GLOSSARY OF CHEROKEE WORDS

The Cherokee language has the continental vowel sounds a, e, i, and

u, but lacks o, which is replaced by a deep â. The obscure or short

û is frequently nasalized, but the nasal sound is seldom heard at

the end of a word. The only labial is m, which occurs in probably

not more than half a dozen words in the Upper and Middle dialects,

and is entirely absent from the Lower dialect, in which w takes its

place. The characteristic l of the Upper and Middle dialects becomes

r in the Lower, but no dialect has both sounds. There is also an

aspirated l; k and t have the ordinary sounds of these letters,

but g and d are medials, approximating the sounds of k and t,

respectively. A frequent double consonant is ts, commonly rendered

ch by the old traders (see p. 188, "Dialects").

a as in far.

a as in what, or obscure as in showman.

â as in law, all.

d medial (semisonant), approximating t.

e as in they.

e as in net.

g medial (semisonant), approximating k.

h as in hat.

i as in pique.

i as in pick.

k as in kick.

l as in lull.

`l surd l (sometimes written hl), nearly the Welsh ll.

m as in man.

n as in not.

r takes place of l in Lower dialect.

s as in sin.

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, sometimes indicating the omission

of a vowel.

A number of English words, with cross references, have been introduced

into the glossary, and these, together with corrupted Cherokee forms,

are indicated by small capitals.

adâ'lanûñ'sti--a staff or cane.

adan'ta--soul.

ada'wehi--a magician or supernatural being.

ada'wehi'yu--a very great magician; intensive form of ada'wehi.

â'gana--groundhog.

Â'ganstâ'ta--"Groundhog-sausage," from â'gana, groundhog, and tsistâ'û,

"I am pounding it," understood to refer to pounding meat, etc.,

in a mortar, after having first crisped it before the fire. A war

chief noted in the Cherokee war of 1760, and prominent until about

the close of the Revolution; known to the whites as Oconostota. Also

the Cherokee name for Colonel Gideon Morgan of the war of 1812, for

Washington Morgan, his son, of the Civil war, and now for a full-blood

upon the reservation, known to the whites as Morgan Calhoun.

Â'gan-uni'tsi--"Groundhogs'-mother," from â'gana and uni'tsi, their

mother, plural of utsi', his mother (etsi', agiti', my mother). The

Cherokee name of a Shawano captive, who, according to tradition,

killed the great Uktena serpent and procured the Ulûñsû'ti.

Agawe'la--"Old Woman," a formulistic name for corn or the spirit

of corn.

agayûñ'li--for agayûñ'lige, old, ancient.

agidâ'ta--see edâ'ta.

agidu'tu--see edu'tu.

Agi`li--"He is rising," possibly a contraction of an old personal name,

Agin'-agi`li, "Rising-fawn." Major George Lowrey, cousin of Sequoya,

and assistant chief of the Cherokee Nation about 1840. Stanley

incorrectly makes it "Keeth-la, or Dog" (for gi`li'.)

agini'si--see eni'si.

agi'si--female, applied usually to quadrupeds.

Agis'-e'gwa--"Great Female," possibly "Great Doe." A being, probably

an animal god, invoked in the sacred formulas.

agitsi'--see etsi'.

Agitsta`ti'yi--"Where they stayed up all night," from tsigitsûñ'tihû',

"I stay up all night." A place in the Great Smoky range about the

head of Noland creek, in Swain county, North Carolina. See notes to

number 100.

Aguaquiri--see Guaquili.

Ahalu'na--"Ambush," Ahalunûñ'yi, "Ambush place," or Uni'halu'na,

"Where they ambushed," from akalu'ga, "I am watching". Soco gap,

at the head of Soco creek, on the line between Swain and Haywood

counties, North Carolina (see number 122). The name is also applied

to a lookout station for deer hunters.

ahanu'lahi--"he is bearded," from ahanu'lahû, a beard.

Ahu'lude'gi--"He throws away the drum" (habitual), from ahu'li, drum,

and akwade'gû, "I am throwing it away" (round object). The Cherokee

name of John Jolly, a noted chief and adopted father of Samuel Houston,

about 1800.

ahyeli'ski--a mocker or mimic.

akta'--eye; plural, dikta'.

akta'ti--a telescope or field glass. The name denotes something with

which to examine or look into closely, from akta', eye.

akwandu'li--a song form for akwidu'li(-hû, "I want it."

Akwan`ki--see Anakwan`ki.

Akwe`ti'yi--a location on Tuckasegee river, in Jackson county, North

Carolina; the meaning of the name is lost. See number 122.

Alarka--see Yalâgi.

âliga'--the red-horse fish (Moxostoma).

Alkini'--the last woman known to be of Natchez descent and peculiarity

among the East Cherokee; died about 1890. The name has no apparent

meaning.

ama'--water; in the Lower dialect, awa'; cf. a'ma, salt.

amaye'hi--"dwelling in the water," from ama' (ama'yi, "in the water")

and ehû', "I dwell," "I live."

Amaye`l-e'gwa--"Great island," from amaye`li, island (from ama',

water, and aye`li, "in the middle") and e'gwa, great. A former Cherokee

settlement on Little Tennessee river, at Big island, a short distance

below the mouth of Tellico, in Monroe county, Tennessee. Timberlake

writes it Mialaquo, while Bartram spells it Nilaque. Not to be

confounded with Long-island town below Chattanooga.

Amaye`li-gûnahi'ta--"Long island," from amaye`li, island, and

gûnahi'ta, long. A former Cherokee settlement, known to the whites

as Long Island town, at the Long island in Tennessee river, on

the Tennessee-Georgia line. It was one of the Chickamauga towns

(see Tsikama'gi).

ama'yine'hi--"dwellers in the water," plural of amaye'hi.

Anada'dûñtaski--"Roasters," i. e., Cannibals; from gûñ'taskû',

"I am putting it (round) into the fire to roast." The regular word

for cannibals is Yûñ'wini'giski, q. v. See number 3.

anagâhûñ'ûñskû'--the Green-corn dance; literally, "they are having a

Green-corn dance"; anagâhûñ'ûñsgûñ'yi, "where they are having the

Green-corn dance"; the popular name is not a translation of the

Cherokee word, which has no reference either to corn or dancing.

Anakwan`ki--the Delaware Indians; singular Akwan`ki, a Cherokee

attempt at Wapanaqki, "Easterners," the Algonquian name by which,

in various corrupted forms, the Delawares are commonly known to the

western tribes.

Anantooeah--see Ani'-Nûn'dawe'gi.

a`ne'tsâ, or a`netsâ'gi--the ballplay.

a`netsâ'ûñski--a ballplayer; literally, "a lover of the ballplay."

ani'--a tribal and animate prefix.

ani'da'wehi--plural of ada'wehi.

a'niganti'ski--see dagan`tû.

Ani'-Gatage'wi--one of the seven Cherokee clans; the name has now

no meaning, but has been absurdly rendered "Blind savanna," from an

incorrect idea that it is derived from igâ'ti, a swamp or savanna,

and dige'wi, blind.

Ani'-Gilâ'hi--"Long-haired people," one of the seven Cherokee clans;

singular, Agilâ'hi. The word comes from agilâ'hi (perhaps connected

with agi`lge-ni, "the back of (his) neck"), an archaic term denoting

wearing the hair long or flowing loosely, and usually recognized as

applying more particularly to a woman.

Ani'-Gili'--a problematic tribe, possibly the Congaree. See page

381. The name is not connected with gi`li, dog.

Ani'-Gusa--see Ani'-Ku'sa.

a'nigwa--soon after; dine'tlana a'nigwa, "soon after the creation."

Ani'-Hyûñ'tikwalâ'ski--"The Thunderers," i. e., thunder, which

in Cherokee belief, is controlled and caused by a family of

supernaturals. The word has reference to making a rolling sound;

cf. tikwale'lu, a wheel, hence a wagon; ama'-tikwalelûñyi, "rolling

water place," applied to a cascade where the water falls along

the surface of the rock; ahyûñ'tikwalâ'stihû', "it is thundering,"

applied to the roar of a railroad train or waterfall.

Ani'-Kawi'--"Deer people," one of the seven Cherokee clans; the

regular form for deer is a`wi'.

Ani'-Kawi'ta--The Lower Creeks, from Kawi'ta or Coweta, their former

principal town on Chattahoochee river near the present Columbus,

Georgia; the Upper Creeks on the head streams of Alabama river were

distinguished as Ani'-Ku'sa (q. v.) A small creek of Little Tennessee

river above Franklin, in Macon county, North Carolina, is now known

as Coweeta creek.

Ani'-Kitu'hwagi--"Kitu'hwa people," from Kitu'hwa (q. v.), an ancient

Cherokee settlement; for explanation see page 182.

Ani'-Ku'sa or Ani'-Gu'sa,--The Creek Indians, particularly the Upper

Creeks on the waters of Alabama river; singular, A-Ku'sa, from Kusa

or Coosa (Spanish, Coça, Cossa) their principal ancient town.

Ani'-Kuta'ni (also Ani'-Kwata'-ni, or, incorrectly, Nicotani)--a

traditional Cherokee priestly society or clan, exterminated in a

popular uprising. See number 108.

aninâ'hilidâhi--"creatures that fly about," from tsinai'li, "I am

flying," tsinâ'iladâ'hû, "I am flying about." The generic term for

birds and flying insects.

Ani'-Na`tsi--abbreviated Anintsi, singular A-Na`tsi. The Natchez

Indians; from coincidence with na`tsi, pine, the name has been

incorrectly rendered "Pine Indians," whereas it is really a Cherokee

plural of the proper name of the Natchez.

Anin'tsi--see Ani'-Na`tsi.

Ani'-Nûn'dawe'gi--singular, Nûn'dawe'gi; the Iroquois, more

particularly the Seneca, from Nûndawao, the name by which the Seneca

call themselves. Adair spells it Anantooeah. The tribe was also known

as Ani'-Se'nika.

Ani'-Sahâ'ni--one of the seven Cherokee clans; possibly an archaic

form for "Blue people," from sa`ka'ni, sa`ka'nige'i, blue.

Ani'-Sa'ni, Ani'-Sawahâ'ni--see Ani'-Sawanu'gi.

Ani'-Sawanu'gi (singular Sawanu'gi)--the Shawano Indians. Ani'-Sa'ni

and Ani'-Sawahâ'ni (see page 380) may be the same.

Ani'-Se'nika.--see Ani'-Nûndawe'gi.

anisga'ya--plural of asga'ya, man.

Anisga'ya Tsunsdi'(-ga)--"The Little Men"; the Thunder Boys in Cherokee

mythology. See numbers 3 and 8.

Ani'sgaya'yi--"Men town" (?), a traditional Cherokee settlement on

Valley river, in Cherokee county, North Carolina.

anisgi'na--plural of asgi'na, q. v.

Ani'-Skalâ'li--the Tuscarora Indians; singular, Skalâ'li or A-Skalâ'i.

Ani'skwa'ni--Spaniards; singular, Askwa'ni.

Ani'-Suwa'li, or Ani-'Suwa'la--the Suala, Sara, or Cheraw Indians,

formerly about the headwaters of Broad river, North Carolina, the

Xuala province of the De Soto chronicle, and Joara or Juada of the

later Pardo narrative.

Ani'ta'gwa--the Catawba Indians; singular, Ata'gwa, or Tagwa.

Ani'-Tsâ'gûhi--a traditional Cherokee clan, transformed to bears

(see number 75). Swimmer's daughter bears the name Tsâgûhi, which is

not recognized as distinctively belonging to either sex.

Ani'-Tsa'lagi'--the Cherokee. See "Tribal Synonymy," page 182.

Ani'-Tsa`ta--the Choctaw Indians; singular, Tsa`ta.

Ani'-Tsi'ksû--the Chickasaw Indians; singular, Tsi'ksû.

Ani'-Tsi'skwa--"Bird people;" one of the seven Cherokee clans.

Ani'tsu'tsa--"The Boys," from atsu'tsa, boy; the Pleiades. See

number 10.

Ani'-Wâ'di--"Paint people"; one of the seven Cherokee clans.

Ani'-Wâdihi'--"Place of the Paint people or clan"; Paint town, a

Cherokee settlement on lower Soco creek, within the reservation in

Jackson and Swain counties, North Carolina. It takes its name from

the Ani'-Wâ'di or Paint clan.

ani'wani'ski--the bugle weed, Lycopus virginicus; literally, "they

talk" or "talkers," from tsiwa'nihû, "I am talking," awani'ski,

"he talks habitually." See number 26.

Ani'-Wasa'si--the Osage Indians; singular, Wasa'si.

Ani'-Wa'`ya--"Wolf people"; the most important of the seven Cherokee

clans.

Ani'-Yu'tsi--the Yuchi or Uchee Indians; singular Yu'tsi.

Ani'-Yûñ'wiya'--Indians, particularly Cherokee Indians; literally

"principal or real people," from yûñwi, person, ya, a suffix implying

principal or real, and ani', the tribal prefix. See pages 5 and 182.

Annie Ax--see Sadayi'.

Aquone--a post-office on Nantahala river, in Macon county, North

Carolina, site of the former Fort Scott. Probably a corruption of

egwâni, river.

Arch, John--see Atsi.

asâ'gwalihû'--a pack or burden; asâ'gwal`lû' or asâ'gwi`li, "there

is a pack on him." Cf sâ'gwali'.

asehi'--surely.

Ase'nika--singular of Ani'-Se'nika. See Ani'-Nûndawe'gi.

asga'ya--man.

Asga'ya Gi'gagei--the "Red Man"; the Lightning spirit.

asgi'na--a ghost, either human or animal; from the fact that ghosts

are commonly supposed to be malevolent, the name is frequently rendered

"devil."

Asheville--see Kâsdu'yi and Unta'kiyasti'yi.

âsi--the sweat lodge and occasional winter sleeping apartment of the

Cherokee and other southern tribes. It was a low-built structure of

logs covered with earth, and from its closeness and the fire usually

kept smoldering within was known to the old traders as the "hot house."

â'siyu' (abbreviated siyu')--good; the common Cherokee salute;

gâ'siyu', "I am good"; hâ'siyu', "thou art good"; â'siyu, "he (it)

is good"; âstû, "very good" (intensive).

Askwa'ni--a Spaniard. See Ani'skwa'ni.

âstû'--very good; âstû tsiki', very good, best of all. Cf â'siyu'.

Astu'gatâ'ga--A Cherokee lieutenant in the Confederate service,

killed in 1862. See page 170. The name may be rendered, "Standing in

the doorway" but implies that the man himself is the door or shutter;

it has no first person; gatâ'ga, "he is standing"; stu`ti, a door

or shutter; stuhû', a closed door or passage; stugi'sti, a key,

i. e. something with which to open a door.

asûñ'tli, asûñtlûñ'yi--a footlog or bridge; literally, "log lying

across," from asi'ta, log.

ata'--wood; ata'ya, "principal wood," i. e. oak; cf. Muscogee iti,

wood.

Atagâ'hi--"Gall place," from a'tagû', gall, and hi, locative; a

mythic lake in the Great Smoky mountains. See number 69. The name is

also applied to that part of the Great Smoky range centering about

Thunderhead mountain and Miry ridge, near the boundary between Swain

county, North Carolina, and Blount county, Tennessee.

a'tagû'--gall.

Ata'-gûl`kalû'--a noted Cherokee chief, recognized by the British

government as the head chief or "emperor" of the Nation, about 1760 and

later, and commonly known to the whites as the Little Carpenter (Little

Cornplanter, by mistake, in Haywood). The name is frequently spelled

Atta-kulla-kulla, Ata-kullakulla or Ata-culculla. It may be rendered

"Leaning-wood," from ata', "wood" and gûl`kalû, a verb implying that

something long is leaning, without sufficient support, against some

other object; it has no first person form. Bartram describes him as

"a man of remarkably small stature, slender and of a delicate frame,

the only instance I saw in the Nation; but he is a man of superior

abilities."

Ata'gwa--a Catawba Indian. See Ani'la'gwa.

A`tâhi'ta--abbreviated from A`tâhitûñ'yi, "Place where they shouted,"

from gatâ'hiû', "I shout," and yi, locative. Waya gap, on the ridge

west of Franklin, Macon county, North. Carolina. See number 13. The

map name is probably from the Cherokee wa`ya, wolf.

Ata-kullakulla--see Ata'-gûl`kalû'.

â'tali--mountain; in the Lower dialect â'tari, whence the "Ottare" or

Upper Cherokee of Adair. The form â'tali is used only in composition;

a mountain in situ is âtalûñyi or gatu'si.

â'tali-gûli'--"it climbs the mountain," i. e., "mountain-climber";

the ginseng plant, Ginseng quinquefolium; from â'tali, mountain,

and gûli', "it climbs" (habitually); tsilahi' or tsili', "I am

climbing." Also called in the sacred formulas, Yûñ'wi Usdi', "Little

Man." See number 126.

a'talulû--unfinished, premature, unsuccessful; whence utalu'li,

"it is not yet time."

Ata'lûñti'ski--a chief of the Arkansas Cherokee about 1818, who

had originally emigrated from Tennessee. The name, commonly spelled

Tollunteeskee, Taluntiski, Tallotiskee, Tallotuskee, etc., denotes

one who throws some living object from a place, as an enemy from a

precipice. See number 100 for instance.

â'tari--see â'tali.

atasi' (or atasû', in a dialectic form)--a war club.

atatsûñ'ski--stinging; literally, "he stings" (habitually).

A`tla'nuwa'--"Tla'nuwa hole"; the Cherokee name of Chattanooga,

Tennessee, (see Tsatanu'gi) originally applied to a bluff on the

south side of the Tennessee river at the foot of the present Market

street. See number 124.

A'tsi--the Cherokee name of John Arch, one of the earliest native

writers in the Sequoya characters. The word is simply an attempt at

the English name Arch.

atsi'la--fire; in the Lower dialect, atsi'ra.

Atsil'-dihye'gi--"Fire Carrier"; apparently the Cherokee name

for the will-of-the-wisp. See page 335. As is usually the case in

Cherokee compounds, the verbal form is plural ("it carries fires");

the singular form is ahye'gi.

atsil'-sûñ`ti (abbreviated tsil'-sûñ`ti)--fleabane (Erigeron

canadense); the name signifies "material with which to make fire,"

from atsi'la, fire, and gasûñ`ti, (gatsûñ`ti or gatlûñ`ti), material

with which to make something; from gasûñ'skû (or gatlûñ'skû),

"I make it." The plant is also called ihyâ'ga. See number 126.

Atsil'-tlûñtû'tsi--"Fire panther." A meteor or comet. See notes to

number 9.

Atsi'la-wa'i--"Fire ----"; a mountain, sometimes known as Rattlesnake

knob, about two miles northeast of Cherokee, Swain county, North

Carolina. See number 122.

a'tsina'--cedar; cf. Muscogee, achena or auchenau.

A'tsina'-k`ta'ûñ--"Hanging cedar place"; from a'tsina', cedar, and

k`taûñ, "where it (long) hangs down"; a Cherokee name for the old

Taskigi town on Little Tennessee river in Monroe county, Tennessee. See

number 105.

atsi'ra--see atsi'la.

Atsûñ'sta`ti'yi (abbreviated Atsûñ'sta`ti')--"Fire-light place,"

(cf. atsil-sûñ'`ti), referring to the "fire-hunting" method of killing

deer in the river at night. The proper form for Chestatee river,

near Dahlonega, in Lumpkin county, Georgia.

Attakullakulla--see Ata-gûl`kalû'.

awa'--see ama'.

awâ'hili--eagle; particularly Aquila chrysætus, distinguished as the

"pretty-feathered eagle."

a`wi'--deer; also sometimes written and pronounced, ahawi'; the name

is sometimes applied to the large horned beetle, the "flying stag"

of early writers.

a`wi'-ahanu'lahi--goat; literally, "bearded deer."

a`wi'-akta'--"deer eye"; the Rudbeckia or black-eyed Susan.

a`wi'-ahyeli'ski--"deer mocker"; the deer bleat, a sort of whistle

used by hunters to call the doe by imitating the cry of the fawn.

a`wi'-e'gwa (abbreviated a`w-e'gwa)--the elk, literally "great deer."

a`wi'-unade'na--sheep; literally "woolly deer."

A`wi' Usdi'--"Little Deer"; the mythic chief of the Deer tribe. See

number 15.

Ax, Annie--see Sadayi'.

Ax, John--see Itagû'nahi.

Ayâ'sta--"The Spoiler," from tsiyâ'stihû, "I spoil it"; cf. uyâ'i,

bad. A prominent woman and informant on the East Cherokee reservation.

aye`li--half, middle, in the middle.

Ayrate--see e'ladi'.

Ayuhwa'si--the proper form of the name commonly written Hiwassee. It

signifies a savanna or meadow and was applied to two (or more) former

Cherokee settlements. The more important, commonly distinguished

as Ayuhwa'si Egwâ'hi or Great Hiwassee, was on the north bank of

Hiwassee river at the present Savannah ford above Columbus, in Polk

county, Tennessee. The other was farther up the same river, at the

junction of Peachtree creek, above Murphy, in Cherokee county, North

Carolina. Lanman writes it Owassa.

A`yûñ'ini--"Swimmer"; literally, "he is swimming," from gayûñini',

"I am swimming." A principal priest and informant of the East Cherokee,

died in 1899.

Ayûlsû'--see Dayûlsûñ'yi.

Beaverdam--see Uy'gilâ'gi.

Big-island--see Amaye`l-e'gwa.

Big-cove--see Kâ'lanûñ'yi.

Big-mush--see Gatûñ'wa`li.

Big-witch--see Tskil-e'gwa.

Bird-town--see Tsiskwâ'hi.

Bloody-fellow--see Iskagua.

Blythe--see Diskwa`ni.

Black-fox--see Inâ'li.

Boudinot, Elias--see Galagi'na.

Bowl, The; Bowles, Colonel--see Diwa`li.

Brass--see Ûñtsaiyi'.

Brasstown--see Itse'yi.

Breath, The--see Ûñli'ta.

Briertown--see Kanu'ga`lâ'yi.

Buffalo (creek)--see Yûnsâ'i.

Bull-head--see Uskwale'na.

Butler, John--see Tsan'uga'sita.

Cade's Cove--see Tsiyâ'hi.

Canacaught--"Canacaught, the great Conjurer," mentioned as a Lower

Cherokee chief in 1684; possibly kanegwâ'ti, the water-moccasin

snake. See page 31.

Canaly--see hi'gina'lii.

Canasagua--see Gansâ'gi.

Cannastion, Cannostee--see Kana'sta.

Canuga--see Kanu'ga.

Cartoogaja--see Gatu'gitse'yi.

Cataluchee--see Gadalu'tsi.

Cauchi--a place, apparently in the Cherokee country, visited by Pardo

in 1567 (see page 29). The name may possibly have some connection

with Nacoochee or Nagu`tsi', q. v.

Caunasaita--given as the name of a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684;

possibly for Kanûñsi'ta, "dogwood" (Cornus florida). See page 31.

Chalaque--see Tsa'lagi under "Tribal Synonymy," page 182.

Chattanooga--see Tsatanu'gi.

Chattooga, Chatuga--see Tsatu'gi.

Cheeowhee--see Tsiyâ'hi.

Cheerake--see Tsa'lagi, under "Tribal Synonymy," page 182.

Cheowa--see Tsiyâ'hi.

Cheowa Maximum--see Sehwate'yi.

Cheraqui--see Tsa'lagi, under "Tribal Synonymy," page 182.

Cheraw--see Ani'-Suwa'li.

Cherokee--see Tsa'lagi, under "Tribal Synonymy," page 182; also

Elawâ'diyi.

Chestatee--see Atsûñ'sta`ti'yi.

Chestua--see Tsistu'yi.

Cheucunsene--see Tsi'yu-gûnsi'ni.

Cheulah--mentioned by Timberlake as the chief of Settacoo (Si'tikû)

in 1762. The name may be intended for Tsu`la, "Fox."

Chickamauga--see Tsi'kama'gi.

Chilhowee--see Tsû`lûñ'we.

Chimney Tops--see Duni'skwa`lgûñ'i.

Chisca--mentioned in the De Soto narratives as a mining region in

the Cherokee country. The name may have a connection with Tsi'skwa,

"bird," possibly Tsiskwâ'hi, "Bird place."

Choastea--see Tsistu'yi.

Chopped Oak--see Digalu'yatûñ'yi.

Choquata--see Itsâ'ti.

Chota, Chotte--see Itsâ'ti.

Citico--see Si'tikû'.

Clear-sky--see Iskagua.

Clennuse--see Tlanusi'yi.

Cleveland--see Tsistetsi'yi.

Coça--see Ani'-Ku'sa.

Coco--see Kukû'.

Cohutta--see Gahû'ti.

Colanneh, Colona--see Kâ'lanû.

Conasauga--see Gansâ'gi.

Conneross--see Kawân'-urâ'sûñyi.

Cooweescoowee--see Gu'wisguwi'.

Coosa--see Ani'-Ku'sa and Kusa'.

Coosawatee--see Ku'saweti'yi.

Corani--see Kâ'lanû.

Cossa--see Ani'-Ku'sa, Kusa.

Cowee'--see Kawi'yi.

Coweeta, Coweta--see Ani'-Kawi'ta.

Coyatee (variously spelled Cawatie, Coiatee, Coytee, Coytoy,

Kai-a-tee)--A former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river,

some ten miles below the junction of Tellico, about the present Coytee

post-office in Loudon county, Tennessee. The correct form and etymology

are uncertain.

Creek-path--see Ku'sa-nûñnâ'hi.

Crow-town--see Kâgûñ'yi.

Cuhtahlatah--a Cherokee woman noted in the Wahnenauhi manuscript as

having distinguished herself by bravery in battle. The proper form

may have some connection with gatûñ'lati, "wild hemp."

Cullasagee--see Kûlse'tsi'yi.

Cullowhee, Currahee--see Gûlâhi'yi.

Cuttawa--see Kitu'hwa.

dagan`tû--"he makes it rain"; from aga'ska, "it is raining," aga'na,

"it has begun to rain"; a small variety of lizard whose cry is said

to presage rain. It is also called a'niganti'ski, "they make it rain"

(plural form), or "rain-maker." See number 59.

dagûl`kû--the American white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons

gambeli). The name may be an onomatope. See number 6.

dagû'na--the fresh water mussel; also a variety of face pimples.

Dagûnâ'hi--"Mussel place," from dagû'na, mussel, and hi,

locative. The Muscle shoals on Tennessee river, in northwestern

Alabama. It was sometimes called also simply Tsu`stanalûñ'yi,

"Shoals place." Cf. U`stana'li.

Dagû'nawe'lâhi--"Mussel-liver place," from dagû'na, mussel, uwe'la,

liver, and hi, locative; the Cherokee name for the site of Nashville,

Tennessee. No reason can now be given for the name.

Dahlonega--A town in Lumpkin County, Georgia, near which the first

gold was mined. A mint was established there in 1838. The name is

from the Cherokee dala'nige'i, yellow, whence ate'la-dalâ'nige'i,

"yellow money," i. e., gold.

daksawa'ihû--"he is shedding tears."

dakwa'--a mythic great fish; also the whale. See number 68.

Dakwa'i--"Dakwa place," from a tradition of a dakwa' in the river at

that point. A former Cherokee settlement, known to the traders as Toqua

or Toco, on Little Tennessee river, about the mouth of Toco creek in

Monroe county, Tennessee. See number 68. A similar name and tradition

attaches to a spot on the French Broad river, about six miles above

the Warm springs, in Buncombe county, North Carolina. See number 122.

dakwa'nitlastesti--"I shall have them on my legs for garters"; from

anitla'sti (plural dinitla'sti), garter; d-, initial plural; akwa,

first person particle; and esti, future suffix. See number 77.

da'liksta'--"vomiter," from dagik'stihû', "I am vomiting," daliksta',

"he vomits" (habitually); the form is plural. The spreading adder

(Heterodon), also sometimes called kwandaya'hû, a word of uncertain

etymology.

Da'`nagâsta--for Da'`nawa-gâsta'ya, "Sharp-war," i.e. "Eager-warrior";

a Cherokee woman's name.

Da'`nawa-(a)sa`tsûñ'yi "War ford," from da'`nawa, war, and asa`tsûñ'yi,

a crossing-place or ford. A ford on Cheowa river about three miles

below Robbinsville, in Graham county, North Carolina. See number 122.

Danda'ganû'--"Two looking at each other," from detsi'ganû', "I am

looking at him." A former Cherokee settlement, commonly known as

Lookout Mountain town, on Lookout Mountain creek, near the present

Trenton, Dade county, Georgia. One of the Chickamauga towns (see

Tsi'kama'gi), so called on account of the appearance of the mountains

facing each other across the Tennessee river at Chattanooga.

Da'si`giya'gi--an old masculine personal name, of doubtful etymology,

but commonly rendered by the traders "Shoe-boots," possibly

referring to some peculiar style of moccasin or leggin. A chief

known to the whites as Shoe-boots is mentioned in the Revolutionary

records. Chief Lloyd Welch, of the eastern band, was known in the

tribe as Da'si`giya'gi and the same name is now used by the East

Cherokee as the equivalent of the name Lloyd.

Da'skwitûñ'yi--"Rafters place," from daskwitûñ'i, "rafters," and yi,

locative. A former settlement on Tusquittee creek, near Hayesville,

in Clay county, North Carolina.

dasûñ'tali--ant; dasûñ'tali atatsûñ'ski, "stinging ant," the large

red cow-ant (Myrmica?), also called sometimes, on account of its hard

body-case, nûñ'yunu'wi, "stone-clad," after the fabulous monster. See

number 67.

Datle'yasta'i--"Where they fell down," a point on Tuckasegee river,

a short distance above Webster, in Jackson county, North Carolina. For

tradition see number 122.

dâtsi--a traditional water monster. See number 122.

Dâtsi'yi--"Dâtsi place"; a place on Little Tennessee river, near

the junction of Eagle creek, in Swain county, North Carolina. See

number 122.

Datsu'nalâsgûñ'yi--"where there are tracks or footprints,"

from ulâ'sinûñ'yi or ulâsgûñ'yi, footprint. Track Rock gap, near

Blairsville, Georgia. Also sometimes called De'gayelûñ'ha, "place of

branded marks"; (digaletanûñ'hi, branded, or printed). See number 125.

dâ'yi--beaver.

Dayûlsûñ'yi--"Place where they cried," a spot on the ridge at the

head of Tuckasegee river, in Jackson county, North Carolina; so called

from an old tradition. See number 80.

dâ'yuni'si--"beaver's grandchild," from dâ'yi, beaver, and uni'si,

son's child, of either sex (daughter's child, either sex, uli'si). The

water beetle or mellow bug (Dineutes discolor).

Degal`gûñ'yi--a cairn, literally "Where they are piled up"; a series

of cairns on the south side of Cheowa river, in Graham county, North

Carolina. See number 122.

De'gatâ'ga--The Cherokee name of General Stand Watie and of a

prominent early western chief known to the whites as Takatoka. The

word is derived from tsitâ'ga, "I am standing," da`nitâ'ga, "they are

standing together," and conveys the subtle meaning of two persons

standing together and so closely united in sympathy as to form but

one human body.

De'gayelûñ'ha--see Datsu'nalâsgûñ'yi.

detsanûñ'li--an inclosure or piece of level ground cleared for

ceremonial purposes; applied more particularly to the Green-corn dance

ground. The word has a plural form, but can not be certainly analyzed.

De'tsata--a Cherokee sprite. See number 78.

detsinu'lahûñgû'--"I tried, but failed."

Dida`lâski'yi--"Showering place." In the story (number 17) the name

is understood to mean "The place where it rains fire." It signifies

literally, however, the place where it showers, or comes down, and

lodges upon something animate, and has no definite reference to fire

(atsi'la) or rain (agaska, "it is raining"); dega`lâskû', "they are

showering down and lodging upon him."

Dida'skasti'yi--"Where they were afraid of each other." A spot on

Little Tennessee river, near the mouth of Alarka creek, in Swain

county, North Carolina. See number 122.

diga'gwani'--the mud-hen or didapper (Gallinula galeata). The name

is a plural form and implies "lame," or "crippled in the legs"

(cf. detsi'nigwa'na, "I am kneeling"), probably from the bouncing

motion of the bird when in the water. It is also the name of a dance.

Diga'kati'yi--see Gakati'yi.

di'galûñgûñ'yi--"where it rises, or comes up"; the east. The sacred

term is Nûñdâ'yi, q. v.

digalûñ'latiyûñ--a height, one of a series, from galûn'lati,

"above." See number 1.

Digalu'yatûñ'yi--"Where it is gashed (with hatchets)"; from tsilu'yû,

"I am cutting (with a chopping stroke)," di, plural prefix, and yi,

locative. The Chopped Oak, formerly east of Clarkesville, Georgia. See

number 125.

Digane'ski--"He picks them up" (habitually), from tsine'û, "I am

picking it up." A Cherokee Union soldier in the civil war. See

page 171.

digi'gage'i--the plural of gi'gage'i, red.

digû'lanahi'ta--for digû'li-anahi'ta, "having long ears," "long-eared";

from gûle, "ear" and gûnahi'ta, "long."

Dihyûñ'dula'--"Sheaths," or "Scabbards"; singular ahyûñ'dula',

"a gun sheath," or other scabbard. The probable correct form of a

name which appears in Revolutionary documents as "Untoola, or Gun Rod."

dikta'--plural of akta', eye.

dila'--skunk.

dilsta'ya`ti--"scissors"; the water-spider (Dolomedes).

dinda'skwate'ski--the violet; the name signifies, "they pull each

other's heads off."

dine'tlana--the creation.

di`nûski--"the breeder"; a variety of smilax brier. See number 126.

Disgâ'gisti'yi--"Where they gnaw"; a place on Cheowa river, in Graham

county, North Carolina. See number 122.

diskwa`ni--"chestnut bread," i. e., a variety of bread having chestnuts

mixed with it. The Cherokee name of James Blythe, interpreter and

agency clerk.

distai'yi--"they are strong," plural of astai'yi, "strong, or

tough." The Tephrosia or devil's-shoestring. See number 126.

dista'sti--a mill (generic).

dita'stayeski--"a barber," literally "one who cuts things" (as with a

scissors), from tsista'yû, "I cut," (as with a scissors). The cricket

(tala'tu) is sometimes so called. See number 59.

Diwa'`li--"Bowl," a prominent chief of the western Cherokee, known

to the whites as The Bowl, or Colonel Bowles, killed by the Texans

in 1839. The chief mentioned on page 100 may have been another of

the same name.

diyâ'hali (or duyâ'hali)--the alligator lizard (Sceloporue

undulalus). See number 59.

Diyâ'hali'yi--"Lizard place," from diyâ'hali, lizard, and yi,

locative. Joanna bald, a mountain at the head of Valley river, on

the line between Cherokee and Graham counties, North Carolina. For

tradition see number 122; also number 59.

Double-head--see Tal-tsu'ska'.

Dragging-canoe--see Tsi'yu-gûnsi'ni.

Dudûñ'leksûñ'yi--"Where its legs were broken off"; a place on

Tuckasegee river, a few miles above Webster, in Jackson county,

North Carolina. See number 122.

Dugilu'yi (abbreviated Dugilu', and commonly written Tugaloo, or

sometimes Toogelah or Toogoola)--a name occurring in several places

in the old Cherokee country, the best known being Tugaloo river, so

called from a former Cherokee settlement of that name situated at the

junction of Toccoa creek with the main stream, in Habersham county,

Georgia. The word is of uncertain etymology, but seems to refer to

a place at the forks of a stream.

Dûksa'i, Dûkw`sa'i--The correct form of the name commonly written

Toxaway, applied to a former Cherokee settlement in South Carolina,

and the creek upon which it stood, an extreme head-stream of Keowee

river having its source in Jackson county, North Carolina. The meaning

of the name is lost, although it has been wrongly interpreted to mean

"Place of shedding tears." See number 123.

Dulastûñ'yi--"Potsherd place." A former Cherokee settlement on Nottely

river in Cherokee county, North Carolina. See number 122.

dule'tsi--"kernels," a goitrous swelling upon the throat.

dulu'si--a variety of frog found upon the headwaters of Savannah

river. See number 125.

Duniya`ta`lûñ'yi--"Where there are shelves, or flat places," from

aya`te'ni, flat, whence da'ya`tana`lûñ'i', a shelf, and yi', the

locative. A gap on the Great Smoky range, near Clingman's dome,

Swain county, North Carolina. See notes to number 100.

Dunidû'lalûñ'yi--"Where they made arrows"; a place on Straight creek, a

head-stream of Oconaluftee river, in Swain county, North Carolina. See

number 122.

Duni'skwa`lgûñ'i--the double peak known as the Chimney Tops, in the

Great Smoky mountains about the head of Deep creek, in Swain county,

North Carolina. On the north side is the pass known as Indian gap. The

name signifies a "forked antler," from uskwa`lgû, antler, but indicates

that the antler is attached in place, as though the deer itself were

concealed below.

Du'stayalûñ'yi--"Where it made a noise as of thunder or shooting,"

apparently referring to a lightning stroke (detsistaya'hihû, "I make

a shooting, or thundering, noise," might be a first person form used

by the personified Thunder-god); a spot on Hiwassee river, about

the junction of Shooting creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county,

North Carolina. A former settlement along the creek bore the same

name. See number 79.

du'stu'--a species of frog, appearing very early in spring; the name

is intended for an onomatope. It is the correct form of the name of

the chief noted by McKenney and Hall as "Tooantuh or Spring Frog."

Dutch--see Tatsi'.

duwe`ga--the spring lizard. See number 59.

Eagle dance--see Tsugidû`li' Ûlsgi'sti.

Eastinaulee--see U`stana'li.

Echoee--see Itse'yi.

Echota--see Itsâ'ti.

Edâ'hi--"He goes about" (habitually); a masculine name.

Echota, New--see Gansâ'gi.

edâ'ta--my father (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form

is agidâ'ta.

edu'tu--my maternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower

dialect form is agidu'tu; cf. eni'si.

e'gwa--great; cf. u'tanû.

egwâ'ni--river.

Egwânul`ti--"By the river," from egwâ'ni, river, and nu'lati or nul`ti,

near, beside. The proper form of Oconaluftee, the name of the river

flowing through the East Cherokee reservation in Swain and Jackson

counties, North Carolina. The Cherokee town, "Oconalufte," mentioned

by Bartram as existing about 1775, was probably on the lower course

of the river at the present Birdtown, on the reservation, where was

formerly a considerable mound.

ela--earth, ground.

e'ladi'--low, below; in the Lower dialect e'radi', whence the Ayrate

or Lower Cherokee of Adair as distinguished from the Ottare (â'tari,

â'tali) or Upper Cherokee.

elanti--a song form for e'ladi, q. v.

Elatse'yi (abbreviated Elatse')--possibly "Green (Verdant) earth," from

ela, earth, and itse'yi, green, from fresh-springing vegetation. The

name of several former Cherokee settlements, commonly known to the

whites as Ellijay, Elejoy or Allagae. One of these was upon the

headwaters of Keowee river in South Carolina; another was on Ellijay

creek of Little Tennessee river, near the present Franklin, in Macon

county, North Carolina; another was about the present Ellijay in

Gilmer county, Georgia; and still another was on Ellejoy creek of

Little river near the present Maryville, in Blount county, Tennessee.

Elawâ'diyi (abbreviated Elawâ'di)--"Red-earth place" from ela, earth,

wâdi, brown-red or red paint, and yi, the locative. 1. The Cherokee

name of Yellow-hill settlement, now officially known as Cherokee,

the postoffice and agency headquarters for the East Cherokee,

on Oconaluftee river in Swain county, North Carolina. 2. A former

council ground, known in history as Red Clay, at the site of the

present village of that name in Whitfield county, Georgia, adjoining

the Tennessee line.

Ellijay--see Elatse'yi.

eni'si--my paternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower

dialect form is agini'si. Cf. edu'tu.

Eskaqua--see Iskagua.

Estanaula, Estinaula--see U`stana'li.

Etawa'ha-tsistatla'ski--"Deadwood-lighter," a traditional Cherokee

conjurer. See number 100.

e`ti, or eti--old, long ago.

Etowah--see I'tawa'.

Etsaiyi'--see Ûñtsaiyi'.

etsi'--my mother (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form

is agitsi'.

Euharlee--see Yuha'li'.

Feather dance--see Tsugidû`li, Ûlsgi'sti.

Fighting-town--see Walâs'-unûlsli'yi.

Flax-toter--see Tâle'danigi'ski.

Flying-squirrel--see Kâ'lahû'.

French Broad--see Unta'kiyasti'yi.

Frogtown--see Walâsi'yi.

Gadalu'lu--the proper name of the mountain known to the whites as Yonah

(from yânû, "bear"), or upper Chattahoochee river, in White county,

Georgia. The name has no connection with Tallulah (see Talulu'),

and can not be translated.

Gadalu'tsi--in the corrupted form of Cataluchee this appears on the map

as the name of a peak, or rather a ridge, on the line between Swain

and Haywood counties, in North Carolina, and of a creek running down

on the Haywood side into Big Pigeon river. It is properly the name

of the ridge only and seems to refer to a "fringe standing erect,"

apparently from the appearance of the timber growing in streaks

along the side of the mountain; from wadalu'yata, fringe, gadû'ta,

"standing up in a row or series."

gahawi'sita--parched corn; improperly spelled wissactaw by Hawkins. See

note under number 83.

Gahûti (Gahû'ta and Gwahû'ti in dialectic forms)--Cohutta mountain,

in Murray county, Georgia. The name comes from gahûtâ'yi, "a shed roof

supported on poles," and refers to a fancied resemblance in the summit.

Gakati'yi--"Place of setting free"; sometimes spoken in the plural

form, Diga'kati'yi, "Place of setting them free." A point on Tuckasegee

river about three miles above Bryson City, in Swain county, North

Carolina. See number 122.

gaktûñ'ta--an injunction, command or rule, more particularly a

prohibition or ceremonial tabu. Tsiga`te'gû, "I am observing an

injunction, or tabu"; adakte'gi, "he is under tabu regulations."

Galagi'na--a male deer (buck) or turkey (gobbler); in the first

sense the name is sometimes used also for the large horned beetle

(Dynastes tityus?). The Indian name of Elias Boudinot, first Cherokee

editor. See page 111.

gali'sgisidâ'hû--I am dancing about; from gali'sgia', "I am dancing,"

and edâhû', "I am going about."

galûñkw'ti'yu--honored, sacred; used in the bible to mean holy,

hallowed.

galûñ'lati--above, on high.

gane'ga--skin.

ganidawâ'ski--the campion, catchfly or "rattlesnake's master" (Silene

stellata); the name signifies "it disjoints itself," from ganidawâskû',

"it is unjointing itself," on account of the peculiar manner in which

the dried stalk breaks off at the joints.

Gansâ'gi (or Gansâgiyi)--the name of several former settlements in

the old Cherokee country; it cannot be analyzed. One town of this

name was upon Tuckasegee river, a short distance above the present

Webster, in Jackson county, North Carolina; another was on the lower

part of Canasauga creek, in McMinn county, Tennessee; a third was at

the junction of Conasauga and Coosawatee rivers, where afterward was

located the Cherokee capital, New Echota, in Gordon county, Georgia; a

fourth, mentioned in the De Soto narratives as Canasoga or Canasagua,

was located in 1540 on the upper Chattahoochee river, possibly in

the neighborhood of Kenesaw mountain, Georgia (see page 197).

Gansa`ti'yi--"Robbing place," from tsina'sahûñskû', "I am robbing

him." Vengeance creek of Valley river, in Cherokee county, North

Carolina. The name Vengeance was originally a white man's nickname

for an old Cherokee woman, of forbidding aspect, who lived there

before the Removal. See number 122.

Ganse`ti--a rattle; as the Cherokee dance rattle is made from a gourd

the masculine name, Ganse`ti, is usually rendered by the whites,

"Rattling-gourd."

gatayûsti--the wheel and stick game of the southern tribes, incorrectly

called nettecawaw by Timberlake. See note under number 3.

Gâtegwâ'--for Gâtegwâ'hi, possibly a contraction of Igât(i)-egwâ'hi,

"Great-swamp (-thicket) place." A high peak southeast from Franklin,

Macon county, North Carolina, and perhaps identical with Fodderstack

mountain. See number 75.

ga'tsû--see hatlû'.

Gatu'gitse'yi (abbreviated Gatu'gitse')--"New-settlement place,"

from gatu'gi or sgatu'gi, town, settlement, itse'hi, new, especially

applied to new vegetation, and yi, the locative. A former settlement

on Cartoogaja creek of Little Tennessee river, above Franklin, in

Macon county, North Carolina.

Gatuti'yi--"Town-building place," or "Settlement place," from gatu'gi,

a settlement, and yi, locative. A place on Santeetla creek, near

Robbinsville, in Graham county, North Carolina. See number 122.

Gatûñ'lti'yi--"Hemp place," from gatûñ'lati, "wild hemp" (Apocynum

cannabinum), and yi, locative. A former Cherokee settlement, commonly

known as Hemptown, on the creek of the same name, near Morganton,

in Fannin county, Georgia.

Gatûñ'wa`li--a noted western Cherokee about 1842, known to the whites

as "Hard-mush" or "Big-mush." Gatûñ'wa`li, from ga'tu', "bread," and

ûñwa'`li, "made into balls or lumps," is a sort of mush of parched

corn meal, made very thick, so that it can be dipped out in lumps

almost of the consistency of bread.

ge'i--down stream, down the road, with the current; tsâ'gi, up stream.

gese'i--was; a separate word which, when used after the verb in the

present tense, makes it past tense without change of form; in the

form hi'gese'i it usually accompanies an emphatic repetition.

Ge`yagu'ga (for Age'hya-guga?)--a formulistic name for the moon

(nûñ'da'); it cannot be analyzed, but seems to contain the word

age'hya, "woman." See also nûñ'da'.

giga--blood; cf. gi'gage'i, red.

gi'ga-danegi'ski--"blood taker," from giga, blood, and ada'negi'ski,

"one who takes liquids," from tsi'negia', "I am taking it"

(liquid). Another name for the tsâne'ni or scorpion lizard. See

number 59.

gi'gage'i--red, bright red, scarlet; the brown-red of certain animals

and clays is distinguished as wâ'dige'i.

gi'ga-tsuha'`li--"bloody-mouth," literally, "having blood on the

corners of his mouth"; from giga, blood, and tsuhanûñsi'yi, the

corners of the mouth (aha'li, his mouth). A large lizard, probably

the Pleistodon. See number 59.

gi`li'--dog; in the Lower dialect, gi`ri'.

Gi`li'-dinehûñ'yi--"Where the dogs live," from gi`li', dog, dinehû',

"they dwell" (ehû, "I dwell"), and yi, locative. A place on Oconaluftee

river, a short distance above Cherokee, in Swain county, North

Carolina. See number 122.

Gi`li'-utsûñ'stanuñ'yi--"Where the dog ran," from gi`li', dog, and

utsûñ'stanûñ'yi, "footprints made by an animal running"; the Milky

Way. See number 11.

ginûnti--a song form for ginû'tii', "to lay him (animate object)

upon the ground." See number 75.

gi`ri'--see gi`li'.

Gisehûñ'yi--"Where the female lives," from agi'si, female, and yi,

the locative. A place on Tuckasegee river, a short distance above

Bryson City, Swain county, North Carolina. See number 122.

gitlû'--hair (Upper dialect); in the Middle and Lower dialects, gitsû'.

gitsû'--see gitlû'.

Glass, The--see Ta'gwadihi'.

Gohoma--A Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be

identified. See page 31.

Going-snake--see I'nadûna'i.

Gorhaleke--a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be

identified. See page 31.

Great island--see Amaye`l-e'gwa.

Gregory bald--see Tsistu'yi.

Guachoule--see Guaxule.

Guaquili (Wakili)--a town in the Cherokee country, visited by De

Soto in 1540, and again in 1567 by Pardo, who calls it Aguaquiri

(see pages 25 and 28). The name may have a connection with waguli',

"whippoorwill," or with u-)wâ'gi`li, "foam."

Guasula--see Guaxule.

Guasili--see Guaxule.

Guaxule--a town in the Cherokee country, visited by De Soto in 1540;

variously spelled in the narratives, Guasili, Guachoule, Guasula,

Guaxule, Quaxule, etc. It was probably about at Nacoochee mound, in

White county, Georgia. It has been suggested that the Spaniards may

have changed the Indian name to resemble that of a town in Spain. See

pages 26 and 194.

gû'daye'wû--"I have sewed myself together"; "I am sewing," tsiye'wia';

"I am sewing myself together," gûdayewiû. See number 31.

gugwe' (or g`gwe')--the quail or partridge; the name is an onomatope.

gugwe'-ulasu'la--"partridge moccasin," from gugwe' or g`gwe',

partridge, and ulasula, moccasin or shoe; the ladyslipper

(Cypripedium).

Gûlâhi'yi (abbreviated Gûlâhi', or Gûrâhi', in the Lower

dialect)--"Gûlâ'hi place," so called from an unidentified spring plant

eaten as a salad by the Cherokee. The name of two or more places in the

old Cherokee country; one about Currahee mountain in Habersham county,

Georgia, the other on Cullowhee river, an upper branch of Tuckasegee,

in Jackson county, North Carolina. Currahee Dick was a noted chief

about the year 1820.

Gû'lani'yi--a Cherokee and Natchez settlement formerly about the

junction of Brasstown creek with Hiwassee river, a short distance

above Murphy, in Cherokee county, North Carolina. The etymology of

the word is doubtful.

gule'--acorn.

gûle'-diska`nihi'--the turtle-dove; literally, "it cries, or mourns,

for acorns," from gule', acorn, and diska`nihi', "it cries for them"

(di-, plural prefix, -hi, habitual suffix). The turtle-dove feeds

upon acorns and its cry somewhat resembles the name, gule'.

gûle'gi--"climber," from tsilahi', "I climb" (second person, hi'lahi';

third person, gûlahi'); the blacksnake (Bascanion constrictor).

Gûl`kala'ski--An earlier name for Tsunu'lahûñ'ski, q. v.

gûl`kwâ'gi--seven; also the mole-cricket (Gryllotalpa). See number 59.

gûl`kwâ'gine(-i--seventh; from gûl`kwâgi, seven.

Gûlsadihi' (or Gûltsadihi'?)--a masculine personal name, of uncertain

etymology.

Gumlog--see Tsilalu'hi.

gûnahi'ta--long.

Gû'nahitûñ'yi--"Long place" (i.e., Long valley), from gûnahita,

long, and yi, locative. A former settlement, known to the whites as

Valleytown, where now is the town of the same name, on Valley river,

in Cherokee county, North Carolina. The various settlements on Valley

river and the adjacent part of Hiwassee were known collectively as the

"Valley towns."

Gûn'-di'gaduhûñ'yi (abbreviated Gûn'-digadu'hûñ)--"Turkey settlement"

(gû'na, turkey), so called from the chief, Turkey or Little Turkey. A

former settlement, known to the whites as Turkeytown, upon the west

bank of Coosa river, opposite the present Center, in Cherokee county,

Alabama.

gû'nî'--arrow. Cf. Seneca ga'na'.

gûñ'nage'i (or gûñ'nage)--black.

Gûñne'hi--see Nûñne'hi.

Gûñskali'ski--a masculine personal name of uncertain etymology.

Gunters landing, Guntersville--see Ku'sa-Nûñnâ'hi.

Gûn-tsuskwa'`li--"Short arrows," from gûni', arrow, and tsuskwa'`li,

plural of uskwa'`li, short; a traditional western tribe. See number

105.

Gûnûñ'da`le'gi--see Nûñnâ'hi-dihi'.

Gusti'--a traditional Cherokee settlement on Tennessee river, near

Kingston, Roane county, Tennessee. See number 79. The name cannot

be analyzed. Wafford thought it a Cherokee attempt at "Kingston,"

but it seems rather to be aboriginal.

Gu'wisguwi'--The Cherokee name for the chief John Ross and for the

district named in his honor, commonly spelled Cooweescoowee. Properly

an onomatope for a large bird said to have been seen formerly at

infrequent intervals in the old Cherokee country, accompanying the

migratory wild geese, and described as resembling a large snipe,

with yellow legs and unwebbed feet. In boyhood John Ross was known

as Tsan'-usdi', "Little John."

Gwal`gâ'hi--"Frog place," from gwal`gû, a variety of frog, and hi,

locative. A place on Hiwassee river, just above the junction of

Peachtree creek, near Murphy, in Cherokee county, North Carolina;

about 1755 the site of a village of refugee Natchez, and later of a

Baptist mission.

gwehe'!--a cricket's cry. See number 119.

ha!--an introductory exclamation intended to attract attention or

add emphasis; about equivalent to Here! Now!

ha'-ma'ma'--a song term compounded of ha! an introductory exclamation,

and mama', a word which has no analysis, but is used in speaking to

young children to mean "let me carry you on my back." See number 117.

Hanging-maw--see Uskwâ'li-gû'ta.

ha'nia-lil'-lil'--an unmeaning dance refrain. See number 24.

Hard-mush--see Gatûñ'wa`li.

ha'suyak'--a song form for hasuya'gi', "(thou) pick it out"

(imperative); "I pick it out, or select it," ga'suyagiû'; second

person, ha'suyagiû'. See number 19.

ha'tlû--dialectic form, ga'tsû, "where?" (interrogative).

ha'wiye'ehi', ha'wiye'-hyuwe'--unmeaning dance refrains. See numbers

32 and 118.

hayû'--an emphatic affirmative, about equivalent to "Yes, sir!" See

number 115.

hayuya'haniwa'--an unmeaning refrain in one of the bear songs. See

number 75.

he-e!--an unmeaning song introduction.

Hemp-carrier--see Tâle'danigi'ski.

Hemptown--see Gatûñlti'yi.

hi!--unmeaning dance exclamation.

hi'gina'lii--"(you are) my friend"; agina'lii, "(he is) my friend." In

white man's jargon, canaly.

Hickory-log--see Wane'-asûñ'tlûñyi.

Hightower--see I'tawa'.

hila'gû?--how many? how much? (Upper dialect); the Middle dialect

form is hûñgû'.

hilahi'yu--long ago; the final yu makes it more emphatic.

hi'lûñnû--"(thou) go to sleep"; from tsi'lihû', "I am asleep."

hi'ski--five; cf. Mohawk wisk. The Cherokee numerals including 10 are

as follows: sâ'gwû, ta'li, tsâ'i, nûñ'gi, hi'ski, su'tali, gûl`kwâ'gi,

tsune'la, sañne'la, askâ'hi.

Hiwassee--see Ayuhwa'si.

hi'yagu'we--an unmeaning dance refrain. See number 32.

Houston, Samuel--see Ka'lanû.

hûñgû--see hila'gû.

huhu--the yellow-breasted chat, or yellow mocking bird (Icteria

virens); the name is an onomatope. See number 45.

hûñyahu'ska--"he will die."

hwi'lahi--"thou (must) go."

igagû'ti--daylight. The name is sometimes applied to the ulûñsû'ti

(q. v.), and also to the clematis vine.

i'hya--the cane reed (Arundinaria) of the Gulf states, used by the

Indians for blowguns, fishing rods, and basketry.

ihyâ'ga--see atsil'sûñ`ti.

i'nadû'--snake.

I'nadû-na'i--"Going-snake," a Cherokee chief prominent about eighty

years ago. The name properly signifies that the person is "going along

in company with a snake," the verbal part being from the irregular

verb asta'i, "I am going along with him." The name has been given to

a district of the present Cherokee Nation.

i'nage'hi--dwelling in the wilderness, an inhabitant of the wilderness;

from i'nage'i, "wilderness," and ehi, habitual present form of ehû,

"he is dwelling"; ge'û, "I am dwelling."

I'nage-utasûñ'hi--"He who grew up in the wilderness," i. e. "He who

grew up wild"; from i'nage'i, "wilderness, unoccupied timber land," and

utasûñ'hi, the third person perfect of the irregular verb, ga'tûñskû',

"I am growing up."

Inâ'li--Black-fox; the common red fox is tsu'la (in Muscogee,

chula). Black-fox was principal chief of the Cherokee Nation in

1810. See page 86.

Iskagua--"Iakagua or Clear Sky, formerly Nenetooyah or the

Bloody-Fellow." The name appears thus in a document of 1791 as that

of a Cherokee chief frequently mentioned about that period under the

name of "the Bloody Fellow." In one treaty it is given as "Eskaqua or

Bloody Fellow." Both forms and etymologies are doubtful, neither form

seeming to have any reference either to "sky" (galûñ'lahi) or "blood"

(gi'ga). The first may be intended for Ik-e'gwa, "Great-day." See

page 69.

Istanare--see U`stana'li.

I`sû'nigû--an important Cherokee settlement, commonly known to

the whites as Seneca, formerly on Keowee river, about the mouth

of Conneross creek, in Oconee county, South Carolina. Hopewell, the

country seat of General Pickens, where the famous treaty was made, was

near it on the east side of the river. The word cannot be translated,

but has no connection with the tribal name, Seneca.

Itaba--see I'tawa'.

Itagû'nahi--the Cherokee name of John Ax.

I'tawa'--The name of one or more Cherokee settlements. One, which

existed until the Removal in 1838, was upon Etowah river, about the

present Hightower, in Forsyth county Georgia. Another may have been

on Hightower creek of Hiwassee river in Towns county, Georgia. The

name, commonly written Etowah and corrupted to Hightower, cannot

be translated and seems not to be of Cherokee origin. A town called

Itaba, Ytaua or Ytava in the De Soto chronicles existed in 1540 among

the Creeks, apparently on Alabama river.

Itsa'ti--commonly spelled Echota, Chota, Chote, Choquata (misprint),

etc; a name occurring in several places in the old Cherokee country:

the meaning is lost. The most important settlement of this name,

frequently distinguished as Great Echota, was on the south side of

Little Tennessee river a short distance below Citico creek in Monroe

county, Tennessee. It was the ancient capital and sacred "peace town"

of the Nation. Little Echota was on Sautee (i. e., Itsâ'ti) creek, a

head stream of the Chattahoochee, west of Clarkesville, Georgia. New

Echota, the capital of the Nation for some years before the Removal,

was established at a spot originally known as Gansa'gi (q. v.) at the

junction of the Oostanaula and Conasauga rivers, in Gordon county,

Georgia. It was sometimes called Newtown. The old Macedonia mission on

Soco creek, of the North Carolina reservation, is also known as Itsâ'ti

to the Cherokee, as was also the great Nacoochee mound. See Nagu`tsi'.

Itse'yi--"New green place" or "Place of fresh green," from itse'hi,

"green or unripe vegetation," and yi, the locative; applied more

particularly to a tract of ground made green by fresh-springing

vegetation, after having been cleared of timber or burned over. A name

occurring in several places in the old Cherokee country, variously

written Echia, Echoee, Etchowee, and sometimes also falsely rendered

"Brasstown," from a confusion of Itse'yi with ûñtsaiyi', "brass." One

settlement of this name was upon Brasstown creek of Tugaloo river,

in Oconee county, South Carolina; another was on Little Tennessee

river near the present Franklin, Macon county, North Carolina, and

probably about the junction of Cartoogaja (Gatug-itse'yi) creek;

a third, known to the whites as Brasstown, was on upper Brasstown

creek of Hiwassee river, in Towns county, Georgia. In Cherokee as

in most other Indian languages no clear distinction is made between

green and blue (sa`ka'nige'i).

i'ya--pumpkin.

iya'-iyu'sti--"like a pumpkin," from iya and iyu'sti, like.

iya'-tawi'skage--"of pumpkin smoothness," from i'ya, pumpkin, and

tawi'skage, smooth.

Jackson--see Tsek'sini'.

Jessan--see Tsesa'ni.

Jesse Reid--see Tse'si-Ska'tsi.

Joanna bald--see Diyâ'hali'yi.

Joara, Juada--see Ani'-Suwa'li.

John--see Tsa'ni.

John Ax--see Itagû'nahi.

Jolly, John--see Ahu'lude'gi.

Junaluska--see Tsunu'lahûñ'ski.

Jutaculla--see Tsul`kalû'.

kâ'gû'--crow; the name is an onomatope.

Kâgûñ'yi--"Crow place," from kâ'gû', crow and yi, locative. See

number 63.

ka'i--grease, oil.

Kala'asûñ'yi--"Where he fell off," from tsila'askû', "I am falling

off," and yi, locative. A cliff near Cold Spring knob, in Swain county,

North Carolina.

Kâ'lahû'--"All-bones," from kâ'lû, bone. A former chief of the East

Cherokee, also known in the tribe as Sawanu'gi (Shawano), and to the

whites as Sawnook or Flying-squirrel.

Kâ'lanû--"The Raven"; the name was used as a war title in the tribe

and appears in the old documents as Corani (Lower dialect, Kâ'ranû)

Colanneh, Colona, etc. It is the Cherokee name for General Samuel

Houston or for any person named Houston.

Kâ'lanû Ahyeli'ski--the Raven Mocker. See number 120.

Kâ'lanûñ'yi--"Raven place," from kâ'lanû, raven, and yi, the

locative. The proper name of Big-cove settlement upon the East

Cherokee reservation, Swain county, North Carolina, sometimes also

called Raventown.

kalâs'-gûnahi'ta--"long-hams" (gûnahi'ta), "long"); a variety of

bear. See number 15.

Kâl-detsi'yûñyi--"Where the bones are," from kâ'lû, bone, and

detsi'yûñyi, "where (yi) they (de--plural prefix) are lying." A spot

near the junction of East Buffalo creek with Cheowa river, in Graham

county, North Carolina. See number 122.

kama'ma--butterfly.

kama'ma u'tanû--elephant; literally "great butterfly," from the

resemblance of the trunk and ears to the butterfly's proboscis and

wings. See number 15.

kanahe'na--a sour corn gruel, much in use among the Cherokee and

other southern tribes; the tamfuli or "Tom Fuller" of the Creeks.

kanane'ski--spider; also, from a fancied resemblance in appearance,

a watch or clock; kanane'ski amaye'hi, the water spider.

Kana'sta, Kanastûñ'yi--a traditional Cherokee settlement formerly on

the headwaters of the French Broad river near the present Brevard,

in Transylvania county, North Carolina. The meaning of the name is

lost. A settlement called Cannostee or Cannastion is mentioned as

existing on Hiwassee river in 1776. See number 82 and notes.

kanâ'talu'hi--hominy cooked with walnut kernels.

Kana'ti-- "Lucky Hunter"; a masculine name, sometimes abbreviated

Kanat'. The word can not be analyzed, but is used as a third person

habitual verbal form to mean "he is lucky, or successful, in hunting";

the opposite is u`kwa'legû, "unlucky, or unsuccessful, in hunting." See

number 3.

kanegwâ'ti--the water-moccasin snake.

Kanu'ga--also written Canuga; a Lower Cherokee settlement, apparently

on the waters of Keowee river in South Carolina, destroyed in 1761;

also a traditional settlement on Pigeon river, probably near the

present Waynesville, in Haywood county, North Carolina. See number 81

and notes. The name signifies "a scratcher," a sort of bone-toothed

comb with which ball-players are scratched upon their naked skin

preliminary to applying the conjured medicine; de'tsinuga'skû,

"I am scratching it."

kanugû'`la (abbreviated nugû'`la)--"scratcher," a generic term for

the blackberry, raspberry, and other brier bushes. Cf. Kanu'ga.

Kanu'gû`lâyi, or Kanu'gû`lûñ'yi--"Brier place," from kanu'gû'`lâ,

brier (cf. Kanu'ga); a Cherokee settlement formerly on Nantahala river,

about the mouth of Briertown creek, in Macon county, North Carolina.

kanûñ'nawû'--pipe.

Kâsdu'yi--"Ashes place," from kâsdu, ashes, and yi, the locative. A

modern Cherokee name for the town of Asheville, in Buncombe county,

North Carolina. The ancient name for the same site is Unta'kiyasti'yi,

q.v.

Katâl'sta--an East Cherokee woman potter, the daughter of the chief

Yânagûñ'ski. The name conveys the idea of lending, from tsiyâtâl'sta,

"I lend it"; agatâl'sta, "it is lent to him."

Kawân'-urâ'sûnyi (abbreviated Kawân'-urâ'sûñ in the Lower

dialect)--"Where the duck fell" from kawâ'na, duck, urâ'sa (ulâ'sa),

"it fell," and yi, locative. A point on Conneross creek (from

Kawân'-urâ'sûñ), near Seneca, in Oconee county, South Carolina. See

number 123.

Kawi'yi (abbreviated Kawi')--a former important Cherokee settlement,

commonly known as Cowee, about the mouth of Cowee creek of Little

Tennessee river, some 10 miles below Franklin, in Macon county, North

Carolina. The name may possibly be a contraction of Ani'-Kawi'yi,

"Place of the Deer clan."

Keeowhee--see Keowee.

Kenesaw--see Gansâ'gi.

Keowee--the name of two or more former Cherokee settlements. One,

sometimes distinguished as "Old Keowee," the principal of the Lower

Cherokee towns, was on the river of the same name, near the present

Fort George, in Oconee county, South Carolina. Another, distinguished

as New Keowee, was on the headwaters of Twelve-mile creek, in Pickens

county, South Carolina. According to Wafford the correct form is

Kuwâhi'yi, abbreviated Kuwâhi', "Mulberry-grove place"; says Wafford,

"The whites murdered the name, as they always do." Cf. Kuwâ'hi.

Ke'si-ka'gamû--a woman's name, a Cherokee corruption of Cassie Cockram;

ka'gamû is also the Cherokee corruption for "cucumber."

Ketoowah--see Kitu'hwa.

Kittuwa--see Kitu'hwa.

Kitu'hwa--An important ancient Cherokee settlement formerly

upon Tuckasegee river, and extending from above the junction of

Oconaluftee down nearly to the present Bryson City, in Swain county,

North Carolina. The name, which appears also as Kettooah, Kittoa,

Kittowa, etc., has lost its meaning. The people of this and the

subordinate settlements on the waters of the Tuckasegee were known

as Ani'-Kitu'hwagi and the name was frequently extended to include

the whole tribe. For this reason it was adopted in later times as

the name of the Cherokee secret organization, commonly known to the

whites as the Ketoowah society, pledged to the defense of Cherokee

autonomy. See also historical notes 1 and 47.

kiyu`ga--ground-squirrel; te'wa, flying squirrel; salâ'li, gray

squirrel.

Klausuna--see Tlanusi'yi.

Knoxville--see Kuwandâ'tâ`lûñ'yi.

kû!--an introductory exclamation, to fix attention, about equivalent to

"Now!"

kukû'--"cymling"; also the "jigger weed," or "pleurisy root" (Asclepias

tuberosa). Coco creek of Hiwassee river, and Coker postoffice, in

Monroe county Tennessee, derive their name from this word.

Kûlsetsi'yi (abbreviated Kûlse'tsi)--"Honey-locust place," from

kûlse'tsi, honey-locust (Gleditschia) and yi locative; as the same

word, kûlse'tsi, is also used for "sugar," the local name has commonly

been rendered Sugartown by the traders. The name of several former

settlement places in the old Cherokee country. One was upon Keowee

river, near the present Fall creek, in Oconee county, South Carolina;

another was on Sugartown or Cullasagee (Kûlse'tsi) creek, near the

present Franklin, in Macon county, North Carolina; a third was on

Sugartown creek, near the present Morganton, in Fannin county, Georgia.

Kunnesee--see Tsi'yu-gûnsi'ni.

Kûnstûtsi'yi--"Sassafras place," from kûnstû'tsi, sassafras, and yi,

locative. A gap in the Great Smoky range, about the head of Noland

creek, on the line between North Carolina and Sevier county, Tennessee.

kûnu'nu (abbreviated kûnun')--the bullfrog; the name is probably an

onomatope; the common green frog is walâ'si and there are also names

for several other varieties of frogs and toads.

Kusa'--Coosa creek, an upper tributary of Nottely river, near

Blairsville, Union county, Georgia. The change of accent from Ku'sa

(Creek, see Ani'-Ku'sa) makes it locative. See page 383.

Ku'sa-nûñnâ'hi--"Creek trail," from Ku'sa, Creek Indian, and

nûñnâ'hi, path, trail; cf. Suwâ'li-nûñnâ'hi. A former important

Cherokee settlement, including also a number of Creeks and Shawano,

where the trail from the Ohio region to the Creek country crossed

Tennessee river, at the present Guntersville, in Marshall county,

Alabama. It was known to the traders as Creek-path, and later as

Gunter's landing, from a Cherokee mixed-blood named Gunter.

Ku'saweti'yi (abbreviated Ku'saweti')--"Old Creek place," from

Ku'sa, a Creek Indian (plural Ani'-Ku'sa), uwe'ti, old, and yi,

locative. Coosawatee, an important Cherokee settlement formerly on

the lower part of Coosawatee river, in Gordon county, Georgia. In

one document the name appears, by error, Tensawattee. See page 382.

Kuwâ'hi--"Mulberry place," from ku'wa, mulberry tree, and hi, locative;

Clingman's dome, about the head of Deep creek, on the Great Smoky

range, between Swain county, North Carolina, and Sevier county,

Tennessee. See also Keowee.

Kuwandâ'ta`lûñ'yi (abbreviated Kuwandâ'ta`lûñ)--"Mulberry grove," from

ku'wa, mulberry; the Cherokee name for the present site of Knoxville,

in Knox county, Tennessee.

Kwa'li, Kwalûñ'yi--Qualla or Quallatown, the former agency for the East

Cherokee and now a postoffice station, just outside the reservation,

on a branch of Soco creek, in Jackson county, North Carolina. It is

the Cherokee form for "Polly," and the station was so called from an

old woman of that name who formerly lived near by; Kwa'li, "Polly,"

Kwalûñ'yi, "Polly's place." The reservation is locally known as the

Qualla boundary.

kwandaya'hû--see da'liksta'.

lâ'lû--the jar-fly (Cicada auletes). See number 59.

Little Carpenter, Little Cornplanter--see Ata'-gûl`kalû.

Lloyd--see Da'si`giya'gi.

Long-hair--a Cherokee chief living with his band in Ohio in

1795. See page 79. The literal Cherokee translation of "Long-hair"

is Gitlû'-gûnahi'ta, but it is not certain that the English name is

a correct rendering of the Indian form. Cf. Ani'-Gilâ'hi.

Long island--see Amaye`li-gûnahi'ta.

Lookout Mountain town--see Danda'ganû'.

Lowrey, Major George--see Agi`li.

Mayes, J. B.--see Tsâ'wa Gak'ski.

Memphis--see Tsudâ'talesûñ'yi.

Mialaquo--see Amaye`l-e'gwa.

Morgan--see Âganstâ'ta.

Moses--see Wa'si.

Moytoy--a Cherokee chief recognized by the English as "emperor" in

1730. Both the correct form and the meaning of the name are uncertain;

the name occurs again as Moyatoy in a document of 1792; a boy upon the

East Cherokee reservation a few years ago bore the name of Ma'tayi',

for which no meaning can be given.

Muscle shoals--see Dagû'nâhi.

Nacoochee--see Na'gu`tsi'.

Na'dû`li'--known to the whites as Nottely. A former Cherokee settlement

on Nottely river, close to the Georgia line, in Cherokee county,

North Carolina. The name cannot be translated and has no connection

with na`tû`li, "spicewood."

Nagu`tsi'--a former important settlement about the junction of Soquee

and Santee rivers, in Nacoochee valley, at the head of Chattahoochee

river, in Habersham county, Georgia. The meaning of the word is

lost and it is doubtful if it be of Cherokee origin. It may have

some connection with the name of the Uchee Indians. The great mound

farther up Sautee river, in White county, was known to the Cherokee

as Itsâ'ti, q. v.

nakwisi' (abbreviated nakw`si)--star; also the meadow lark.

nakwisi'usdi'--"little star"; the puff ball fungus (Lycoperdon?).

Nâ'na-tlu`gûñ'yi (abbreviated Nâ'na-tlu`gûñ', or

Nâ'na-tsu`gûñ')--"Spruce-tree place," from nâ'na, spruce, tlu`gûñ'i or

tsu`gûñ'i, a tree (standing) and yi, locative. 1. A traditional ancient

Cherokee settlement on the site of Jonesboro, Washington county,

Tennessee. The name of Nolichucky river is probably a corruption of

the same word. 2. Nâna-tsu`gûñ, a place on Nottely river, close to

its junction with Hiwassee, in Cherokee county, North Carolina.

Nanehi--see Nûñne'hi.

Nantahala--see Nûñdaye'`li.

Nashville--see Dagû'nawe'lâhi.

Natchez--see Ani'-Na`tsi.

Na`ts-asûñ'tlûñyi (abbreviated Na`ts-asûñ'tlûñ)--"Pine-footlog place,"

from na`tsi, pine, asûñ'tli or asûñtlûñ'i, footlog, bridge, and yi,

locative. A former Cherokee settlement, commonly known as Pinelog,

on the creek of the same name, in Bartow county, Georgia.

na`tsi--pine.

na'tsikû'--"I eat it" (tsi'kiû', "I am eating").

na`tû`li--spicewood (Lindera benzoin).

Naye'hi--see Nûñne'hi.

Nayunuwi--see Nûñyunu'wi.

nehanduyanû'--a song form for nehadu'yanû', an irregular verbal form

denoting "conceived in the womb." See number 75.

Nellawgitehi--given as the name of a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684. See

page 31. The correct form and meaning are both uncertain, but the final

part seems to be the common suffix dihi'--, "killer," Cf. Ta'gwadihi'.

Nenetooyah--see Iskagua.

Nequassee--see Ni'kwasi'.

Nettecawaw--see gatayû'sti.

Nettle-carrier--see Tâle'danigi'ski.

New Echota, Newtown--see Itsâ'ti.

Nickajack--see Nikutse'gi.

Nicotani--see Ani'-Kuta'ni.

Nikwasi' (or Nikw'si')--an important ancient settlement on Little

Tennessee river, where now is the town of Franklin, in Macon county,

North Carolina. A large mound marks the site of the townhouse. The

name appears in old documents as Nequassee, Nucassee, etc. Its meaning

is lost.

Nikutse'gi (also Nûkatse'gi, Nikwatse'gi, or abbreviated

Nikutseg')--Nickajack, an important Cherokee settlement about 1790 on

the south bank of Tennessee river at the entrance of Nickajack creek,

in Marion county, Tennessee. One of the five Chickamauga towns (see

Tsikama'gi). The meaning of the word is lost and it is probably not

of Cherokee origin, although it occurs also in the tribe as a man's

name. In the corrupted form of "Nigger Jack," it occurs also as the

name of a creek of Cullasagee river above Franklin, in Macon county,

North Carolina.

Nilaque--see Amaye`l-e'gwa.

Nolichucky--see Nâ'natlu`gûñ'yi.

Notchy--a creek entering Tellico river, in Monroe county,

Tennessee. The name evidently refers to Natchez Indian refugees,

who formerly lived in the vicinity (see Ani'-Na`tsi).

Nottely--see Na'dû`li'.

nû--used as a suffix to denote "and," or "also"; û'le-`nû, "and also";

na'ski`-nû', "and that," "that also."

Nucassee--see Nikwasi'.

nu'dûñnelû'--he did so and so; an irregular form apparently connected

with the archaic forms adûñni'ga, "it has just become so," and udûñnû',

"it is matured, or finished." See number 118.

nûñ'da'--the sun or moon, distinguished as nûñ'da' ige'hi, "nûñ'dã'

dwelling in the day," and nûñ'da' sûñnâ'yehi, "nûñ'da' dwelling in the

night." In the sacred formulas the moon is sometimes called Ge`yagu'ga,

q. v., or Su'talidihi', "Six-killer," names apparently founded upon

myths now lost.

nûñ'da'-dika`ni--a rare bird formerly seen occasionally in the

old Cherokee country, possibly the little blue heron (Floridus

cerulea). The name seems to mean "it looks at the sun," i. e.,

"sun-gazer," from nûñ'da', sun, and da'ka`na' or detsi'ka`na, "I am

looking at it." See number 35.

Nûñ'dâgûñ'yi, Nûñdâ'yi--the Sun land, or east; from nûñda', sun, and

yi, locative. Used in the sacred formulas instead of di'galûñgûñ'yi,

"where it rises," the common word.

Nûñ'daye`li--"Middle (i. e. Noonday) sun," from nûñda', sun and aye`li,

middle; a former Cherokee settlement on Nantahala river, near the

present Jarrett station, in Macon county, North Carolina, so called

from the high cliffs which shut out the view of the sun until nearly

noon. The name appears also as Nantahala, Nantiyallee, Nuntialla,

etc. It appears to have been applied properly only to the point on the

river where the cliffs are most perpendicular, while the settlement

itself was known as Kanu'gû`lâ'yi, "Briertown," q. v. See number 122.

Nugatsa'ni--a ridge sloping down to Oconaluftee river, below Cherokee,

in Swain county, North Carolina. The word is an archaic form denoting

a high ridge with a long gradual slope. See number 122.

nûñ'gi'--four. See hi'ski.

nugû`la--see kanugû`la.

Nuhnayie--see Nûñne'hi.

nu'na--potato; the name was originally applied to the wild "pig potato"

(Phaseolus), now distinguished as nu'na igâtehi, "swamp-dwelling

potato."

Nûndawe'gi--see Ani'-Nûndawe'gi.

nûñnâ'hi (abbreviated nûñnâ)--a path, trail or road.

Nûñnâ'hi-dihi' (abbreviated Nûñ'nâ-dihi')--"Path-killer," literally,

"He kills (habitually) in the path," from nûñ'nâhi, path, and ahihi,

"he kills" (habitually); "I am killing," tsi'ihû'. A principal chief,

about the year 1813. Major John Ridge was originally known by the

same name, but afterward took the name, Gûnûñ'da`le'gi, "One who

follows the ridge," which the whites made simply Ridge.

Nûnnâ'hi-tsune'ga (abbreviated) Nûñnâ-tsune'ga--"White-path," from

nûñnâ'hi, path, and tsune'ga, plural of une'ga, white; the form

is in the plural, as is common in Indian names, and has probably a

symbolic reference to the "white" or peaceful paths spoken of in the

opening invocation at the Green corn dance. A noted chief who led

the conservative party about 1828. See pages 113, 132.

Nûñne'hi (also Gûñne'hi; singular Naye'hi)--a race of invisible

spirit people. The name is derived from the verb e'hû', "I dwell,

I live," e'hi', "I dwell habitually," and may be rendered "dwellers

anywhere," or "those who live anywhere," but implies having always been

there, i. e., "Immortals." It has been spelled Nanehi and Nuhnayie by

different writers. The singular form Naye'hi occurs also as a personal

name, about equivalent to Eda'hi, "One who goes about." See number 78.

nuniyu'sti--"potato-like," from nu'na, potato, and iyu'sti, like. A

flowering vine with tuberous root somewhat resembling the potato. See

number 126.

nûñyû'--rock, stone. Cf. nâyu, sand

Nûñyû'-gûñwani'ski--"Rock that talks," from nûñyû', rock, and

tsiwa'nihû, "I am talking." A rock from which Talking-rock creek of

Coosawatee river in Georgia derives its name. See number 125.

Nûñ'yunu'wi--contracted from Nûñyû-unu'wi. "Stone-clad," from nûñyû,

rock, and agwanu'wû, "I am clothed or covered." A mythic monster,

invulnerable by reason of his stony skin. See number 67. The name

is also applied sometimes to the stinging ant, dasûñtâli atatsûñski,

q. v. It has also been spelled Nayunuwi.

Nûñyû'-tlu`gûñi (or Nûñyû-tsu`gûñ'i)--"Tree rock." A notable rock on

Hiwassee river, just within the North Carolina line. See number 66

and notes.

Nûñyû'-tawi'ska--"Slick rock," from nûñyû', rock, and tawiska, smooth,

slick; the form remains unchanged for the locative. 1. Slick-rock

creek, entering Little Tennessee river just within the west line

of Graham county, North Carolina. 2. A place at the extreme head of

Brasstown creek of Hiwassee river, in Towns county, Georgia.

Ocoee--see Uwagâ'hi.

Oconaluftee--see Egwânul`ti.

Oconee--see Ukwû'nû.

Oconostota--see Âganstâ'ta.

Old Tassel--see Utsi'dsata'.

Ooltewah--see Ultiwâ'i.

Oolunsade--see Ulûñsû'ti.

Oostanaula--see U stana'li.

Oostinaleh--see U stana'li.

Oothcaloga--see Uy`gilâ'gi.

Otacite, Otassite--see Outacity.

Otari, Otariyatiqui--mentioned as a place, apparently on the Cherokee

frontier, visited by Pardo in 1567. Otari seems to be the Cherokee

âtari or âtali, mountain, but the rest of the word is doubtful. See

page 28.

Ottare--see â'tali.

Owasta--given as the name of a Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot

be identified. See page 31.

Ougillogy--see Uy`gilâ'gi.

Outacity--given in documents as the name or title of a prominent

Cherokee chief about 1720. It appears also as Otacite, Otassite,

Outassatah, Wootassite and Wrosetasatow (!), but the form cannot be

identified, although it seems to contain the personal name suffix

dihi', "killer." Timberlake says (page 71): "There are some other

honorary titles among them, conferred in reward of great actions;

the first of which is Outacity or Man-killer, and the second Colona

or the Raven."

Outassatah--see Outacity.

Owassa--see Ayuhwa'si.

Paint-town--see Ani'-Wâ'dihi'.

Path-killer--see Nûñnâ'hi-dihi'.

Phoenix, Cherokee--see Tsule'hisanûñ'hi.

Pigeon River--see Wâyi.

Pine Indians--see Ani'-Na`tsi.

Pinelog--see Na`ts-asûñ'tlûñyi.

Qualatchee--a former Cherokee settlement on the headwaters of the

Chattahoochee river in Georgia; another of the same name was upon the

waters of Keowee river in South Carolina. The correct form is unknown.

Qualla--see Kwali.

Quaxule--see Guaxule.

Quinahaqui--a place, possibly in the Cherokee country, visited by

Pardo in 1567. The form cannot be identified. See page 28.

Quoneashee--see Tlanusi'yi.

Rattlesnake springs--see Utsanatiyi.

Rattling-gourd--see Ganse`ti.

Raventown--see Kâlanûñ'yi.

Red Clay--see Elawâ'diyi.

Reid, Jesse--see Tse'si-Ska'tsi.

Ridge, Major John--see Nûñnâ'hi-dihi.

Ross, John--see Gu'wisguwi'.

Ross' landing--see Tsatanu'gi.

Sadayi'--a feminine name, the proper name of the woman known to the

whites as Annie Ax; it cannot be translated.

Sâgwâ'hi, or Sâgwûñ'yi--"One place," from sâ'gwû, one, and hi or yi,

locative. Soco creek of Oconaluftee river, on the East Cherokee

reservation, in Jackson county, North Carolina. No satisfactory

reason is given for the name, which has its parallel in Tsâskâ'hi,

"Thirty place," a local name in Cherokee county, in the same state.

sâ'gwali', horse; from asâgwâlihû, a pack or burden, asâgwullû';

"there is a pack on him."

sâ'gwali digû'lanahi'ta--mule; literally "long eared horse," from

sâ'gwali, horse, and digû'lanahi'ta, q. v.

Sâkwi'yi (or Suki'yi; abbreviated Sâkwi' or Suki')--a former settlement

on Soquee river, a head-stream of Chattahoochee, near Clarkesville,

Habersham county, Georgia. Also written Saukee and Sookee. The name

has lost its meaning.

salâ'li--squirrel; the common gray squirrel; other varieties are

kiyu`ga, the ground squirrel, and tewa, the flying squirrel. Salâ'li

was also the name of an East Cherokee inventor who died a few years

ago; Salâ'lani'ta, "Young-squirrels," is a masculine personal name

on the reservation.

saligu'gi--turtle, the common water turtle; soft-shell turtle,

u`lana'wa; land tortoise or terrapin, tûksi'.

salikwâ'yi--bear-grass (Eryngium); also the greensnake, on account

of a fancied resemblance; the name of a former Cherokee settlement

on Sallacoa creek of Coosawatee river, in Gordon county, Georgia.

Sa'nigilâ'gi (abbreviated San`gilâ'gi)--Whiteside mountain, a prominent

peak of the Blue ridge, southeast from Franklin, Macon county, North

Carolina. It is connected with the tradition of U`tlûñ'ta (see number

66 and notes).

Santeetla--the present map name of a creek joining Cheowa river in

Graham county, North Carolina, and of a smaller tributary (Little

Santeetla). The name is not recognized or understood by the Cherokee,

who insist that it was given by the whites. Little Santeetla is known

to the Cherokee as Tsunda`nilti'yi, q. v.; the main Santeetla creek is

commonly known as Nâgu'hi geyûñ'i, "Sand-place stream," from Nûyu'hii,

"Sand place" (nâyu, sand), a former settlement just above the junction

of the two creeks.

Sara--see Ani'-Suwa'li.

sa'sa'--goose; an onomatope.

Sautee--see Itsâ'ti.

Savannah--the popular name of this river is derived from that of the

Shawano Indians, formerly living upon its middle course, and known to

the Cherokee as Ani'-Sawanu'gi, q. v., to the Creeks as Savanuka, and

to some of the coast tribes of Carolina as Savanna. In old documents

the river is also called Isundiga, from I`sû'nigû or Seneca, q. v.,

an important former Cherokee settlement upon its upper waters. See

number 99.

Sawanu'gi--"Shawano" (Indian); a masculine personal name upon the East

Cherokee reservation and prominent in the history of the band. See

Ani'-Sawanu'gi and Kâ'lahû'.

Sawnook--see Kâ'lahû'.

Sehwate'yi--"Hornet place," from se'hwatû, hornet, and yi,

locative. Cheowa Maximum and Swim bald, adjoining bald peaks at the

head of Cheowa river, Graham county, North Carolina. See number 122.

selu--corn; sometimes called in the sacred formulas Agawe'la, "The

Old Woman." See number 126.

sel-utsi' (for selu-utsi')--"corn's mother," from selu, corn and utsi',

his mother (etsi' or agitsi', my mother); the bead-corn or Job's-tears

(Coix lacryma). See number 126.

Seneca--see Ani'-Nûn'dawe'gi (Seneca tribe), and I`sû'nigû, (Seneca

town).

Sequatchee--see Si'gwetsi'.

Sequoya--see Sikwâyi.

Se`tsi--a mound and traditional Cherokee settlement on the south

side of Valley river, about three miles below Valleytown, in Cherokee

county, North Carolina; the name has lost its meaning. See number 79. A

settlement called Tase`tsi (Tassetchie in some old documents) existed

on the extreme head of Hiwassee river, in Towns county, Georgia.

Sevier--see Tsan'-usdi'.

Shoe-boots--see Da'si`giya'gi.

Shooting creek--see Du'staya`lûñy'yi.

Si'gwetsi'--a traditional Cherokee settlement on the south bank

of the French Broad river, not far from Knoxville, Knox county,

Tennessee. Near by was the quarry from which it is said the

stone for the white peace pipes was obtained. See number 111 and

notes. Sequatchee, the name of the river below Chattanooga, in

Tennessee, is probably a corruption of the same word.

si'kwa--hog; originally the name of the opossum, now distinguished

as si'kwa utset'sti, q. v.

si'kwa utset'sti--opossum: literally "grinning hog," from si'kwa,

hog, and utset'sti, "he grins (habitually)." Cf. sikwa.

Sikwâ'yi--a masculine name, commonly written Sequoya, made famous as

that of the inventor of the Cherokee alphabet. See page 108. The name,

which can not be translated, is still in use upon the East Cherokee

reservation.

Sikwi'a--a masculine name, the Cherokee corruption for Sevier. See

also Tsan-usdi'.

sinnawah--see tla'nuwa.

Si'tikû' (or sû'tagû', in dialectic form)--a former Cherokee settlement

on Little Tennessee river at the entrance of Citico creek, in Monroe

county, Tennessee. The name, which can not be translated, is commonly

spelled Citico, but appears also as Sattiquo, Settico, Settacoo,

Sette, Sittiquo, etc.

siyu'--see â'siyu'.

skintâ'--for skin'tâgû', understood to mean "put a new tooth into

my jaw." The word can not be analyzed, but is derived from gantka'

(ganta`ga in a dialectic form) a tooth in place; a tooth detached is

kayu`ga. See number 15.

Skwan'-digû`gûñ'yî (for Askwan'-digû`gûñ'yi)--"Where the Spaniard

is in the water [or other liquid]". A place on Upper Soco creek,

on the reservation in Jackson county, North Carolina. See number 122.

Slick rock--see Nûñyû'-tawi'ska.

Smith, N. J.--see Tsaladihi'.

Snowbird--see Tuti'yi.

Soco creek--see Sâgwâ'hi.

Soco gap--see Ahalu'na.

Soquee--see Sâkwi'yi.

Spray, H. W.--see Wilsini'.

Spring-Frog--see Du'stu'.

Standing Indian--see Yûñwi-tsulenûñ'yi.

Stand Watie--see De'gatâga.

Stekoa--see Stikâ'yi.

ste'tsi--your daughter; literally, your offspring; agwe'tsi,

"my offspring"; uwe'tsi, "his offspring"; to distinguish sex it is

necessary to add asga'ya, "man" or age'hya, "woman."

Stikâ'yi (variously spelled Stecoe, Steecoy, Stekoah, Stickoey,

etc.)--the name of several former Cherokee settlements: 1. On Sticoa

creek, near Clayton, Rabun county, Georgia; 2. on Tuckasegee river

at the old Thomas homestead just above the present Whittier, in Swain

county, North Carolina; 3. on Stekoa creek of Little Tennessee river,

a few miles below the junction of Nantahala, in Graham county, North

Carolina. The word has lost its meaning.

Stringfield--see Tlâge'si.

stugi'sti, stui'sti--a key; see page 187 and under Astu'gatâ'ga.

Suck, The--see Ûñ'tiguhi'.

Sugartown--see Kûlse'tsi'yi.

sû'nawa'--see tla'nuwa.

sûnestlâ'ta--"split noses"; see tsunû`liyû' sûnestlâ'ta.

sûñgi--mink; also onion; the name seems to refer to a smell; the

various mints are called generically, gaw`sûñ'gi. See number 29.

Suki'yi--another form of Sâkwi'yi, q.v.

su'li'--buzzard; the Creek name is the same.

Sun land--see Nûñ'da'yi.

su'-sa'-sai'--an unmeaning song refrain. See number 66.

su'talidihi'--see nûñ'da'.

Suwa'li--see Ani'-Suwa'li.

Suwa'li-nûñnâ'hi (abbreviated Suwa'li-nûñnâ'hi)--"Suwali trail,"

the proper name for the gap at the head of Swannanoa (from

Suwa'li-Nûñ'nâ) river, east of Asheville, in Buncombe county, North

Carolina. Cf. Ku'sa-nûñnâ'hi. See pages 194 and 379, also Ani'-Suwa'li.

Suwa`ni--a former Cherokee settlement on Chattahoochee river,

about the present Suwanee, in Gwinnett county, Georgia. The name

has no meaning in the Cherokee language and is said to be of Creek

origin. See page 382.

Suye'ta--"The Chosen One," from asuye'ta, "he is chosen," gasu'yeû,

"I am choosing"; the same form, suye'ta, could also mean mixed, from

gasu'yahû, "I am mixing it." A masculine name, at present borne by

a prominent ex-chief and informant upon the East Cherokee reservation.

Swannanoa--see Suwa'li-nûñnâ'hi.

Swim bald--see Sehwate'yi.

Swimmer--see A`yûñ'ini.

tadeyâ'statakûhi'--"we shall see each other." See number 75.

Tae-keo-ge--see Ta`ski'gi.

ta'gû--the June-bug (Allorhina nitida), also called

tu'ya-diskalaw'sti'ski, "one who keeps fire under the beans." See

number 59.

Ta'gwa--see Ani'ta'gwa.

Ta'gwadihi' (abbreviated Ta'gwadi')--"Catawba-killer," from Ata'gwa

or Ta'gwa, Catawba Indian, and dihihi, "he kills them" (habitually)

from tsi'ihû', "I kill." An old masculine personal name, still in

use upon the East Cherokee reservation. It was the proper name of the

chief known to the whites about 1790 as "The Glass," from a confusion

of this name with adake'`ti, glass, or mirror.

Tagwâ'hi--"Catawba place," from Ata'gwa or Ta'gwa, Catawba Indian, and

hi, locative. A name occurring in several places in the old Cherokee

country. A settlement of this name, known to the whites as Toccoa,

was upon Toccoa creek, east of Clarkesville, in Habersham county,

Georgia; another was upon Toccoa or Ocoee river, about the present

Toccoa, in Fannin county, Georgia; a third may have been on Persimmon

creek, which is known to the Cherokee as Tagwâ'hi, and enters Hiwassee

river some distance below Murphy, in Cherokee county, North Carolina.

Tahkeyostee--see Unta'kiyasti'yi.

Tahlequah--see Talikwa'.

Tahchee--see Tatsi'.

Takatoka--see De'gatâ'ga.

ta'ladu' (abbreviated taldu')--twelve, from ta'li, two. Cf. tala'tu,

cricket.

Ta`lasi'--a former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river,

about Talassee ford, in Blount county, Tennessee. The name has lost

its meaning.

Talassee--see Ta`lasi'.

tala'tu--cricket; sometimes also called dita'staye'ski (q. v.),

"the barber." Cf. ta'ladu', twelve.

Tâle'danigi'ski (Utâle'danigi'si, in a dialectic form)--variously

rendered by the whites "Hemp-carrier," "Nettle-carrier" or

"Flax-toter," from tâle'ta or utâle'ta, flax (Linum) or rich weed

(Pilea pumila), and danigi'ski, "he carries them (habitually)." A

former prominent chief on Valley river, in Cherokee county, North

Carolina. See number 95 and notes.

Talihina--given as the name of the Cherokee wife of Samuel Houston;

the form cannot be identified. See page 223.

Talikwa' (commonly written Tellico, Telliquo or, in the Indian

Territory, Tahlequah)--the name of several Cherokee settlements

at different periods, viz: 1. Great Tellico, at Tellico Plains,

on Tellico river, in Monroe county, Tennessee; 2. Little Tellico,

on Tellico creek of Little Tennessee river, about ten miles below

Franklin, in Macon county, North Carolina; 3. a town on Valley river,

about five miles above Murphy, in Cherokee county, North Carolina;

4. Tahlequah, established as the capital of the Cherokee Nation,

Indian Territory, in 1839. The meaning of the name is lost.

Tali'wa--the site of a traditional battle between the Cherokee and

Creeks about 1755, on Mountain (?) creek of Etowah river in upper

Georgia. Probably not a Cherokee but a Creek name from the Creek

ta'lua or ita'lua, town. See pages 38 and 384-385.

Talking-rock--see Nûñyû'-gûñwani'ski.

Tallulah--see Talulu'.

Tal-tsu'ska'-- "Two-heads," from ta'li, two, and tsu'ska', plural

of uska', (his) head. A Cherokee chief about the year 1800, known to

the whites as Doublehead.

taluli--pregnant; whence aluli', (she is) a mother, said of a woman.

Talulu' (commonly written Tallulah, and appearing in old documents,

from the Lower dialect, as Taruraw, Toruro, Turoree, etc.)--a name

occurring in two or more places in the old Cherokee country, viz:

1. An ancient settlement on the upper part of Tallulah river, in

Rabun county, Georgia; 2. a town on Tallulah creek of Cheowa river, in

Graham county, North Carolina. The word is of uncertain etymology. The

dulu'si frog is said to cry talulu'. See number 125. The noted falls

upon Tallulah river are known to the Cherokee as Ugûñ'yi, q. v.

Taluntiski--see Ata'lûñti'ski.

Tama`li--a name, commonly written Tomotley or Tomatola, occurring in at

least two places in the old Cherokee country, viz: 1. On Valley river,

a few miles above Murphy, about the present Tomatola, in Cherokee

county, North Carolina; 2. on Little Tennessee river, about Tomotley

ford, a few miles above Tellico river, in Monroe county, Tennessee. The

name can not be translated, and may be of Creek origin, as that tribe

had a town of the same name upon the lower Chattahoochee river.

Tanasi'--a name which can not be analyzed, commonly spelt Tennessee,

occurring in several places in the old Cherokee country, viz: 1. On

Little Tennessee river, about halfway between Citico and Toco creeks,

in Monroe county, Tennessee; 2. "Old Tennessee town," on Hiwassee

river, a short distance above the junction of Ocoee, in Polk county,

Tennessee; 3. on Tennessee creek, a head-stream of Tuckasegee river, in

Jackson county, North Carolina. Tanasqui, visited by Pardo in 1567 (see

page 29), may have been another place of the same name. See number 124.

Tanasqui--see Tanasi.

Ta`ski'gi (abbreviated from Ta`skigi'yi or Da`skigi'yi, the locative

yi being commonly omitted)--a name variously written Tae-keo-ge

(misprint), Tasquiqui, Teeskege, Tuscagee, Tuskegee, etc. derived from

that of a foreign tribe incorporated with the Cherokee, and occurring

as a local name both in the Cherokee and in the Creek country. 1. The

principal settlement of this name was on Little Tennessee river,

just above the junction of Tellico, in Monroe county, Tennessee;

2. another was on the north bank of Tennessee river, just below

Chattanooga, Tennessee; 3. another may have been on Tuskegee creek

of Little Tennessee river, near Robbinsville, Graham county, North

Carolina. See page 29 and number 105.

Tasquiqui--see Ta`ski'gi.

Tassel, Old--see Utsi'dsata'.

Tatsi'--"Dutch," also written Tahchee, a western Cherokee chief about

1830. See page 141.

tatsu'hwa--the redbird.

tawa'li--punk.

Tawa'li-ukwanûñ'ti--"Punk-plugged-in," from tawa'li, punk; the Cherokee

name of a traditional Shawano chief. See number 100.

tawi'ska, tawi'skage--smooth, slick.

Tawi'skala--"Flint"; a Cherokee supernatural, the personification

of the rock flint; tawi'skalûñ'i, tawi'skala, flint, from tawi'ska,

smooth, slick; cf. Iroquois Tawiskaroñ. See number 25 and notes.

Tayûnksi--a traditional western tribe; the name can not be

analyzed. See number 105.

Tellico--see Talikwa'.

telûñ'lati--the summer grape (Vitis æstivalis).

Tensawattee--see Ku'saweti'yi.

Terrapin--see Tûksi'.

tewa--flying squirrel; salâ'li, gray squirrel; kiyu`ga, ground

squirrel.

Thomas, W. H.--see Wil-usdi'.

Tikwali'tsi--a name occurring in several places in the old Cherokee

country, viz: 1. Tuckalegee creek, a tributary of War-woman creek, east

of Clayton, in Rabun county, Georgia; 2. the Tikwali'tsi of the story,

an important town on Tuckasegee river at the present Bryson City, in

Swain county, North Carolina; 3. Tuckalechee cove, on Little river,

in Blount county, Tennessee, which probably preserves the aboriginal

local name. The name appears in old documents as Tuckarechee (Lower

dialect) and Tuckalegee, and must not be confounded with Tsiksi'tsi

or Tuckasegee. It can not be translated. See number 100 and notes.

Timossy--see Tomassee.

Tlâge'si--"Field"; the Cherokee name for Lieutenant-Colonel

W. W. Stringfield of Waynesville, North Carolina, one of the officers

of the Cherokee contingent in the Thomas Legion. It is an abbreviated

rendering of his proper name.

tlâge'sitûñ'--a song form for tlâge'si a-stûñ'i, "on the edge of the

field," from tlâge'si, or tsâge'si, field, and astûñ'i, edge, border,

etc; ama'yastûñ', "the bank of a stream." See number 24.

tla'meha--bat (dialectic forms, tsa'meha, tsa'weha). See page 187.

tlanu'si'--leech (dialectic form, tsanu'si'). See page 187.

Tlanusi'yi (abbreviated Tlanusi')--"Leech place," a former important

settlement at the junction of Hiwassee and Valley rivers, the

present site of Murphy, in Cherokee county, North Carolina; also a

point on Nottely river, a few miles distant, in the same county. See

number 77 and notes. The name appears also as Clennuse, Klausuna,

Quoneashee, etc.

tla'nuwa' (dialectic forms, tsanuwa', sû'nawa', "sinnawah"--Adair)--a

mythic great hawk. See numbers 35, 64, 65, also page 187.

tla'nuwa' usdi'--"little tla'nuwa'"; probably the goshawk (Astur

atricapillus). See number 35.

Tla'nuwa'-atsiyelûñ'isûñ'yi--"Where the Tla'nuwa cut it up,"

from tla'nuwa', q. v., and tsiyelûñ'iskû', an archaic form for

tsigûñilûñ'iskû', "I am cutting it up." A place on Little Tennessee

river, nearly opposite the entrance of Citico creek, in Blount county,

Tennessee. See number 64 and notes.

Tla'nuwa'i--"Tla'nuwa place," a cave on the north side of Tennessee

river a short distance below the entrance of Citico creek, in Blount

county, Tennessee. See number 64 and notes.

tlay'kû'--jay (dialectic form, tsay'kû'). See page 187.

tlûñti'sti--the pheasant (Bonasa umbella), called locally grouse

or partridge.

tlutlu'--the martin bird (dialectic form, tsutsu'). See page 187.

tsûñtû'tsi--panther (dialectic form, tsûñtû'tsi). See page 187.

Tocax--a place, apparently in the Cherokee country, visited by Pardo

in 1567 (see page 29). It may possibly have a connection with Toxaway

(see Dûksa'i) or Toccoa (see Tagwâ'hi).

Toccoa--see Tagwâ'hi.

Toco--see Dakwâ'i.

Tollunteeskee--see Ata'lûñti'ski.

Tomassee (also written Timossy and Tymahse)--the name of two or more

former Cherokee settlements, viz: 1. On Tomassee creek of Keowee river,

in Oconee county, South Carolina; 2. on Little Tennessee river near

the entrance of Burningtown creek, in Macon county, South Carolina. The

correct form and interpretation are unknown.

Tomatola, Tomotley--see Tama`li.

Tooantuh--see Du'stu'.

Toogelah--see Dugilu'yi.

Toqua--see Dakwâ'i.

Toxaway--see Dûksa'i.

Track Rock gap--see Datsu'nalâsgûñ'yi.

Tsaga'si--a Cherokee sprite. See number 78.

tsâ'gi--upstream, up the road; the converse of ge'i. See number 117.

Tsaiyi'--see Ûñtsaiyi'.

Tsa'ladihi'--Chief N. J. Smith of the East Cherokee. The name might

be rendered "Charley-killer," from Tsali, "Charley," and dihi',

"killer" (in composition), but is really a Cherokee equivalent

for Jarrett (Tsaladi), his middle name, by which he was frequently

addressed. Cf. Tagwadihi.

tsâl-agayûñ'li--"old tobacco," from tsâlû, tobacco, and agayûñ'li, or

agâyûñ'lige, old, ancient; the Nicotiana rustica or wild tobacco. See

number 126.

Tsa'lagi' (Tsa'ragi' in Lower dialect)--the correct form of

Cherokee. See page 182, "Tribal Synonymy."

Tsa'li--Charley; a Cherokee shot for resisting the troops at the time

of the Removal. See page 131.

tsâliyu'sti--"tobacco-like," from tsâlû, tobacco, and iyu'sti,

like; a generic name for the cardinal-flower, mullein and related

species. See number 126.

tsâlû or tsâlûñ (in the Lower dialect, tsârû)--tobacco; by comparison

with kindred forms in other Iroquoian dialects the meaning "fire

to hold in the mouth" seems to be indicated. Lanman spells it

tso-lungh. See number 126 and page 187.

tsa'meha--see tla'meha.

tsa'nadiskâ'--for tsandiskâi, "they say."

tsana'sehâ'i--so they say, they say about him. See number 118.

tsâne'ni--the scorpion lizard; also called gi'ga-danegi'ski, q. v. See

number 59.

Tsani--John.

Tsantawû'--a masculine name which can not be analyzed.

Tsan-uga'sita--"Sour John"; John Butler, a halfbreed Cherokee ball

captain, formerly living on Nottely river. See number 122.

Tsan-usdi'--"Little John"; the Cherokee name for General John Sevier,

and also the boy name of the chief John Ross, afterward known as

Gu'wisguwi', q. v. Sikwi'a, a Cherokee attempt at "Sevier," is a

masculine name upon the East Cherokee reservation.

tsanu'si'--see tlanu'si'.

tsa'nuwa'--see tla'nuwa'.