Several Creek words possess a striking resemblance with words of equal
or related signification, pertaining to other languages. Some of them
are undoubtedly borrowed, while others may rest on a fortuitous
resemblance. A few of them were pointed out by H. Hale, in _Amer.
Antiquarian_ V, 120. I consider as being borrowed from Cheroki:
Cr. átasi _war-club_, in Cher. atsá, at'sá; occurs in the Cher.
war-name: At'sá utégi _the one throwing away the war-club_.
It contains the idea of being bent, crooked; inatá atassíni
_the snake is crawling_.
Cr. tchū′ska, _post-oak_, H. tchíski; Cher. _tchuskó_.
Cr. yĕnása, Cha'hta yánash _bison, buffalo_; Cher. yánasa.
The Creek sulitáwa _soldier_ and the Cha'hta shulush _shoe_ were
borrowed from the French terms _soldat_ and _soulier_ (from Lat.
subtalare).
Alike in Creek and Cheroki, but of uncertain provenience are tsúla,
tchúla _fox_, in Yuchi sátchoni; hía, i-a _this, this one_ (pron.
dem.). Compare also Cr. níni _road, trail_ with Cher. naⁿnóhi,
nä-ĕnóhi _road_. The Cr. words tíwa _hair, scalp_, and wáhu _winged
elm_ are said to be borrowed from foreign languages. It will be
noticed, that names of plants, and especially of animals hunted by man
often spread over several contiguous linguistic areas.
The Maskoki dialects, it must be acknowledged, have remained
remarkably free from foreign admixture.