry; theCherokee name for the present site of Knoxville, in Knox county,Tenn.
Kwaʻli, Kwalunʻyi—Qualla or Quallatown,the former agency for the East Cherokee and now a post-office station,just outside the reservation, on a branch of Soco creek, in Jacksoncounty, North Carolina. It is the Cherokee form for“Polly,” and the station was so-called from an old woman ofthat name who formerly lived near by; Kwaʻli, “Polly”Kwalunʻyi, “Polly’s place.” The reservation islocally known as the Qualla boundary.
kwandayaʻhu—see daʻlikstaʻ.
laʻlu—the jar-fly (Cicadaauletes).
Little Carpenter, Little Cornplanter—seeAtaʻ-gul kaluʻ.
Long-hair—a Cherokee chief living with his band inOhio in 1795. The literal Cherokee translation of“Long-hair” is Gitluʻgunahiʻta, but it is notcertain that the English name is a correct rendering of the Indianform. Cf. Aniʻ-Gilaʻhi.
Long Island—see Amaye li-gunahiʻta.
Lookout Mountain Town—seeDandaʻganuʻ.
Lowrey, Major George—see Agili. [241]
Mayes, J. B.—see Tsaʻwa Gakʻski.
Memphis—see Tsudaʻtalesunʻyi.
Mialaquo—see Amaye l-eʻgwa.
Moses—see Waʻsi.
Moytoy—a Cherokee chief recognized by the Englishas “emperor” in 1730. Both the correct form and the meaningof the name are uncertain; the name occurs again as Moyatoy in adocument of 1793; a boy upon the East Cherokee reservation a few yearsago bore the name of Maʻtayiʻ, for which no meaning can befound or given.
Mussel Shoals—see Daguʻnahi.
Nacoochee—see Naʻgu tsi.
Naʻduli—known to the whites as Nottely. Aformer Cherokee settlement on Nottely river, close to the Georgia line,in Cherokee county, N. C. The name cannot be translated and has not anyconnection with na tu li, “spicewood.”
Naʻgu tsiʻ—a former important settlementabout the junction of Soquee and Santee rivers, in Nacoochee valley, atthe head of Chattahoochee river, in Habersham county, Ga. The meaningof the word is lost and it is doubtful if it be of Cherokee origin. Itmay have some connection with the name of the Uchee Indians. The greatmound farther up Sautee river, in White county, was known to theCherokee as Itsaʻti.
nakwisiʻ (abbreviated nakusi)—star; also themeadow lark.
nakwisiʻ usdiʻ—“littlestar”; the puffball fungus (Lycoperdon?).
Naʻna-tlu gunʻyi (abbreviated Naʻna-tlugunʻ, or Naʻna-tsu gunʻ)—“Spruce-treeplace,” from naʻna, [242]spruce, tlu gunʻi, ortsu gunʻi, a tree (standing) and yi, locative, 1. A traditionalancient Cherokee settlement on the site of Jonesboro, Washingtoncounty, Tenn. The name of Nolichucky river is probably a corruption ofthe same word. 2. Nan-tsu gun, a place on Nottely river, close to itsjunction with Hiwassee, in Cherokee county, N. C.
Nanehi—see Nunneʻhi.
Nantahala—see Nundayeʻ li.
Nashville—see Daguʻnaweʻlahi.
Natchez—see Aniʻ-Na′tsi.
Nats-asunʻtlunyi (abbreviated Nats-asunʻtlun)—“Pine-footingplace,” from na′tsi, pine, asunʻtli orasun-tlunʻi, footlog, bridge, and yi, locative. A former Cherokeesettlement, commonly known as Pinelog, on the creek of the same name,in Bartow county, Georgia.
na′tsi—pine.
naʻtsikuʻ—“I eat it”(tsiʻkiuʻ, “I am eating”).
na tu li—spicewood (Linderabenzoin).
Nayeʻhi—see Nunneʻhi.
Nayunuwi—see Nunyunuʻwi.
nehanduyanuʻ—a song form fornehaduʻyanuʻ, an irregular verbal form denoting“conceived in the womb.”
Nellawgitehi—given as the name of a Lower Cherokeechief in 1684. The correct form and meaning are both uncertain, but thefinal part seems to be the common suffix didiʻ,“killer.” Cf. Taʻgwadiahiʻ.
Nenetooyah—see Iskagua.
Nequassee—see Kiʻkwasiʻ.
Nettecawaw—see Gatayuʻsti.
Nettle-carrier—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.
New Echota, Newtown—see Itsaʻti.
Nickajack—see Nikutseʻgi. [243]
Nicotani—see Aniʻ-Kutaʻni.
Nikwasiʻ (or Nikwsiʻ)—an importantancient settlement on Little Tennessee river, where now is the town ofFranklin, in Macon county, N. C. A large mound marks the site of thetown-house. The name appears in old documents as Nequassee, Nucassee,etc. Its meaning is lost.
Nikutseʻgi (also Nukatseʻgi, Nikwatseʻgi,or abbreviated Nikutsegʻ)—Nickajack, an important Cherokeesettlement, about 1790, on the south bank of Tennessee river, at theentrance of Nickajack creek, in Marion county, Tenn. One of the FiveChickamauga towns (see Tsikamaʻgi). The meaning of the word islost and it is probably not of Cherokee origin, although it occurs alsoin the tribe as a man’s name. In the corrupted form of“Nigger Jack,” it occurs also as the name of a creek ofCullasaja river above Franklin, in Macon county, N. C.
Nilaque—see Amaye l-eʻgwa.
Nolichucky—see Naʻna-tlugunʻyi.
Notchy—a creek entering Tellico river, in Monroecounty, Tenn. The name evidently refers to Natchez Indian refugees, whoformerly lived in the vicinity (see Aniʻ-Na′tsi).
Nottely—see Naʻduliʻ.
nu—used as a suffix to denote “and,”or “also”; uʻle-nu, “and also”naʻski-nuʻ, “and that,” “thatalso.”
Nucassee—see Nikwasiʻ.
nuʻdunneluʻ—he did so and so: anirregular form apparently connected with the archaic formsadunniʻga, “it has just become so,” andudunnu, “it is matured, or finished.”
Nugatsaʻni—a ridge sloping down toOconaluftee river, [244]below Cherokee, in Swain county, N. C. Anarchaic form denoting a high ridge with a long gradual slope.
nuʻna—potato; the name was originally appliedto the wild “pig potato” (Phaseolus), nowdistinguished as muʻna igatehi, “swamp-dwellingpotato.”
nunʻda—the sun or moon, distinguished asunuʻdaʻ igeʻhi, nunʻdaʻ “dwelling in theday,” and nunʻdaʻ sunnaʻyehi, nunʻda“dwelling in the night.” In the sacred formulas the moon issometimes called Ge yaguʻga, or Suʻtalidihi,“Six-keller,” names apparently founded upon myths nowlost.
nunʻdaʻ-dikani—a rare bird formerly seenoccasionally in the old Cherokee country, possibly the little blueheron (Floridus cerulea). The name seems to mean“it looks at the sun,” i. e., “sun-gazer,” fromnunʻdaʻ, sun, and daʻka naʻ or detsiʻka na,“I am looking at it.”
Nundaweʻgi—see Aniʻ-Nundaweʻgi.
Nunʻdaye li—“Middle (i. e., Noonday)sun,” from nundaʻ, sun and aye li, middle; a former Cherokeesettlement on Nantahala river, near the present Jarrett station, inMacon county, N. C., so-called from the high cliffs which shut out theview of the sun until nearly noon. The name appears also as Nantahala,Nantiyallee, Nuntialla, etc. It appears to have been applied properlyonly to the point on the river where the cliffs are most perpendicular,while the settlement itself was known as Kanuʻgu laʻyi,“Briertown,” q. v.
Nunʻdagunʻyi, Nundaʻyi—the Sunland, or east; from nunʻdaʻ, sun, and yi, locative. Used inthe sacred formulas instead of diʻgalungunʻyi, “where itrises,” the common word. [245]
nunʻgi—four. See hiʻski.
nungu la—see kanuguʻ la.
nunnaʻhi (abbreviated nunna)—a path, trail orroad.
Nunnaʻhi-dihiʻ (abbreviatedNunʻna-dihiʻ)—“Path-killer,” literally,“he kills (habitually) in the path,” from nunʻnahi,path, and ahihiʻ, “he kills” (habitually); “I amkilling,” tsiʻihuʻ. A principal chief, about the year1813. Major John Ridge was originally known by the same name, butafterward took the name, Gununʻda leʻgi, “One whofollows the ridge,” which the whites made simply ridge.
Nunnaʻhi-tsuneʻga (abbreviated)Nunna-tsuneʻga—“white-path,” from nunnaʻhi,path, and tsuneʻga, plural of uneʻga, white; the form is theplural, as is common in Indian names, and has probably a symbolicreference to the “white” or peaceful paths spoken of in theopening invocation at the green corn dance. A noted chief who led theconservative party about 1828.
Nunneʻhi (also Gunneʻhi; singularNayeʻhi)—a race of invisible spirit people. The name isderived from the verb eʻhuʻ, “I dwell, I live,”eʻhiʻ, “I dwell habitually,” and may be rendered“dwellers anywhere,” or “those who liveanywhere,” but implies having always been there, i. e.,“Immortals.” It has been spelled Nanehi and Nuhnayie bydifferent writers. The singular form Nayeʻhi occurs also as apersonal name, about equivalent to Edaʻhi, “One who goesabout.”
Nuniyuʻsti—“potato-like,” fromnuʻna, potato, and iyuʻsti, like. A flowering vine withtuberous root somewhat resembling the potato. [246]
Nunyuʻ—rock, stone.
Nunyuʻ-gunwamʻski—“Rock thattalks,” from nunyuʻ, rock, and tsiwaʻnihu, “I amtalking.” A rock from which Talking-rock creek of Coosawateeriver, in Georgia, derives its name.
Nunʻyunuʻwi—contracted fromNunyu-unuʻwi. “Stone-clad,” from nunyu, rock, andagwaunʻwu, “I am clothed or covered.” A mythicmonster, invulnerable by reason of his stony skin. The name is alsoapplied sometimes to the stinging ant, dasuntali atatsunski, q. v. Ithas also been spelled Nayunuwi.
Nunyuʻ-tlu guni (or Nunyu-tsugunʻi)—“Tree-rock,” a notable rock on Hiwasseeriver, just within the N. C. line.
Nunyuʻ-twiʻska—“Slick rock,”from nunyuʻ, rock, and twiska, smooth, slick; the form remainsunchanged for the locative. 1. Slick-rock creek, entering LittleTennessee river just within the west line of Graham county, N. C. 2. Aplace at the extreme head of Brasstown creek of Hiwassee river, inTowns county, Ga.
Ocoee—see Uwagaʻhi.
Oconaluftee—see Egwanul ti.
Oconee—see Ukwuʻnu.
Oconostota—see Aganstaʻta.
Old Tassel—see Utsiʻdsataʻ.
Ooltewah—see Ultiwaʻi.
Oostinaleh—see Uʻstanaʻli.
Oothealoga—see Uyʻgilaʻgi.
Otacite, Otassite—see Outacity.
Otari, Otariyatiqui—mentioned as a place,apparently on the Cherokee frontier, visited by Pardo in [247]1567. Otari seems to be the Cherokee atari oratali, mountain, but the rest of the word is doubtful.
Ottare—see aʻtali.
Owasta—given as the name of a Cherokee chief in1684; the form cannot be identified.
Ougillogy—see Uyʻgilaʻgi.
Outacity—given in documents as the name or titleof a prominent Cherokee chief about 1720. It appears also as Otacite,Ottassite, Outassatah, Wootassite and Wrosetasatow (!), but the formcannot be identified, although it seems to contain the personal namesuffix dihaʻ, “killer.” Timberlake says: “Thereare some other honorary titles among them, conferred in reward of greatactions; the first of which is Outacity or “Man-killer,”and the second Colona or “The Raven.”
Outassatah—see Outacity.
Owassa—see Ayuhwaʻsi.
Paint-town—see Aniʻ-Waʻdihiʻ.
Path-killer—see Nunaʻhi-dihiʻ.
Phoenix, Cherokee—seeTsuleʻhisanunʻhi.
Pigeon River—see Wayi.
Pine Indians—see Aniʻ-Na′tsi.
Pinelog—see Na ts-asunʻtlunyi.
Qualatchee—a former Cherokee settlement on theheadwaters of the Chattahoochee river in Georgia; another of the samename was upon the waters of Keowee river in S. C. The correct form isunknown.
Qualla—see Kwali.
Quaxule—see Guaxule. [248]
Quinahaqui—a place, possibly in the Cherokeecountry, visited by Pardo in 1567. The form cannot be identified.
Quoneashee—see Tlanusiʻyi.
Rattlesnake Springs—see Utsanatiyi.
Rattling-Gourd—see Ganseti.
Raventown—see Kalanunʻyi.
Red Clay—see Elawaʻdiyi.
Reid, Jesse—see Tseʻsi-Skaʻtsi.
Ridge, Major John—seeNunnaʻhi-dihiʻ.
Ross, John—see Guʻwisguwiʻ.
Ross' Landing—see Tsatanuʻgi.
Sadayiʻ—a feminine name, the proper name ofthe woman known to the whites as Annie Ax; it cannot be translated.
Sagwaʻhi, or Sagwunʻyi—“Oneplace,” from saʻgwu, one, and hi or yi, locative. Soco creekof Oconaluftee river, on the East Cherokee reservation, in Jacksoncounty, N. C. No satisfactory reason is given for the name, which hasits parallel in Tsaskaʻhi, “Thirty place,” a localname in Cherokee county, N. C.
saʻgwaltʻ—horse; from asagwalihu, a packor burden, asagwal luʻ; “there is a pack on him.”
saʻgwali diguʻlanahiʻta—mule;literally “long-eared horse,” from saʻgwali, horse,and diguʻlanahiʻta, q. v.
saikwaʻyi—bear-grass (Erynigium) also the greensnake, on account of a fanciedresemblance; the name of a former Cherokee settlement on Sallacoa creekof Coosawatee river, in Gordon county, Ga. [249]
Sakwiʻyi (or Sukiʻyi; abbreviated Sakwiʻor Sukiʻ)—a former settlement on Soquee river, a head streamof Chattahoochee, near Clarksville, Habersham county, Ga. Also writtenSaukee and Sookee. The name has lost its meaning.
salaʻli—squirrel; the common gray squirrel;other varieties are kiyu ga, the ground squirrel, and tewa, the flyingsquirrel; Salaʻli was also the name of an East Cherokee inventorwho died a few years ago; Salaʻlaniʻtaʻ“Young-squirrels,” is a masculine personal name on thereservation.
saliguʻgi—turtle, the common water turtle;soft-shell turtle, uʻlanaʻwa; land tortoise or terrapin,tuksiʻ.
Saʻnigilaʻgi (abbreviated Sangilaʻgi)—Whiteside mountain, a prominent peak of the BlueRidge, southeast from Franklin, Macon county, N. C. It is connectedwith the tradition of Utlunʻta.
Santeetla—the present map name of a creek joiningCheiwa river in Graham county, N. C., and of a smaller tributary(Little Santeetla). The name is not recognized or understood by theCherokee, who insist that it was given by the whites. Little Santeetlais known to the Cherokee as Tsundaniltiʻyi, q. v.; the modernSanteetla creek is commonly known as Nayuʻhigeyunʻi,“Sand-place stream,” from “Nuyuʻhi, “Sandplace” (nayu, sand), a former settlement just above the junctionof the two creeks.
Sara—see Aniʻ-Suwaʻli.
Saʻsaʻ—goose; an onomatope.
Sautee—see Itsaʻti.
Savannah—the popular name of this river is derivedfrom that of the Shawano Indians, formerly living upon its middlecourse, and known to the Cherokee as [250]AniʻSwanuʻgi, q. v., to the Creeks asSavanuka, and to some of the coast tribes of Carolina as Savanna. Inold documents the river is also called Isundiga, from Isuʻnigu orSeneca, q. v., an important former Cherokee settlement upon its upperwaters.
Sawanuʻgi—“Shawano” (Indian); amasculine personal name upon the East Cherokee reservation andprominent in the history of the band. See AniʻSawanuʻgi andKaʻlahuʻ.
Sawnook—see Kaʻlahuʻ.
Sehwateʻyi—“Hornet place,” fromseʻhwatu, hornet, and yi, locative. Cheowa Maximum and Swim Bald,adjoining bald peaks at the head of Cheowa river, Graham county, N.C.
selu—corn; sometimes called in the sacred formulasAgaweʻla, “The Old Woman.”
sel-utsiʻ (forselu-utsiʻ)—“corn’s mother,” from selu,corn, and utsiʻ, his mother (etsiʻ or agitsiʻ, mymother); the bead-corn or Job’s-tears (Coixlacryma).
Seneca—see Aniʻ-Nunʻdaweʻgi (Senecatribe), and Isuʻnigu. (Seneca town.)
Sequatchee—see Siʻgwetsiʻ.
Sequoya—see Sikwayi.
Setsi—a mound and traditional Cherokee settlementon the south side of the Valley river, about three miles belowValleytown, in Cherokee county, N. C.; the name has lost its meaning. Asettlement called Tasetsi (Tassetchie in some old documents) existed onthe extreme head of Hiwassee river, in Towns county, Ga.
Sevier—see Tsanʻ-usdiʻ.
Shoe-boots—see Daʻsi giyaʻgi.[251]
Shooting creek—see Duʻstayalunʻyi.
Siʻgwetsiʻ—a traditional Cherokeesettlement on the south bank of French Broad river, not far fromKnoxville, Knox county, Tenn. Near by was the quarry from which it issaid the stone for the white peace pipes was obtained. Swquatchee, thename of the river below Chattanooga, in Tenn., is probably a corruptionof the same word.
siʻdwa—hog; originally the name of theopossum, now distinguished as siʻkwa utsetʻsti, q. v.
siʻkwa utsetʻsti—opossum; literally“grinning hog,” from siʻkwa, hog, and utsetʻsti,“he grins” (habitually).
Sikwaʻyi—a masculine name, commonly writtenSequoya, made famous as that of the inventor of the Cherokee alphabet.The name, which cannot be translated, is still in use upon the EastCherokee reservation.
Sikwiʻa—a masculine name, the Cherokeecorruption for Sevier. See also Tsan-usdiʻ.
sinnawah—see tlaʻnuwa.
Siʻtikuʻ (or suʻtaguʻ, in dialecticform)—a former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, atthe entrance of Citico creek, in Monroe county, Tenn. The name, whichcannot be translated, is commonly spelled Citico, but appears also asSattiquo,Settico, Settacoo, Sette, Sittiquo, etc.
siyuʻ—see aʻsiyuʻ.
skintaʻ—for skinʻtaguʻ, understoodto mean “put a new tooth into my jaw.” The word cannot beanalyzed, but is derived from gantkaʻ (ganta ga in a dialecticform) a tooth in place; a tooth detached is kayu ga.
Skwanʻ-digu gunʻyi (for Askwanʻ-digugunʻyi)—“where the Spaniard is in thewater” (or other liquid). A place on Upper Soco creek, on thereservation in Jackson county, N. C. [252]
Slick Rock—see Nunyuʻtawiʻska.
Smith, N. J.—see Tsaladihiʻ.
Snowbird—see Tutiʻyi.
Soco creek—see Sagwaʻhi.
Soco Gap—see Ahaluʻna.
Soquee—see Sakwiʻyi.
Spray, H. W.—see Wilsiniʻ.
spring-frog—see Duʻstuʻ.
Standing Indian—see Yunwi-tsulenunʻyi.
Stand Watie—see Deʻgataga.
Stekoa—see Stikaʻyi.
steʻtsi—“your daughter”;literally, “your offspring”; agweʻtsi, “myoffspring”; uweʻtsi, “his offspring”; todistinguish sex it is necessary to add asgaʻya, “man”or ageʻhya, “woman.”
Stikaʻyi (variously spelled Stecoe, Steecoy,Stekoah, Stickoey, etc.)—the name of several former Cherokeesettlements: 1. Sticoa creek, near Clayton, Babun county, Ga.; 2. onTuckasegee river at the old Thomas homestead just above the presentWhittier, in Swain county, N. C.; 3. on Stekoa creek of LittleTennessee river, a few miles below the junction of Nantahala, in Grahamcounty, N. C.
Stringfield—see Tlageʻsi.
stugiʻsti, stuiʻski—a key.
Suck, The—see Unʻtiguhiʻ.
Sugartown—see Kulseʻtsiʻyi.
suʻnawaʻ—see tlaʻnuwa.
sunestlaʻta—“split noses”; seetsunu liyuʻ sunestlaʻta.
sungi—mink; also onion; the name seems to refer toa smell; the various minks are called generically, gaw sunʻgi.
Sukiʻyi—another form of Sakwiʻyi, q.v.
suʻliʻ—buzzard; the Creek name is thesame. [253]
Sun Land—see Nundaʻyi.
suʻsaʻ-saiʻ—an unmeaning songrefrain.
suʻtalidihiʻ—see nunʻdaʻ.
Suwaʻli-nunnaʻhi (abbreviatedSuwaʻli-nunnaʻhi)—“Suwali train,” theproper name for the gap at the head of Swannanoa (fromSuwaʻli-Nunʻnaʻ) river east of Asheville, in Buncombecounty, N. C.
Suwaʻni—a former Cherokee settlement onChattahoochee river, about the present Suwanee, in Gwinnett county, Ga.The name has no meaning in the Cherokee language and is said to be ofCreek origin.
Suyeʻta—“the Chosen One,” fromasuyeʻta, “he is chosen,” gasuʻyeu, “I amchoosing”; the same form, suyeʻta, could also mean mixed,from gasuʻyahu, “I am mixing it.” A masculine name atpresent borne by a prominent ex-chief and informant upon the EastCherokee reservation.
Swannanoa—see Wuwaʻli-nunnaʻhi.
Swim Bald—see Sehwateʻyi.
Swimmer—see Ayunʻini.
tadeyaʻstatakuhiʻ—“we shall seeeach other.”
Tae-keo-ge—see Ta skiʻgi.
taʻgu—the June-bug (Allorhinanitida), also called tuya-diskalaw tsiski, “one who keepsfire under the beans.”
Taʻgwa—see Aniʻtaʻgwa.
Taʻgwadihiʻ (abbreviatedTaʻgwadiʻ)—“Catawba-killer,” fromAtaʻgwa or Taʻgwa, “Cattawba Indian,” and dihihiʻ,“he kills them” (habitually), from tsiʻihuʻ.“I kill.” An old masculine name, still in use upon the EastCherokee reservation. It was the proper name of the chief known to thewhites about 1790 [254]as “The Glass,” from aconfusion of this name with adakeʻti, glass, or mirror.
Tagwaʻhi—“Catawba place,” fromAtaʻgwa or Taʻgwa, Catawba Indian, and hi, locative. A nameoccurring in several places in the old Cherokee country. A settlementof this name, known to the whites as Toccoa, was upon Toccoa creek,east of Clarksville, in Habersham county, Ga.; another was upon Toccoaor Ocoee river, about the present Toccoa, in Fannin county, Ga.; athird may have been on Persimmon creek, which is known to the Cherokeeas Tagwaʻhi, and enters Hiwassee river some distance below Murphy,in Cherokee county, N. C.
Tahkeyostee—see Untaʻkiyastiʻyi.
Tahlequah—see Talikwaʻ.
Tahchee—see Talikwaʻ.
Takatoka—see Deʻgataʻga.
taʻladuʻ (abbreviatedtalduʻ)—twelve, from taʻli, two. Cf. talaʻtu,cricket.
Taʻlasiʻ—a former Cherokee settlement onLittle Tennessee river about Talassee ford, in Blount county, Tenn. Thename has lost its meaning.
Talassee—see Taʻlasiʻ.
talaʻtu—cricket; sometimes also calledditaʻstayeʻski (q. v.), “the barber.” Cf.taʻladuʻ, twelve.
Taleʻdanigiʻski (Utaleʻdanigiʻsi ina dialectic form)—variously rendered by the whites“Hemp-carrier,” “Nettle-carrier” or“flax-toter,” from taleʻta or utaleʻta, flax(Linum) or richweed (Pilea pumila),and danigiʻski, “he carries them” (habitually). Aformer prominent chief on Valley river, in Cherokee county, NorthCarolina.
Talihina—given as the name of the Cherokee wife ofSamuel Houston; the form cannot be identified. [255]
Talikwaʻ (commonly written Tellico, Teliquo or, inthe Indian Territory, Tahlequah)—the name of several Cherokeesettlements at different periods, viz.: 1. Great Tellico, at TellicoPlains, on Tellico river, in Monroe county, Tenn.; 2. Little Tellico,on Tellico creek of Little Tennessee river, about ten miles belowFranklin, Macon county, N. C. 3. a town on Valley river, about fivemiles above Murphy, in Cherokee county, N. C.; 4. Tahlequah,established as the capital of the Cherokee Nation, Ind. Ter., in 1839.The meaning of the name is lost.
Taliʻwa—the site of a traditional battlebetween the Cherokee and Creeks about 1755, on Mountain (?) creek ofEtowah river in upper Georgia. Probably not a Cherokee but a Creek namefrom the Creek taʻlua or itaʻlua, town.
Talking-rock—see Nunyu-gunwaniʻski.
Tallulah—see Taluluʻ.
Tal-tsuʻskaʻ—“Two-heads,”from taʻli, two, and tsuʻskaʻ, plural of uskaʻ,(his) head. A Cherokee chief about the year 1800, known to the whitesas Doublehead.
taluli—pregnant; whence aluliʻ, (she is)“a mother,” said of a woman.
Taluluʻ (commonly Tallulah, and appearing in olddocuments, from the Lower dialect, as Taruraw, Toruro, Turoree,etc.)—a name occurring in two or more places in the old Cherokeecountry, viz.: 1. An ancient settlement on the upper part of Tallulahriver, in Rabun county, Georgia; 2. a town on Tallulah creek of Cheowariver, in Graham county, N. C. The word is of uncertain etymology. Theduluʻsi frog is said to cry taluluʻ. The noted [256]falls upon Tallulah river are known to theCherokee as Ugunʻyi, q. v.
Taluntiski—see Ataʻluntiʻski.
Tamaʻli—a name, commonly written Tomotley orTomatola, occurring in at least two places in the old Cherokee country,viz.: 1. On Valley river, a few miles above Murphy, about the presentTomatola, in Cherokee county, N. C. 2. on Little Tennessee river, aboutTomotley ford, a few miles above Tellico river, in Monroe county, Tenn.The name cannot be translated, and may be of Creek origin, as thattribe had a town of the same name upon the lower Chattahoocheeriver.
Tanasiʻ—a name which cannot be analyzed,commonly spelled Tennessee, occurring in several places in the oldCherokee country, viz.: 1. On Little Tennessee river about half-waybetween Citico and Toco creeks, in Monroe county, Tenn. 2. “OldTennessee town,” on Hiwassee river, a short distance above thejunction of Ocoee, in Polk county, Tenn. 3. On Tennessee creek, ahead-stream of Tuckasegee river, in Jackson county, N. C. Tanasqui,visited by Pardo in 1567, may have been another place of the samename.
Tanasqui—see Tanasiʻ.
Taʻskiʻgi (abbreviated fromTaʻskigiʻyi or Daʻskigiʻyi, the locative yi beingcommonly omitted)—a name variously written Tae-keo-ge (misprint),Tasquiqui, Teeskege, Tuscagee, Tuskegee, etc., derived from that of aforeign tribe incorporated with the Cherokee, and occurring as a localname both in the Cherokee and in the Creek country. 1. The principalsettlement of this name was on Little Tennessee river, just above thejunction of [257]Tellico, in Monroe county, Tenn.; 2. another wason the north bank of Tennessee river, just below Chattanooga,Tennessee; 3. another may have been on Tuskegee creek of LittleTennessee river, near Robbinsville, Graham county, N. C.
Tasquiqui—see Taʻskiʻgi.
Tassel, Old—see Utsiʻdsataʻ.
Tatsiʻ—“Dutch,” also writtenTahchee, a western Cherokee chief about 1830.
Tatsuʻhwa—the redbird.
tawaʻli—punk.
Tawaʻli-ukwanunʻti—“Punk-plugged-in,” fromtawaʻli, punk; the Cherokee name of a traditional Shawanochief.
tawiʻska, tawiʻskage—smooth, slick.
Tawiʻskala—“Flint”; a Cherokeesupernatural, the personification of the rock flint;tawiʻskalunʻti, tawiʻskala, flint, from tawiʻska,smooth, slick; cf. Iroquois Tawiskaron.
Tayunksi—a traditional western tribe; the namecannot be analyzed.
Tellico—see Talikwaʻ.
telunʻlati—the summer grape (Vitis aestivalis).
Tenaswattee—see Kuʻsawetiʻyi.
Terrapin—see Tuksiʻ.
tewa—a flying squirrel; salaʻli, graysquirrel; kiyu ga, ground squirrel.
Thomas, W. H.—see Wil-usdiʻ.
Tikwaliʻtsi—a name occurring in severalplaces in the old Cherokee country, viz.: 1. Tuckalegee creek, atributary of War-Woman creek, east of Clayton, in Rabun county, Ga.; 2.the Tikiwaliʻtsi of the story, an important town on Tuckasegeeriver at the present Bryson City, in Swain county, N. C. [258]3.Tuckalechee cove, on Little river, in Blount county, Tenn., whichprobably preserves the aboriginal local name. The name appears in olddocuments as Tuckarechee (Lower dialect) and Tuckalegee, and must notbe confounded with Tsiksiʻtsi or Tuckasegee. It cannot betranslated.
Timossy—see Tomassee.
Tlageʻsi—“Field”; the Cherokeename for Lieutenant-Colonel W. W. Stringfield of Waynesville, N. C.,one of the officers of the Cherokee contingent in the Thomas Legion. Itis an abbreviated rendering of his proper name.
tlageʻsitunʻ—a song form fortlageʻsia-stunʻi, “on the edge of the field,”from a stream.
tlaʻmeha—bat (dialectic forms, tsaʻmeha,tsaʻweha).
tlanuʻsiʻ—leech (dialectic form,tsanuʻsiʻ).
Tlanusiʻyi (abbreviatedTlanusiʻ)—“Leech place,” former importantsettlement at the junction of Hiwassee and Valley river, the presentsite of Murphy, in Cherokee county, N. C.; also a point on Nottelyriver, a few miles distant, in the same county. The name appears alsoas Clennuse, Klausuna, Quoneashee, etc.
tlaʻnuwa (dialetic forms, tsaʻnuwaʻ,suʻnawaʻ, “sinnawah”)—a mythic greathawk.
tlaʻnuwaʻusdi—“littletlaʻnuwaʻ”; probably the goshawk (Asturatricapillus).
TlaʻnuwaʻatsiYelunʻisunʻyi—“where the Tlaʻnuwa cut itup,” from tlaʻnuwaʻ, q. v., andtsiyelunʻiskuʻ, an archaic form fortsigunilunʻiskuʻ, “I am cutting it up.” A placeon Little Tennessee river, nearly opposite the entrance of Citicocreek, in Blount county, Tenn. [259]
Tlaʻnuwaʻi—“Tlaʻnuwaplace,” a cave on the north side of Tennessee river, a shortdistance below the entrance of Citico creek, in Blount county,Tenn.
tlaykuʻ—jay (dialectic form,tsaykuʻ).
tluntiʻsti—the pheasant (Bonasaumbella), called locally grouse or partridge.
tluntuʻtsi—panther (dialectic form,tsuntuʻski).
tlutluʻ—the martin bird (dialectic form,tsutsuʻ).
Tocax—a place, apparently in the Cherokee country,visited by Pardo in 1567. It may possibly have a connection withToxaway (see Duksaʻi) or Toccoa (see Tagwaʻhi).
Toccoa—see Tagwaʻhi.
Toco—see Dakwaʻi.
Tollunteeskee—see Ataʻluntiʻski.
Tomassee (also written Timossy and Tymahse)—thename of two or more former Cherokee settlements, viz.: 1. On Tomasseecreek of Keowee river, in Oconee county, S. C.; 2. On Little Tennesseeriver, near the entrance of Burningtown creek, in Macon county, N. C.The correct form and interpretation are unknown.
Tomatola, Tomotley—see Tamaʻli.
Tooantuh—see Duʻstuʻ.
Toogelah—see Dugiluʻyi.
Toqua—see Dakwaʻi.
Toxaway—see Dukasʻi.
Track Rock gap—seeDatsuʻnalasgunʻyi.
Tsagaʻsi—a Cherokee sprite.
tsaʻgi—upstream, up the road; the converse ofgeʻi.
Tsaiyiʻ—see Untsaiyiʻ.
Tsaʻladihiʻ—Chief N. J. Smith of theEast Cherokee. The name might be rendered “Charley-killer,”from Tsali, “Charley,” and dihiʻ, “killer”(in composition), [260]but is really a Cherokee equivalent forJarrett (Tsaladiʻ), his middle name, by which he was frequentlyaddressed. Cf. Tagwadihi.
tsal-agayunʻli—“old tobacco,”from tsalu, tobacco, and agayunʻli or agayunʻlige, old,ancient; the Nicotiana rustica or wild tobacco.
Tsaʻlagiʻ (Tsaʻragiʻ in Lowerdialect)—the correct form of Cherokee.
Tsaʻli—Charley; a Cherokee shot for resistingthe troops at the time of Removal.
tsaliyuʻsti—“tobacco-like,” fromtsalu, tobacco, and iyuʻsti, like; a generic name for thecardinal-flower, mullein and related species.
tsalu or tsalun (in the Lower dialect,tsaru)—tobacco; by comparison with kindred forms the otherIroquoian dialects the meaning “fire to hold in the mouth”seems to be indicated. Lanman spells it tso-lungh.
tsameha—see tlaʻmeha.
tsaʻnadiskaʻ—for tsandiskaiʻ,“they say.”
tsanaʻsehaʻiʻ—“so theysay,” “they say about him.”
tsaneʻni—the scorpion lizard; also calledgiʻga-danegiʻski, q. v.
Tsani—John.
Tsantawuʻ—a masculine name which cannot beanalyzed.
Tsan-ugaʻsita—“Sour John”; theCherokee name for General John Sevier, and also the boy name of theChief John Ross, afterward known as Guʻwisguwiʻ, q. v.Sikwiʻa, a Cherokee attempt at “Sevier,” is amasculine name upon the East Cherokee reservation.
tsanuʻsiʻ—see tlanuʻsiʻ.
tsaʻnuwaʻ—see tlaʻnuwaʻ.
Tsaʻragiʻ—Cherokee. [261]
tsaru—see tsalu.
Tsastaʻwi—a noted hunter formerly living uponNantahala river, in Macon county, NorthCarolina; the meaning of the name is doubtful.
Tsatanuʻgi (commonly spelled Chattanooga)—theCherokee name for some point upon the creek entering Tennessee river atthe city of Chattanooga, in Hamilton county, Tennessee. It has nomeaning in the Cherokee language and appears to be of foreign origin.The ancient name for the site of the present city is Atlaʻnuwa, q.v. Before the establishment of the town the place was known to thewhites as Ross' landing, from a store kept there by Lewis Ross, brotherof the chief, John Ross.
Tsatuʻgi (commonly written Chattooga orChatuga)—a name occurring in two or three places in the oldCherokee country, but apparently of foreign origin. Possible Cherokeederivations are from words signifying respectively “he drank bysips,” from gatuʻgiaʻ, “I sip,” or“he has crossed the stream and come out upon the otherside,” from gatuʻgi, “I have crossed,” etc. Anancient settlement of this name was on Chattooga river, a headstream ofSavannah river, on the boundary between South Carolina and Georgia;another appears to have been on upper Tellico river, in Monroe county,Tennessee; another may have been on Chattooga river, a tributary of theCoosa, in northwestern Georgia.
Tsaʻwa Gakski—Joe Smoker, from Tsawa,“Joe,” and gakski, “smoker,” fromgaʻgisku, “I am smoking.” The Cherokee name for ChiefJoel B. Mayes, of the Cherokee Nation west. [262]
Tsawaʻsi—a Cherokee sprite.
tsaʻweha—see tlaʻmeha.
tsay kuʻ—see tlay kuʻ.
Tsekʻsiniʻ—a Cherokee form for the nameof General Andrew Jackson.
Tsesaʻni—Jessan, probably a derivative fromJesse; a masculine name upon the East Cherokee reservation.
Tseʻsi-Skaʻtsi—“ScotchJesse”; Jesse Reid, present chief of the East Cherokee, so-calledbecause of mixed Scotch ancestry.
tsetsaniʻli—“thy two elderbrothers” (male speaking); “my elder brother” (malespeaking), unginiʻli.
Tsgagunʻyi—“Insect place,” fromtsgaya, insect, and yi, locative. A cave in the ridge eastward fromFranklin, in Macon county, N. C.
tsgaya—insect, worm, etc.
Tsikamaʻgi—a name, commonly spelledChickamauga, occurring in at least two places in the old Cherokeecountry, which has lost any meaning in Cherokee and appears to be offoreign origin. It is applied to a small creek at the head ofChattahoochee river, in White county, Ga., and also to the districtabout the southern (not the northern) Chickamauga creek, coming intoTennessee river, a few miles above Chattanooga, in Hamilton county,Tenn. In 1777, the more hostile portion of the Cherokee withdrew fromthe rest of the tribe, and established here a large settlement, fromwhich they removed about five years later to settle lower down theTennessee, in what were known as the Chickamauga towns or Five Lowertowns. [263]
tsikiʻ—a word which renders emphatic thatwhich it follows: as aʻstu, “very good,” astuʻtsiki, “best of all.”
tsikikiʻ—the katydid; the name is anonomatope.
tsiʻkililiʻ—the Carolina chickadee(Parus carolinensis); the name is an onomatope.
Tsiksiʻtsi (Tuksiʻtsi is dialectic form;commonly written Tuckasegee)—1. a former Cherokee settlementabout the junction of the two forks of Tuckasegee, above Webster, inJackson county, N. C. (not to be confounded with Tikwaliʻtsi, q.v.). 2. A former settlement on a branch of Brasstown creek of Hiwasseeriver, in Towns county, Ga. The word has lost its meaning.
Tsiʻnawi—a Cherokee wheelwright, perhaps thefirst in the Nation to make a spinning-wheel and loom. The name cannotbe analyzed.
tsineʻu—“I am picking it (somethinglong) up”; in the Lower and Middle dialects, tsinigiʻu.
tsinigiʻu—see tsineʻu.
tsiskaʻgili—the large red crawfish; theordinary crawfish is called tsistuʻna.
tsiʻskwa—bird.
tsiskwaʻgwa—robin, from tsiʻskwa,bird.
Tsiskwaʻhi—“Bird place,” fromtsiʻskwa, bird, and hi, locative. Birdtown settlement on the EastCherokee reservation, in Swain county, N. C.
tsiskwaʻya—sparrow, literally“principal bird” (i. e., most widely distributed), fromtsiʻskwa, bird, and ya, a suffix denoting principal or real.
Tsiskwunsdiʻadsistiʻyi—“where theykilled Little-bird,” from Tsiskwunsdi, “little birds”(plural form.) A place near the head of West Buffalo creek, southeastof Robbinsville, in Graham county, N. C. [264]
Tsilaluʻhi—“Sweet-gum place,”from tsilaʻluʻ, sweet gum (Liquidambar) andhi, locative. A former settlement on a small branch of Brasstown creekof Hiwassee river, just within the line of Towns county, Ga. The nameis incorrectly rendered Gum-log (creek).
Tsistetsiʻyi—“Mouse place,” fromtsistetsi, mouse, and yi, locative. A former settlement on South Mousecreek, of Hiwassee river, in Bradley county, Tenn. The present town ofCleveland, upon the same creek, is known to the Cherokee under the samename.
tsist-imo ʻgosto—“rabbit foods”(plural), from tsiʻstu, rabbit, and uniʻgisti, plural ofagiʻsti, food, from tsiyiʻgiu “I am eating” (softfood). The wild rose.
tsistu—rabbit.
tsistuʻna—crawfish; the large-horned beetleis also so called. The large red crawfish is calledtsiskaʻgili.
Tsistuʻyi—“Rabbit place,” fromtsistu, rabbit, and yi, locative. 1. Gregory bald, high peak of theGreat Smoky range, eastward from Little Tennessee river, on theboundary between Swain county, N. C., and Blount county, Tenn. 2. Aformer settlement on the north bank of Hiwassee river at the entranceof Chestua creek, in Polk county, Tenn, The name of Choastea creek ofTugaloo river, in Oconee county, S. C., is probably also a corruptionfrom the same word.
Tsiyaʻhi—“Otter place,” fromtsiyu, otter, and yi, locative; variously spelled Cheowa, Cheeowhee,Chewohe, Chewe, etc. 1. A former settlement on a branch of Keoweeriver, near the present Cheohee, Oconee county, S. C. 2. A former and[265]still existing Cherokee settlement on Cheowariver, about Robbinsville, in Graham county, N. C. 3. A formersettlement in Cades Cove, on Cove creek, in Blount county, Tenn.
Tsiʻyi-gunsiʻni—“He is dragging acanoe,” from tsiʻyu, canoe (cf. tsiʻyu) otter, andgunsiʻni, “he is dragging it.” “DraggingCanoe,” a prominent leader of the hostile Cherokee in theRevolution. The name appears in documents as Cheucunsene andKunnesee.
Tskil-eʻgwa—“Big-witch,” fromatsikiliʻ, or tskiluʻ, witch, owl, and eʻgwa, big; anold man of the East Cherokee, who died in 1896. Although translatedBig-witch by the whites, the name is understood by the Indians to meanBig-owl, having been originally applied to a white man living on thesame clearing, and noted for his large staring eyes.
tskiliʻ (contracted fromatskiliʻ)—1. witch; 2. the dusky-horned owl (Bubo virginianus saturatus).
tskwaʻyi—the great white heron or Americanegret. (Herodias egretta).
Tsolungh—see tsalu.
Tsudaʻye lunʻyi—“Isolatedplace”; an isolated peak near the head of Cheowa river, northeastof Robbinsville, in Graham county, N. C. The root of the word signifiesdetached, or isolated, whence Udaʻye lunʻyi, the Cherokeeoutlet, in Ind. Ter.
Tsundaʻtalesunʻyi—“where piecesfall off,” i. e., where the banks are caving in; fromadataleʻi, “it is falling off,” ts, distance prefix,“there,” and yi, locative. The Cherokee name for thepresent site of Memphis, Tenn., overlooking the Mississippi andformerly known as the Chickasaw bluff. [266]
Tsuʻdinuntiʻyi—“Throwing-downplace”; a former settlement on lower Nantahala river, in Maconcounty, N. C.
Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti (from tsugiduʻli,plural of ugiduli, one of the long wing or tail feathers of a bird, andulsgiʻsti or ulsgiʻta, a dance)—the feather or eagledance.
Tsukilunnunʻyi—“Where healighted”; two bald spots on a mountain at the head of a LittleSnowbird creek, near Robbinsville, Graham county, N. C.
tsungiliʻsi—plural of ungiliʻsi, q.v.
tsunginiʻsi—plural of unginiʻsi, q.v.
tsunkinaʻtli—“my youngerbrothers” (male speaking).
tsunkitaʻ—“my younger brothers”(female speaking).
tsula—fox; cf. tsulu, kingfisher and tlutluʻor tsulsuʻ, martin. The black fox is inaʻli. The Creek wordfor fox is chula.
tsulaʻski—alligator; the name is of uncertainetymology.
Tsulaʻsinunʻyi—“Footprintplace.” A place on Tuckasee river, about a mile above Deep creek,in Swain county, N. C.
Tsulaʻwi—see Tsulunweʻi.
Tsuleʻhisanunʻhi—“ResurrectedOne,” from diʻgwaleʻhisanunʻhi, “I wasresurrected.” literally, “I was down and have risen.”Tsaʻlagiʻ, Tsuleʻhisanunhi, the Cherokee title of thenewspaper known to the whites as the Cherokee Phoenix. The Cherokeetitle was devised by Worcester and Boudinot as suggesting the idea ofthe phoenix of classic fable. The Indian name of the recent“Cherokee Advocate” is Tsaʻlagi Asdeliʻski.
Tsul kaluʻ—“Slanting-eyes,”literally “he has them slanting” (or leaning up againstsomething); the prefix ts makes it a plural form, and the name isunderstood [267]to refer to the eyes, although the word eye(aktaʻ, plural diktaʻ) is not a part of it. Cf.Ataʻ-gulkalu. A mythic giant and ruler of the game. The name hasbeen corrupted to Jutaculla and Tuli-cula. Jutaculla rock and Jutacullaold fields about the head of Tuckasegee river, in Jackson, NorthCarolina, take their name from him.
Tsulkaluʻ tsunegunʻyi—seeTsunegunʻyi.
tsulieʻna—the nuthatch (Sittacarolinensis); the word signifies literally “deaf” (aplural form referring to the ear, guleʻ) although no reason isgiven for such a name.
tsulu—kingfisher. Cf. tsula.
Tsulunweʻi—(abbreviated Tsulunʻwe orTsulaʻwi, possibly connected with tsulu,kingfisher)—Chilhowee creek, a north tributary of LittleTennessee river, in Blount county, Tennessee.
Tsundaniltiʻyi—“where they demanded thedebt from him”; a place on Little Santeetal river, west ofRobbinsville, in Graham county, North Carolina. The creek also iscommonly known by the same name.
Tsundigeʻwi—“Closed anuses,”literally “they have them closed,” understood to refer tothe anus; from digeʻwi, plural of geʻwi, closed, stopped up,blind; cf. Tsulkaluʻ; also Gulisgeʻwi, “Blind, orclosed,ears,” an old personal name.
Tsunʻdigwunʻtski (contracted fromtsunʻdigwuntsugi, “they have them forked,” referringto the peculiar forked tail; cf. Tsulkaluʻ)—a migratory birdwhich once appeared for a short time upon the East Cherokeereservation, apparently, from the description, the scissortail orswallow-tailed fly-catcher (Milvulus forficatus).[268]
Tsunegunʻyi (sometimes called TsulkaluʻTsunegunʻyi)—Tennessee Bald, at the extreme head ofTuckasegee river, on the east line of Jackson county, North Carolina.The name seems to mean “there where it is white,” from ts,a prefix indicating distance, uneʻga, white, and yi, locative.
Tsunilʻ kalu—the plural form for Tsul kalu,q. v., a traditional giant tribe in the west.
tsunisʻtsahi—“(those) having topnots orcrests,” from ustsahuʻ, “having a topknot,”ustsahiʻ, “he has a topknot” (habitually).
Tsuniyaʻtiga—“Naked People”;literally “They are naked there,” from uyaʻtiga, naked(singular), with the prefix ts, indicating distance. A traditionalwestern tribe.
tsun-kaʻwi-yeʻ, tsun-sikwa-yaʻ,tsun-tsuʻla-yaʻ, tsun-waʻya-yaʻ—“I am(tsun or tsi, verbal prefix) a real (ya, ye, noun suffix) deer”(kawiʻ, archaic for a wiʻ); opossum, siʻkwa; fox, tsula;wolf, waya. Archaic song forms.
tsunsdiʻ—contracted from tsunsdiʻga, theplural of usdiʻga or usdiʻ, small.
Tsunuʻlahunʻski—“He tries, butfails” (habitually), from detsinuʻlahunʻski (q. v.),“I tried, but failed.” A former noted chief among the EastCherokee, commonly known to the whites as Junaluska. In early life hewas called Gulkalaʻski, a name which denotes something habituallyfalling from a leaning position (cf. Ata-gul kaluʻ and Tsulkaluʻ).
tsunuʻ liyuʻsunestlaʻta—“theyhave split noses,” (from agwaliyuʻ, “I have it,”and unestlauʻ, “it is cracked” (as a crack made by thesun’s heat in a log or in the earth)); the initial s makes itrefer to the nose, kayasaʻ. [269]
Tsusginaʻi—“the Ghost country,”from asgiʻna, “ghost,” i, locative, and ts, a prefixdenoting distance. The land of the dead; it is situated inUsunhiʻyi, the Twilight land, in the west.
Tsutaʻtsinasunʻyi—“Eddyplace.” A place on Cheowa river at the mouth of Cochran creek, inGraham county, N. C.
tsutsuʻ—see tlutluʻ.
tsuntuʻtsi—see tluntuʻtsi.
tsuwaʻ—the mud-puppy or water dog (Menopoma or Protonopsis).
Tsuwaʻtelʻda—a contraction oftsuwaʻteldunʻyi; the name has lost its meaning. Pilot Knob,north from Brevard, in Transylvania county, N. C.
Tsuwaʻ-uniytsunʻyi—“where thewater-dog laughed.” from tsuwaʻ, q. v.,“water-dog,” uniyeʻtsu, “they laughed”(agiyetʻsku, “I am laughing”)and yi, locative; Tusquittee Bald, near Hayesville, in Clay county, N.C.
Tsuweʻnahi—A traditional hunter, incommunication with the invisible people. The name seems to mean“He has them in abundance,” an irregular or archaic formfor Uweʻnai, “he has abundance,” “he isrich,” from agweʻnaiʻ, “I am rich.” As amasculine name it is used as the equivalent of Richard.
Tuckalechee—see Tikwahʻtsi.
Tuckasegee—see Tsiksiʻtsi.
Tugaloo—see Dugiluʻyi.
tugaluʻ—the cry of the dagulku, goose.
tugaluʻna—a variety of small fish, about fourinches long, frequenting the larger streams (from galuʻna, agourd, on account of its long nose). [270]
tuksiʻ—the terrapin or land tortoise; alsothe name of a Cherokee chief about the close of the Revolution.Saliguʻgi, common turtle; soft-shell turtle,Uʻlanaʻwa.
Tuksiʻtsi—see Tsiksiʻtsi.
Tuli-cula—see Tsuiʻkaluʻ.
tulskuʻwa—“he snaps with hishead,” from uskaʻ, head; the snapping beetle.
Tunaʻi—a traditional warrior and medicine manof old Itsaʻti; the name cannot be analyzed.
Turkeytown—see Gun-diʻgaduhunʻyi.
Turniptown—see Uʻlunyi.
Tuskegee—see Taʻskiʻgi.
Tusquittee Bald—seeTsuwaʻ-uniyetsunʻyi.
Tusquittee creek—see Daskwitunʻyi.
tuʻsti—for tustiʻga, a small bowl;larger jars are called diwaʻli and untiʻya.
tuti—snowbird.
Tutiʻyi—“Snowbird place,” fromtuʻti, snowbird, and yi, locative. Little Snow-bird creek ofCheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.
tuʻtsahyesiʻ—“he will marryyou.”
tuʻya—bean.
tuʻya-diskalawʻstiʻski—seetiʻgu.
tuʻyahusiʻ—“she willdie.”
Tymahse—see Tomassee.
Uchee—see Aniʻ-Yuʻtsi.
udaʻhaleʻyi—“on the sunnyside.”
udaʻi—the baneberry or cohosh vine (Actaea?). The name signifies that the plant has something longhanging from it.
udaʻli—“(it is) married”; themistletoe, so-called on account of its parasitic habit. [271]
Uʻdawagunʻta—“Bald.” A baldmountain of the Great Smoky range, in Yancy county, N. C., not far fromMount Mitchell.
Udsiʻskala—a masculine name.
ugaʻsita—sour.
uʻgiskaʻ—“he is swallowingit”; from tsikiuʻ, “I am eating.”
uʻgukuʻ—the hooting or barred owl.
ugunsteʻli (ugunsteʻlu in dialectform)—the horny-head fish.
Ugunʻyi—Tallulah falls, on the river of thatname, northeast from Clarksville, in Habersham county, Ga. The meaningof the name is lost.
Uilata—see Uʻtlunʻta.
uk-kuʻsuntsutetiʻ—“it will twistup one’s arm.”
Uk-kuʻsuntsutiʻ—“Bent-bow-shape”; a comicmasculine name.
Uk-kunagiʻsti—“it will draw downone’s eye.”
Uk-kwunagiʻta—“eye-drawn-down”; acomic masculine name.
uksuʻhi—the mountain blacksnake or blackracer (coluber obsoletus); the name seems to refer tosome pecularity of the eye, aktaʻ, uksuhhaʻ, “he hassomething lodged in his eye.”
Ukteʻna—“Keen-eyed (?)” fromaktaʻ, eye, aktaʻti, to examine closely. A mythicgreat-horned serpent, with a talismanic diadem.
Ukteʻna-tsuganunʻyi—“where theUktena got fastened.” A spot on Tuckasegee river, about two milesabove Bryson City, in Swain county, N. C.
Ukwuʻnu (or Ukwuʻni)—a former Cherokeesettlement, commonly known to the whites as Oconee, on Seneca creek,near the present Walhalla, in Oconee county, S. C. [272]
Ulaʻguʻ—the mythical original of theyellow-jacket tribe. The word signifies “leader,”“boss,” or “principal one,” and is applied tothe first yellow-jacket (dʻskaʻi) seen in the spring, to aqueen bee and to the leader of a working squad.
uʻlanaʻwa—the soft-shell turtle; seealso saliguʻgi and tuksiʻ.
ulasuʻla—moccasin, shoe.
uleʻ—and; uleʻ-nu, and also.
ulskwulteʻgi—a “pound mill,” aself-acting water-mill used in the Cherokee mountains. The namesignifies that “it butts with its head” (Uskaʻ, head),in allusion to the way in which the pestles work in the mortar. Thegeneric word for mill is distʻsti.
ulstitluʻ—literally “it is on hishead.” The diamond crest on the head of the mythic Uktenaserpent. When detached it becomes Ulunsuʻti.
Ultiwaʻi—a former Cherokee settlement abovethe present Ooltewah, on the creek of the same name, in James county,Tenn.
ulunniʻta—domesticated, tame; may be used forpersons as well as animals, but not for plants; for cultivated ordomesticated plants the adjective is gunutlunʻi orgunusunʻi.
Ulunsuʻti—“Transparent”; thegreat talismanic crystal of the Cherokee.
ulunʻta—“it has climbed,” fromtsilahiʻ, “I am climbing”; the poison oak (Rhus radicans).
Uʻlunʻyi—“Tuber place,” fromUʻliʻ, a variety of edible tuber, and yi, locative. A formersettlement upon Turniptown, (for Uʻlunʻyi) creek, aboveEllijay, in Gilmer county, Ga. [273]
Unacala—see Uniʻgadihiʻ.
Uʻnadantiʻyi—“Place where theyconjured,” the name of a gap about three miles east of Webster,in Jackson county, N. C., and now transferred to the town itself.
unadeʻna—woolly, downy, (in speaking ofanimals); uwaʻnu, wool, down, fine fur (detached from theanimal).
uʻnahuʻ—see unahwiʻ.
uʻnahiʻ—heart; in Middle and Lowerdialects, unahuʻ.
Unaka—see uneʻga and Unicoi.
unatlunweʻhitu—“it has spirals”;a plant (unidentified) used in conjuration.
uneʻga—white.
uneʻguhi—“he is (was) mischievous orbad”; tsuneʻguhiʻyu, “you are verymischievous” (said to a child).
uneʻgutsatuʻ—“(he is)mischievous”; aʻgineʻgutsatuʻ, “I ammischievous.”
Uneʻlanunʻhi—“TheApportioner”; “I am apportioning,”ganeʻlaskuʻ; “I apportion” (habitually),ganeʻlaski. In the sacred formulas atitle of the Sun God; in the Bible the name of God.
uneʻstalun—ice.
Unicoi—the map name of the Unicoi turnpike, of agap on the watershed between Chattahoochee and Hiwassee river, inGeorgia, and of a county in Tennessee. Probably a corruption ofuneʻga, white, whence comes also Unaka, the present map name of apart of the Great Smoky range.
uniʻgisti—foods; singular, agiʻsti.
Unigaʻyataʻtiʻyi—“where theymade a fish trap,” from ugaʻyatunʻi, fish trap, and yi,locative; a place on [274]Tuckasegee river, at the mouth of Deepcreek, near Bryson City, in Swain county, N. C.
Uniʻhaluna—see Ahaluʻna.
Unikaʻwa—the “Town-house dance,”so-called because danced inside the town-house.
Uneʻga-dihiʻ—“White-man-killer”; fromuneʻga, “white,” for yunʻwuneʻga,“white person,” and dihiʻ, a noun suffix denoting“killer,” “he kills them”(habitually). A Cherokee chief, whose name appears on the documentsabout 1790.
ungidaʻ—“thy two elder brothers”(male speaking).
unginiʻli—“my elder brother.”
unginiʻsi (plural,tsunginiʻsi)—“my daughter’s child.”
uʻniskwetuʻgi—“they wear ahat,” ulskweʻtawaʻ, hat from uskaʻ, head. The Mayapple (Podophyllum).
unistilunʻisti—“they stick on alongtheir whole length”; the generic name for “stickers”and burrs, including the Spanish needle, cockle burr, jimson weed,etc.
uniʻtsi—her mother; agitsiʻ, mymother.
Uniyaʻhitunʻyi—“where they shotit,” from tsiyaʻihuʻ. “I shot,” and yi,locative. A place on Tuckasegee river a short distance above BrysonCity, in Swain county, N. C.
Unliʻta—“(He is) long-winded,” anarchaic form for the regular word, gunliʻta; an old masculinename. A chief about the year 1790, known to the whites as “TheBreath.”
Untoola—see Dihiyunʻdulaʻ.
Untaʻkiyastiʻyi—“Where theyrace,” from takiyaʻta, a race, and yi, locative; locallycorrupted to Tahkeyostee. The district on the French Broad river,around Asheville, in Buncombe county, N. C. The town itself is known tothe Cherokee as Kasduʻyi, [275]“Ashes place,”(from kasdu, ashes, and yi, locative), which is intended as atranslation of its proper name.
Unʻtiguhiʻ—“Pot in water,”from or untiʻya, pot, and guliʻ, “it is in thewater” (or other liquid, habitually). The Suck, a dangerous rapidin Tennessee river, at the entrance of Suck creek, about eight milesbelow Chattanooga, Tenn.
Untlasgastiʻyi—“Where theyscratched”; a place at the head of Hyatt’s creek of Valleyriver, in Cherokee county, N. C.
Untoola—see Dihyunʻdulaʻ.
Untsailiʻ (also Etsaiyiʻ, or Tsaiyiʻ, thefirst syllable being almost silent)—“Brass.”
unwadaʻli—store-house, provision house.
Unwada-tsuʻgilasunʻ—“Where thestorehouse (unwadaʻli) was taken off.” Either Black Rock orJones' Knob, northeast of Webster, on the east line of Jackson county,N. C.
ununʻti—milk.
usdiʻga (abbreviated usdiʻ)—small;plural tsunsdiʻga, tsundiʻ.
usgaʻseʻtiʻyu—very dangerous, veryterrible; intensive of usgaʻseʻti.
Uskwaleʻna—“Big-Head,” fromuskaʻ, head; a masculine name, perhaps the original of the“Bull-head,” given by Haywood as the name of a former notedCherokee warrior.
Uskwaʻli-guʻta—“His stomach hangsdown,” from uskwaʻli, his stomach, and guʻta, “ithangs down.” A prominent chief of the Revolutionary period, knownto the whites as Hanging-maw.
Uʻstanaʻli (from Uʻstanalaʻhi oruniʻstanaʻla (a plural form), denoting a natural barrier ofrocks [276](plural) across a stream)—a name occurringin several places in the old Cherokee country, and variously spelledEastinaulee, Eastinora, Estanaula, Eustenaree, Istanare, Oostanaula,Oostinawley, Ustenary, etc.
uʻstuti—see utsuʻgi.
Ustuʻtli—a traditional dangerous serpent. Thename signifies having something on the calf of the leg or on the heel,from ustutunʻi “(his) calf of the leg(attached).” It is applied also to the Southernhoop-snake.
Usunhiʻyi—the “Darkening land,”“where it is always getting dark,” as at twilight. The nameused for the west in the myths and the sacred formulas; the common wordis wudeʻligunʻyi, “there where it (the sun) goesdown.”
uʻtanu—great, fully developed. Cf.eʻgwa.
utawaʻhilu—“hand breadth,” fromuwaʻyi, hand. A figurative term used in the myths and sacredformulas.
Uʻtawagunʻta—“Bald place.” Ahigh bald peak in the Great Smoky range on the Tenn.-N. C. line,northeast from Big Pigeon river.
Uʻtlunʻta—“He (or she) has itsharp,” i. e., has some sharp part or organ; it might be used ofa tooth, a finger-nail, or some other attached part of the body.
Uʻtluntunʻyi—“Uʻtlunʻtaplace”; see Uʻtlunʻta. A place on Little Tennesseeriver, nearly off Citico creek, in Blount county, Tenn.
Uʻtsala—“Lichen”; another form ofutsaleʻta. A Cherokee chief of Removal period in 1838.
utsaleʻta—lichen, literally “potscrapings,” from a fancied resemblance. [277]
utsaʻnatiʻ—rattlesnake; the name is ofdoubtful etymology, but is said to refer to the rattle.
Utsaʻnatiʻyi—“Rattlesnakeplace.” Rattlesnake springs, about two miles south fromCharlestown, Bradley county, Tenn.
utsetʻsti—“he grins”(habitually). See siʻkwa utsetʻsti.
utsiʻ—her (his) mother; etsiʻ,agitsiʻ, my mother.
Utsiʻdsataʻ—“Corn-tassel,”“Thistle-head,” etc. It is used as a masculine name, andwas probably the Cherokee name of the chief of Revolutionary times,known as “Old Tassel.”
utsuʻgi—the tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor); also called uʻstutiʻ, “topnot,or tip,” on account of its crest.
uʻtsutiʻ—fish. Also, many.
Uwagaʻhi (commonly writtenOcoee)—“Apricot place,” from uwaʻga, the“apricot vines,” or “maypop,” (Passiflora incarnata), and hi, locative. A former importantsettlement on Ocowe river, near its junction with Hiwassee, about thepresent Benton, in Polk county, Tenn.
uwaʻyi—hand, paw, generally used with thepossessive suffix, as uwayeʻni, “his hand.”
uweʻla—liver.
uweʻnahi—rich; used also as a personalname.
Uwʻtsunʻta—“Bouncer”(habitual); from kʻtsi, “it is bouncing.” Atraditional serpent described as moving by jerks like a measuring worm,to which also the name is applied.
Uyahyeʻ—a high peak in the Great Smoky range,probably on the line between Swain county, N. C., and Sevier county,Tenn.
Uyʻgilaʻgi—abbreviated fromTsuyuʻgilaʻgi, “where there are dams,” i. e.,beaver dams; from guʻgiluʻunskuʻ, “he is dammingit.” 1. A former settlement on [278]Oothcaloga(Ougillogy) creek of Oostanaula river, near the present Calhoun, inGordon county, Ga.; 2. Beaverdam creek, west of Clarksville, inHabbersham county, Ga.
Valleytown—see Guʻnahitunʻyi.
Vengeance creek—see Gansaʻtiʻyi.
Wachesa—see Watsiʻsu.
wadanʻ—thanks!
waʻdi—paint, especially red paint.
waʻdige-askaʻli—“his head (is)brown,” i. e., “brown-head”; from wadigeʻi,brown, brown-red, and askaʻli, head; the copperhead snake.
Wadiʻyahi—a feminine name of doubtfuletymology. An expert basket-making woman among the East Cherokee, whodied in 1895. She was known to the whites as Mrs. Bushyhead.
Wafford—see Tsuskwanunʻta.
Waʻginsi—the name of an eddy at the junction ofLittle Tennessee and the main Tennessee rivers at Lenoir, in Londoncounty, Tenn. The town is now known to the Cherokee by the same name,of which the meaning is lost.
waguliʻ—whippoorwill; the name is anonomatope; the Delaware name is wekolis.
Wahnenauhi—see Waniʻnahi.
waʻhuhuʻ—the screech-owl.
waʻka—cow; from the Spanish vaca, as is alsothe Creek waga and the Arapaho wakuch.
walaʻsi—the common green frog.
Walasiʻyi—“Frog place.” 1. Aformer settlement, known to the whites as Frogtown, upon the creek ofthe same name, north of Dahlonega, in Lumpkin [279]county, Ga. 2. Le Conte and Bullhead Mountainsin the Great Smoky range on the N. C.-Tenn. line, together with theridge extending into Sevier county, Tenn., between the Middle and Westforks of Little Pigeon river.
walasʻ-unulʻsti—“it fightsfrogs,” from walaʻsi, frog, and unulʻsti, “itfights” (habitually); guʻlihuʻ, “I amfighting.” The Prosartes lanuginosa plant.
Walasʻ-unulstiyiʻ—“Place of theplant,” walasʻ-unulʻsti, commonly known to the whitesas Fightingtown, from a translation of the latter part of a name; aformer settlement on Fighting creek, near Morgantown, in Fannin county,Ga.
Waliniʻ—a feminine name, compounded fromWali, another form of Kwali, “Polly,” with a suffix addedfor euphony.
Waneʻ-asunʻtlunyi—“Hickory footlogplace,” from waneʻi, hickory, asun-tlunʻi (q. v.),footlog, bridge, and yi, locative. A former settlement, known to thewhites as Hickory-log, on Etowah river, a short distance above Canton,in Cherokee county, Ga.
Waniʻnahiʻ—a feminine name of uncertainetymology; the Wahnenauhi of the Wahnenauhi manuscript.
Washington—see Waʻsituʻna.
Waʻsi—the Cherokee form for Moses.
Waʻsituʻna, Waʻsuntuʻna (differentdialect forms)—a Cherokee known to the whites as Washington, thesole survivor of a Removal tragedy. The name denotes a hollow log (orother cylindrical object) lying on the ground at a distance; the rootof the word is asiʻta, log, and the w prefix indicatesdistance.
Waʻsuluʻ—a large red-brown moth whichflies about blossoming tobacco in the evening. [280]
Wataʻgi (commonly written Watauga, also Wataga,Wattoogee, Whatoga, etc.)—a name occurring in two or more townsin the old Cherokee country; one was an important settlement on Wataugacreek of Little Tennessee river, a few miles below Franklin, in Maconcounty, N. C.; another was traditionally located at Watauga Old Fields,about the present Elizabethton on Wateuga river, in Carter county,Tenn. The meaning is lost.
Watauʻga—see Wataʻgi.
Watsiʻsa—a prominent old Cherokee, known tothe whites as Wachesa, a name which cannot be translated, who formerlylived on Beaverdam creek of Hiwassee river, below Murphy, in Cherokeecounty, N. C. From the fact that the Unicoi turnpike passed near hisplace, it was locally known as Wachesa trail.
waʻya—wolf; an onomatope, an imitation of theanimal’s howl; cf. the Creek name, yaha.
Waʻyaʻhi—“Wolf place,” i.e., place of the Wolf clan; the form AniʻWaʻyaʻhi is notused. Wolftown settlement on upper Soco creek, on the East Cherokeereservation, in Jackson county, N. C.
Waya Gap—see Aʻtahiʻta.
Wayeh—see Wayi.
Wayi—“Pigeon”; the modern Cherokeename for Big Pigeon river, in western N. C.; probably a translation ofthe English name. It appears also as Wayeh.
Welch, Lloyd—see Daʻsiʻgiyaʻgi.
wesa—cat.
White-path—see Nunnaʻhi-tsuneʻga.
Willstown—a former important settlement, so-calledfrom the half-breed chief known to the whites as Red-headed Will, onWill’s creek below Fort [281]Payne, in Dekalb county, Ala.The settlement was frequently called from him Wiliʻyi,“Will’s place,” but this was not the proper localname.
Wilsiniʻ—The Cherokee name for H. W. Spray,agent and superintendent for the East Cherokee reservation; anadaptation of his middle name, Wilson.
Wil-usdiʻ—“Little Will,” fromWiliʻ, Will and usdiʻga or usdiʻ, little. The Cherokeename for Colonel W. H. Thomas, for many years the recognized chief ofthe eastern band.
Wissactaw—see gahawiʻstia.
Wolftown—see Waʻyaʻhi.
Wootassite—see Outacity.
Wrosetasatow—see Outacity.
Wudeʻligunʻyi—the west; literally“there where it (the sun) goes down,” (w prefixed impliesdistance, yi, locative). See also Usunhiʻyi andwusuhihunʻyi.
Wuligaʻnatutun—excelling all others, eithergood or bad; it may be used as equivalent to wastun, “beyond thelimit.”
wusuhihunʻyi—“there where they stayover night,” i. e., “the west.” An archaic term usedby the narrator of the story of Untsaiyiʻ.
Xuala—see Ani-Suwaʻli.
ya—a suffix denoting principal or real, astsiskwaʻya, “principal bird,” the sparrow;Aniʻ-Yunwiyaʻ, “principal or real people,”Indians.
Yahulaʻli—“Yahuʻla place,”from Yuhuʻla, a Cherokee trader said to have been taken by thespirit people; Yahuʻla, seems to be from the Creek yohoʻlo, aname having reference to the song (yoholo), used in the “blackdrink” ceremony of the Creeks; thus [282]aʻsi-yohoʻlo, corrupted into Osceola,signified “the black drink song”; it may, however, be atrue Cherokee word, yahuʻlu or yahuʻli, the name for avariety of hickory, also for the “doodle-bug”;Unyahuʻla is a feminine name, but cannot be translated. Yahoolacreek, near Dahlonega, in Lumpkin county, Ga.
Yalaʻgi—Alarka creek of Little Tennesseeriver, above the junction of Tuckasegee, in Swain county, N. C.; themeaning of the name is lost.
yandaskaʻga—a faultfinder.
Yan-eʻgwa—“Big-Bear,” from yanu,bear, and egwa, great, large. A prominent chief about the year 1800;the name occurs in treaties as Yonah, Yohanaqua and Yonahequah.
yaʻnu—bear.
Yaʻnu-dinehunʻyi—“where the bearslive,” from yanu, bear, dinehuʻ, “they dwell”(eʻhu, “I dwell, I live”) and yi, locative. A place onOconaluftee river, a short distance above the junction with Tuckasegee,in Swain county, N. C.
Yanugunʻski—“the bear drowns him”(habitually), from yanu, bear, and tsigunʻiskaʻ, “I amdrowning him.” A noted East Cherokee chief, known to the whitesas Yonaguska or Drowning-bear.
yanʻ-utseʻstu—“The bear lies onit”; the shield fern (Aspidium).
Yaʻnu-uʻnatawastiʻyi—“wherethe bears wash,” (from yanu, bear, and yi, locative); a formerpond in the Great Smoky Mountains, about the head of Raven Fork, inSwain county, N. C.
Yawaʻi—“Yawa place”; a place onYellow creek of Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.
Yellow-Hill—see Elawaʻdiyi. [283]
Yohanaqua—see Yan-eʻgwa.
yoho-o!—an unmeaning song refrain.
Yonaguska—see Yaʻnugunʻski.
Yonah—1. (mountain) see Gadaluʻlu. 2. Anabbreviated treaty form for the name of the chief Yanaʻgwa.
Yonahequah—see Yan-eʻgwa.
Ytaua, Ytava—see Iʻtawaʻ.
Yu!—an unmeaning song refrain andinterjection.
Yuhaʻli—Euharlee creek, of lower Etowahriver, in Bartow county, Ga. The name is said by the Cherokee to be acorruption of Yufala (Eufaula), a well known Creek local name.
yunsuʻ—buffalo; cf. Creek yenaʻsa,Choctaw yanash, Hichitee yaʻnasi.
Yunsaʻi—“Buffalo place”; WestBuffalo creek of Cheowa river in Graham county, N. C.; the site of aformer Cherokee settlement.
yunʻwi—person, man.
YunʻwiAmaʻyineʻhi—“Water-dwelling people,” fromyunʻwi, person, and amaʻyineʻhi, plural ofamayeʻhi, q. v.; a race of water fairies.
Yunʻwi Gunahiʻta—“Long Man”;a formulistic name for the river, personified as a man with his headresting on the mountain and his feet stretching down to the lowlands,who is constantly speaking to those who can understand the message.
Yunʻwiniʻgisgi—“man-eaters,”literally, “They eat people” (habitually), fromyunʻwi, person, man, and uni, giski, “they eat”(habitually), from tsikiuʻ, “I am eating”; theCherokee name for a distant cannibal tribe, possibly the Atakapa or theTonkawa. [284]
Yunʻwi-tsulenunʻyi—“where manstood,” originally yunʻwi-dikatagunʻyi, “wherethe man stands,” from yunʻwi, person, man, tsitaʻga,“I am standing,” and yi, locative; Standing Indian, a highbald mountain at the head of Nantahala river, in Macon county, N.C.
Yunʻwi Tsunsdiʻ—“littlepeople,” from yunʻwi, person, people, and tsunsdiʻga ortsunsdi, plural of usdiʻga or usdiʻ, little; the Cherokeefairies.
Yunʻwi Usdiʻ—“little man.” Aformulistic name for ginseng, aʻtali-guliʻ, q. v.
Yunʻwi-usgaʻseʻti—“dangerousman, terrible man”; a traditional leader in the westwardmigration of Cherokee.
Yunʻwiyaʻ—“Indian,”literally, “principal or real person,” from yunʻwi,person, and ya, a suffix denoting principal or real.
yuʻwe-yuweheʻ—an unmeaning songrefrain.
High Falls, Buck Forest, N. C.
“And it bounds full many a fathom
In its final furious fall.”
Melrose Falls, Tryon, N. C.
“Plunges down deep in the gulches
Where the rocks are worn with age.”