The Cherokee language has the continental vowel sounds a, e, i, and u, but lacks o, which is replaced by a deep a. The obscure or short u 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 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.aas in far.ăas in what, or obscure as in showman.àas in law, all.dmedial (semisonant), approximating t.eas in they.ĕas in net.gmedial (semisonant), approximating k.has in hat.ias in pique.ĭas in pick.kas in kick.las in lull.ʻlsurd l (sometimes written hl), nearly the Welsh ll.mas in man.nas in not.rtakes place of 1 in Lower dialect.sas in sin.tas in top.uas in rule.ûas in cut.ûñû nasalized.was in wit.yas 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.Chimney Rock.Chimney Rock.“Like a monolith it risesTo a grand majestic height.”adaʻlanunʻsti—a staff or cane.adanʻta—soul.adaʻwehi—a magician or supernatural being.adaʻwehiʻyu—a very great magician; intensive form of adaʻwehi.aʻgana—groundhog.Aʻganstaʻta—“groundhog-sausage,” from aʻgana, ground-hog, and tsistaʻu, “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.Aʻgan-uniʻtsi—“Ground-hog’s mother,” from aʻgana and uniʻtsi, their mother, plural of utsiʻ, his mother (etsiʻ, agitsiʻ, my mother). The Cherokee name of the Shawano captive, who, according to tradition, killed the great Uktena serpent and procured the Ulunsuʻti.Agaweʻla—“Old Woman,” a formulistic name for corn or the spirit corn.agayunʻli—for agayunlige, old, ancient.agidaʻta—see edaʻta.agidutu—see eduʻtu.Agi′li—“He is rising,” possibly a contraction of an old personal name. Aginʻ-agi′li, “Rising-fawn.” Major George Lawrey, cousin of Sequoya, and assistant chief of the Cherokee Nation about 1840. Stanley incorrectly makes it “Keeth-la, or Dog” for gi′liʻ.aginʻsi—see eniʻsi.agiʻsi—female, applied usually to quadrupeds.Agisʻ-eʻgwa—“Great Female,” possibly “Great Doe.” A being, probably an animal god invoked in the sacred formulas.agitsiʻ—see etsiʻ.Agitsta′tiʻyi—“where they stayed up all night,” from tsigitsunʻtihu, “I stay up all night.” A place in the Great Smoky range about the head of Noland creek, in Swain County, N. C.Aguaquiri—see Guaquili.Ahaluʻna—“Ambush,” Ahalununʻyi, “Ambush place,” or Uniʻhaluʻna, “where they ambushed,” from akaluʻga, “I am watching.” Soco gap, at the head of Soco creek, on the line between Swain and Haywood counties, N. C. The name is also applied to the lookout station for deer hunters.ahanuʻlahi—“he is bearded,” from ahanuʻlahu, a beard.Ahuʻludeʻgi—“He throws away the drum” (habitual), from ahuʻli, drum, and akwadeʻgu, “I am throwing it away” (round object). The Cherokee name of John Jolly, a noted chief and adopted father of Samuel Houston, about 1800.ahyeliʻski—a mocker or mimic.aktaʻ—eye; plural, diktaʻ.aktaʻti—a telescope or field glass. The name denotes something with which to examine or look into closely, from aktaʻ, eye.akwanduʻli—a song form for akwiduʻli (-hu,) “I want it.”Akwan′ki—see Anakwanʻki.Akwe′tiʻyi—a location on Tuckasegee river, in Jackson county, North Carolina; the meaning of the name is lost.Alarka—see Yalagi.aligaʻ—the red-horse fish (Moxostoma).Alkiniʻ—the last woman known to be of Natchez decent and peculiarity among the East Cherokee; died about 1890. The name has no apparent meaning.amaʻ—water; in the Lower dialect, awaʻ; cf. aʻma salt.amayeʻhi—“dwelling in the water,” from amaʻ (amaʻyi, “in the water”) and ehuʻ, “I dwell,” “I live.”Amaye′l-eʻgwa—“Great island,” from amaye′li, island (from amaʻ, water, and aye′li, “in the middle”) and eʻgwa, great. A former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, at Big island, a short distance below the mouth of Tellico, in Monroe county, Tenn. Timberlake writes it Mialaquo, while Bartram spells it Nilaque. Not to be confounded with Long-Island town below Chattanooga.Amaye′li-gunahiʻta—“Long-island,” from amaye′li, island, and gunahiʻta, 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 Tsikamaʻgi).amaʻyineʻhi—“dwellers in the water,” plural of amayeʻhi.Anadaʻduntaski—“roasters,” i. e., cannibals; from gunʻtaskuʻ. “I am putting it (round) into the fire to roast.” The regular word for cannibals is Yunʻwiniʻgiski, q. v.anagahunʻunskuʻ—the green-corn dance; literally, “they are having a 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 AniʻNunʻdaweʻgi.a′neʻtsa, oranetsaʻgi—the ball-play.a′netsaʻunski—a ball-player; literally, “a lover of the ball-play.”aniʻ—a tribal and animate prefix.aniʻdaʻwehi—plural of adaʻwehi.aʻnigantiʻski—see dagan′tu.AniʻGatageʻwi—one of the seven Cherokee clans. The name has now no meaning, but has been absurdly rendered “Blind savana,” from an incorrect idea that it is derived from Igaʻti, a swamp or savanna, and digeʻwi, blind.Ani-Gilaʻhi—“Long-haired people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; singular, Agilaʻhi. The word comes from agilaʻhi (perhaps connected with afi′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.Aniʻ-Giliʻ—a problematic tribe, possibly the Congaree. The name is not connected with giʻliʻ, dog.Aniʻ-Gusa—see AniʻKuʻsa.aʻnigwa—soon after; dineʻtlana aʻnigwa, “soon after the creation.”Aniʻ-Hyunʻtikwalaʻski—“The Thunders,” 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. tikwaleʻlu, a wheel, hence a wagon; amaʻ-tikwalelunyi, “rolling water place,” applied to a cascade where the water falls along the surface of the rock; ahyunʻtikwalaʻstihuʻ, “it is thundering,” applied to the roar of a railroad train or waterfall.Aniʻ-Kawiʻ—“Deer people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; the regular form for deer is a′wiʻ.Aniʻ-Kawiʻta—the Lower Creeks, from Kawiʻta or Coweta, their former principal town on Chattahoochee river near the present Columbus, Ga.; the Upper Creeks on the head streams of Alabama river were distinguished as Aniʻ-Kuʻsa (q. v.) A small creek of Little Tennessee river above Franklin, in Macon county, N. C., is now known as Coweeta creek.Aniʻ-Kituʻhwagi—“Kituʻhwa people,” from Kituʻhwa (q. v.), an ancient Cherokee settlement.Aniʻ-Kuʻsa or Aniʻ-Guʻsa—the Creek Indians, particularly the Upper Creeks on the waters of Alabama river; singular AʻKuʻsa or Coosa (Spanish, Coca, Cossa) their principal ancient town.Aniʻ-Kutaʻni (also Aniʻ-Kwataʻni, or incorrectly, Nicotani)—traditional Cherokee priestly society or clan exterminated in a popular uprising.aninaʻhilidahi—“creatures that fly about,” from tsinaiʻli, “I am flying,”tsinaʻilidaʻhu, “I am flying about.” The generic term for birds and flying insects.Aniʻ-Na′tsi—abbreviated Anintsi, singular A-Na′tsi. The Natchez Indians. From coincidence with naʻtsi, pine, the name has been incorrectly rendered “Pine Indians,” whereas it is really a Cherokee plural name of the Natchez.Aninʻtsi—see AniʻNa′tsi.AniʻNundaweʻgi—singular, Nunʻdaweʻgi; the Iroquois, more particularly the Seneca, from Nundawao, the name by which the Seneca call themselves. Adair spells it Anantooeah. The tribe was also known as Aniʻ-Seʻnika.Aniʻ-Sahaʻni—one of the seven Cherokee clans; possibly an archaic form for “Blue people,” from sa′kaʻni, saʻkaʻnigeʻi, blue.Aniʻ-Saʻni, Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni—see Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi.Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi (singular Sawanuʻgi)—the Shawano Indians. Aniʻ-saʻni and Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni may be the same.Aniʻ-Seʻnika—see AniʻNundaweʻgi.Anisgaʻya Tsunsdiʻ (ga)—“The Little Men”; the Thunder Boys in Cherokee mythology.Aniʻ-sgayaiyi—“Men town” (?), a traditional Cherokee settlement on Valley river, in Cherokee county, North Carolina.Aniʻsgiʻna—plural of asgiʻna, q. v.Aniʻ-Skalaʻli—the Tuscarora Indian; singular, Skalaʻli or A-Skalaʻli.Aniʻskwaʻni—Spaniards; singular, Askwaʻni.Aniʻ-Suwaʻli—or Aniʻ-Swqaʻla—the Suala, Sara or Cheraw Indians, formerly about the headwatersof Broad river, North Carolina, the Xuala province of the De Soto chronicle, and Joara or Juada of the later Pardo narrative.Aniʻtaʻgwa—the Catawba Indians; singular, Ataʻgwa or Tagwa.Aniʻ-Tsaʻguhi—the Cherokee clan, transformed to bears according to tradition. Swimmer’s daughter bears the name Tsaguhi, which is not recognized as distinctively belonging to either sex.Aniʻ-Tsaʻlagiʻ—the Cherokee.Aniʻ-Tsa′ta—the Choctaw Indians; singular, Tsa′ta.Aniʻ-Tsiʻksu—the Chickasaw Indians; singular, Tsiʻksu.Aniʻ-Tsiʻskwa—“Bird people”; one of the seven Cherokee clans.Aniʻ-Tsuʻtsa—“The Boys,” from atsuʻtsa, boy; the Pleiades.Aniʻ-Waʻdi—“Paint people”; one of the seven Cherokee clans.Aniʻ-Wa′dihiʻ—“Place of 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 Aniʻ-Waʻdi or Paint clan.aniʻwaniʻski—the bugle weed,Lycopus virginicus; literally, “the talk” or “talkers,” from tsiwaʻnihu, “I am talking,” awaniski, “he talks habitually.”Aniʻ-Wasaʻsi—the Osage Indians; singular, Wasaʻsi.Aniʻ-Waʻya—“Wolf people”; the most important of the seven clans of the Cherokee.Aniʻ-Yunʻwiyaʻ—Indians, particularly Cherokee Indians; literally “principal or real people,” from yunwi, person, ya, a suffix implying principal or real, and aniʻ, the tribal prefix.Aniʻ-Yuʻtsi—the Yuchi or Uchee Indians; singular, Yuʻtsi.Annie Ax—see Sadayiʻ.Aquone—a post-office on Nantahala river, in Mason county, North Carolina, site of the former Fort Scott. Probably a corruption of egwani, river.Arch, John—see Atsi.Asaʻgwalihuʻ—a pack or burden; asaʻgwal luʻ, or asaʻgwi liʻ, “there is a pack on him.”asehiʻ—surely.Aseʻnika—singular of Aniʻ-Seʻnika.asgaʻya—man.asgaʻya Giʻgagei—the “Red Man”; the Lightning spirit.asgiʻna—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 Kasduʻyi and Untaʻkiyastiʻyi.asi—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.”asiyuʻ (abbreviated siyuʻ)—good; the common Cherokee salute; gaʻsiyuʻ, “I am good”; hasiyuʻ, “thou art good”; aʻsiyu, “he (it) is good”; astu, “very good.”Askwaʻni—a Spaniard. See Aniʻskwaʻni.astuʻ—very good; astu tsikiʻ, very good, best of all.Astuʻgataʻga—A Cherokee lieutenant in the Confederate service killed in 1862. 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; gataʻga, “he is standing”; stuti, a door or shutter; stuhu, a closed door or passage; stugiʻsti, a key, i. e., something with which to open the door.asunʻtli, asuntlunʻyu—a footlog or bridge; literally, “log lying across,” from asiʻta, log.ataʻ—wood; ataʻya, “principal wood,” i. e., oak; cf. Muscogee iti, wood.Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ—a noted Cherokee chief, recognized by the British government as the head chief or “emperor” of the Nation, about 1760 and later, and 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 ataʻ, “Wood” and gul kalu, 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.”Ataʻgwa—a Catawba Indian.Atahiʻta—abbreviated from Atahitunʻyi, “Place where they shouted,” from gataʻhiuʻ, “I shout,” and yi, locative. Waya gap, on the ridge west of Franklin, Macon county, North Carolina. The map name is probably from the Cherokee wa ya, wolf.Ata-Kullakulla—see Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ.aʻtali—mountain; in the Lower dialect aʻtari, whence the “Ottare” or Upper Cherokee of Adair. The form aʻtali is used only in composition; and mountain in situ is atalunyi or gatuʻsi.aʻtali-guliʻ—“it climbs the mountain,” i. e., “mountain-climber”; the ginseng plant,Ginseng quinquefolium; from aʻtali, mountain, and guliʻ, “it climbs” (habitually); tsilahiʻ or tsiliʻ, “I amclimbing.” Also called in the sacred formulas, Yunʻwi Usdiʻ, “Little man.”Atalaʻnuwaʻ—“Tlaʻnuwa hole”; the Cherokee name of Chattanooga, Tennessee (see tsatanuʻgi); originally applied to a bluff on the south side of the Tennessee river, at the foot of the present Market street.aʻtaluluʻ—unfinished, premature, unsuccessful; whence utaluʻli, “it is not yet time.”Ataʻluntiʻski—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.Aʻtari—see aʻtali.atasiʻ (or atasaʻ, in a dialectic form)—a war-club.atatsunʻski—stinging; literally, “he stings” (habitually).Aʻtsi—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.atsiʻla—fire; in the Lower dialect, atsiʻra.Atsiʻla-waʻi—“Fire—”; a mountain sometimes known as Rattlesnake knob, about two miles northeast of Cherokee, Swain county, N. C.Atsilʻ-dihyeʻgi—“Fire-Carrier”; apparently the Cherokee name for the will-of-the-wisp. As is usually the case in the Cherokee compounds, the verbal form is plural (“it carries fire”); the singular form is ahyeʻgi.Atsilʻ-sunti (abbreviated tsilʻ-sunti)—fleabane (Erigeron canadense); the name signifies “material with which to make fire,” from atsiʻla, fire, and gasunti,gatsunti or gatlunti, material with which to make something, from fasunʻsku (or gatlunʻsku), “I make it.” The plant is also called ihyaʻga.atsilʻ-tluntuʻtsi—“fire-panther.” A meteor or comet.Aʻtsinaʻ—cedar.Aʻtsinaʻ-k taʻum—“Hanging cedar place”; from aʻtsinaʻ, cedar, and k taʻun, “where it (long) hangs down”; a Cherokee name for the old Taskigi town on the Little Tennessee river in Monroe county, Tenn.Atsiʻra—see atsiʻla.Atsunʻsta tiʻyi (abbreviated Atsunʻsta ti)—“Fire-light place,” 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, Ga.Attakullakulla—see Ata-gul kaluʻ.awaʻ—see amaʻ.awaʻhili—eagle; particularlyAquila Chrysaetus, distinguished as the “pretty-feathered eagle.”awiʻ—deer; also sometimes written and pronounced ahawiʻ; the name is sometimes applied to the large horned beetle, the flying stag of early writers.awiʻ-ahanuʻlahi—goat; literally “bearded deer.”awiʻ-ahyeliʻski—“deer mocker”; the deer bleat, a sort of whistle used by hunters to call the doe by imitating the cry of the fawn.awiʻ-aktaʻ—“deer eye”; theRudbeckiaor black-eyed Susan.awiʻ-eʻgwa (abbreviated aw-eʻgwa)—the elk, literally “great deer.”awiʻ-unadeʻna—sheep; literally “woolly deer.”AwiʻUsdiʻ—“Little Deer,” the mythic chief of the Deer tribe.Ax, Annie—see Sadayiʻ.Ax, John—see Itaguʻnahi.awe li—half, middle, in the middle.Ayphwaʻsi—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 Ayuhwaʻsi Egwaʻhi or Great Hiwassee, was on the north bank of Hiwassee river at the present Savannah ford above Columbus, in Polk county, Tenn. The other was farther up the same river, at the junction of Peachtree creek, above Murphy, in Cherokee county, N. C. Lanman writes it Owassa.Ayrate—see eʻladiʻ.Aysʻsta—“The Spoiler,” from tsiyaʻstihu, “I spoil it”; cf. uyaʻi, bad. A prominent woman and informant on the East Cherokee reservation.Ayunʻini—“Swimmer”; literally, “he is swimming,” from gayuniniʻ, “I am swimming.” A principal priest and informant of the East Cherokee, died in 1899.Ayulsuʻ—see Dayulsunʻyi.Beaverdam—see Uy′gilaʻgi.Big-Cove—see Kaʻlanunʻyi.Big-Island—see Amaye′l-eʻgwa.Big-Witch—see Tskil-eʻgwa.Bird-Town—see Tsiskwaʻhi.Bloody-Fellow—see Iskagua.Blythe—see Diskwani.Black-fox—see Inaʻli.Boudinot, Elias—see Galagiʻna.Bowl, The; Bowles, Colonel—see Diwali.Brass—see Untsaiyiʻ.Brasstown—see Itseʻyi.Breadth, The—see Unliʻta.Briertown—see Kanuʻgulaʻyi.Buffalo (creek)—see Yunsaʻi.Bull-Head—see Sukwaleʻna.Butler, John—see Tsanʻ-ugaʻsita.Cade’s Cove—see Tsiyaʻhi.Canacaught—“Canacaught, the great Conjurer,” mentioned as a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; possibly kanegwaʻti, the water-moccasin snake.Canaly—see hiʻginaʻlii.Canasagua—see Gansaʻgi.Cannastion, Cannostee—see Kanaʻsta.Canuga—see Kanuʻga.Cartoogaja—see Gatuʻgitseʻyi.Cataluchee—see Gadaluʻtsi.Cauchi—a place, apparently in the Cherokee county, visited by Pardo in 1567.Caunasaita—given as the name of a Lower Chief in 1684; possibly for Kanunsiʻta, “dogwood.”Chalaque—see Tsaʻlagi.Chattanooga—see Tsatanuʻgi.Chattooga, Chatuga—see Tsatuʻgi.Cheeowhee—see Tsiyaʻhi.Cheerake—see Tsaʻlagi.Cheraw—see Aniʻ-Suwaʻli.Cheowa—see Tsiyaʻhi.Cheowa Maximum—see Schwateʻyi.Cheraqui—see Tsaʻlagi.Cherokee—see Tsaʻlagi.Chestatee—see Atsunʻsta tiʻyi.Chestua—see Tsistuʻyi.Cheucunsene—see Tsiʻkamaʻgi.Chilhowee—see Tsu lunʻwe.Chimney Tops—see Duniʻskwa lgunʻi.Chisca—mentioned in the De Soto narratives as a mining region in the Cherokee country. The name may have a connection with Tsiʻskwa, “bird,” possibly Tsiskwaʻhi, “Bird place.”Choastea—see Tsistuʻyi.Chopped Oak—see Digaluʻyatunʻyi.Choquata—see Itsaʻti.Citico—see Siʻtikuʻ.Clear-sky—see Iskagua.Clennuse—see Tlanusiʻyi.Cleveland—see Tsistetsiʻyi.Coca—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa.Coco—see Kukuʻ.Cohutta—see Gahuʻti.Colanneh, Colona—see Kaʻlanu.Conasauga—see Gansaʻgi.Conneross—see Kawanʻ-uraʻsunyi.Coosawatee—see Kuʻsawetiʻyi.Cooweescoowee—see Guʻwisguwiʻ.Coosa—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa, Kusa.Corani—see Kaʻlanu.Coweeʻ—see Kawiʻyi.Coweeta, Coweta—see Aniʻ-Kawiʻta.Coyatee (variously spelled Cawatie, Coiatee, Coytee, Coytoy, Kai-a-tee)—a former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, some ten miles below the junction of Tellico, about the present Coytee post-office in Loudon county, Tennessee.Creek-path—see Kuʻsa-nunnaʻhi.Crow-town—see Kagunʻyi.Cuhtahlatah—a Cherokee woman noted in the Wahnenauhi manuscript as having distinguished herself by bravery in battle. The proper form mayhave some connection with gatunʻlati, “wild hemp.”Cullasagee—see Kulseʻtsiʻyi.Cullowhee, Currahee—see Gulahiʻyi.Cuttawa—see Kituʻhwa.Dagan tu—“he makes it rain”; from agaʻska, “it is raining,” agaʻna, “it has begun to rain”; a small variety of lizard whose cry is said to presage rain. It is also called aʻnigantiʻski, “they make it rain” (plural form), or rain-maker.dagul ku—the American white-fronted goose. The name may be an onomatope.daguʻna—the fresh-water mussel; also a variety of face pimples.Dagunʻhi—“Mussel place,” from daguʻna, mussel, and hi, locative. The Mussel shoals on Tennessee river, in northwestern Alabama. It was sometimes called also simply Tsu stanalunʻyi, “Shoal’s place.”Daguʻnawaʻlahi—“Mussel-liver place,” from daguʻna, mussel, uweʻla, liver, and hi, locative; the Cherokee name for the site of Nashville, Tenn. No reason can now be given for the name.Dahlonega—A town in Lumpkin county, Ga., near which the first gold was mined. A mint was established there in 1838. The name is from the Cherokee dalaʻnigeʻi, yellow, whence ateʻla-dalaʻ-nigeʻi, “yellow money,” i. e., gold.daksawaʻihu—“he is shedding tears.”dakwaʻ—a mythic great fish; also the whale.Dakwaʻi—“dakwa place,” from a tradition of a dakwaʻ in the river at that point. A former Cherokee settlement, known to the traders as Toqua or Toco, on Little Tennessee river, about the mouthof Toco creek in Monroe county, Tenn. A similar name and tradition attaches to a spot on the French Broad river, about six miles above the Warm springs, in Buncombe county, N. C.dakwaʻnitlastesti—“I shall have them on my legs for garters”; from anitlaʻsti (plural dinitlaʻsti), garter; d-, initial plural; akwa, first person particle; and esti, future suffix.daʻlikstaʻ—“vomiter,” from dagikʻstihuʻ, “I am vomiting,” dalikstaʻ, “he vomits” (habitually); the form is plural. The spreading adder (Heterodon), also sometimes called kwandayaʻhu, a word of uncertain etymology.Daʻnagasta—for Daʻ nawa-gastaʻya, “Sharp-war,” i. e., “Eager-warrior;”a Cherokee woman’s name.Daʻ nawa-(a)sa tsunʻyi, “War-ford,” from daʻ nawa, war, and asa tsunʻyi, “a crossing-place or ford.”A ford on Cheowa river about three miles below Robbinsville, in Graham county, N. C.Dandaʻganuʻ—“Two looking at each other,” from detsiʻganuʻ, “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, Ga. One of the Chickamauga towns (see Tsiʻkamaʻgi), so-called on account of the appearance of the mountains facing each other across the Tennessee river at Chattanooga.Daʻsi giyaʻgi—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 Daʻsi giyaʻgi, and the same name is now used by the East Cherokee as the equivalent of the name Lloyd.Daʻskwitunʻyi—“Rafter’s Place,” from daskwitunʻi, rafters, and yi, locative. A former settlement on Tusquittee creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, North Carolina.dasunʻtali—ant; dasunʻtali, “stinging ant,” the large red cowant (Myrmica?), also called sometimes, on account of its hard body-case, nunʻyunuʻwi, “stone-clad,” after the fabulous monster.Datleʻyastaʻi—“where they fell down,” a point on Tuckasegee river, a short distance above Webster, in Jackson county, North Carolina.datsi—a traditional water-monster.Datsiʻyi—“Datsi place”; a place on Little Tennessee river, near junction of Eagle creek, in Swain county, North Carolina.Datsuʻnalagunʻyi—“where there are tracks or footprints,” from utaʻsinunʻyi or ulasgunʻyi, footprint. Track Rock gap, near Blairsville, Georgia. Also sometimes called Deʻgayelunʻha, “place of branded marks.”daʻyi—beaver.Dayulsunʻyi—“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.daʻyuniʻsi—“beaver’s grandchild,” from dayi, beaver, and uniʻsi, son’s child of either sex. The water beetle or mellow bug.Degal gunʻyi—a cairn, literally “where they are piled up”; a series of cairns on the south side of Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.Deʻgataʻga—The Cherokee name of General Stamd Watie and of a prominent early western chief known to the whites as Takatoka. The word is derived from tsitaʻga, “I am standing,” da nitaʻga “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.Deʻgayelunʻha—see Datsuʻnalagunʻyi.detsanunʻli—an enclosure 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 cannot be certainly analyzed.Deʻtsata—a Cherokee sprite.detsinuʻlahunguʻ—“I tried, but failed.”Didalaskiʻyi—“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 (atsiʻla) or rain (afaska, “it is raining”); degalaskuʻ, “they are showering down and lodging upon him.”Didaʻskastiʻyi—“where they were afraid of each other,” a spot on Little Tennessee river, near the mouth of Alarka creek, in Swain county, N. C.digaʻgwaniʻ—the mud-hen or didapper. The name is plural form and implies “lame,” or “crippled in the legs” (cf. detsiʻnigwaʻna, “I am kneeling”),probably from the bouncing motion of the bird when in the water. It is also the name of a dance.Digaʻkatiʻyi—see Gakatiʻyi.diʻgalungunʻyi—“where it rises, or comes up”; the east. The sacred term is Nundaʻyi, q. v.digalunʻlatiyun—a height, one of a series, from galunʻlati, “above.”Digaluʻyatunʻyi—“where it is gashed (with hatchets)”; from tsiluʻyu, “I am cutting (with a chopping stroke),” di, plural prefix, and yi, locative. The Chopped Oak, formerly east of Clarkesville, Ga.Diganeʻski—“he picks them up” (habitually), from tsineʻu, “I am picking it up.” A Cherokee Union soldier in the Civil War.digiʻgageʻi—the plural of giʻgageʻi, red.diguʻlanahiʻta—for diguʻli-anahiʻta, “having long ears,” “long-eared”; from gule, “ear” and gunahiʻta, “long.”Dihyunʻdulaʻ—“sheaths,” or “scabbards”; singular ahyunʻdulaʻ, “a gun-sheath,” or other scabbard. The probable correct form of a name which appears in Revolutionary documents as “Untoola, or Gum Rod.”Diktaʻ—plural of Aktaʻ, eye.dilaʻ—skunk.dilstaʻyati—“scissors”; the water-spider (Dolomedes).dindaʻskwateʻski—the violet; the name signifies, “they pull each others' heads off.”dineʻtlana—the creation.di nuski—“the breeder”; a variety of smilax brier.Disgaʻgistiʻyi—“where they gnaw”; a place on Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.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.Distaiʻyi—“they are strong,” plural of astaiʻyi, “strong or tough.” The Tephrosia or devil’s shoestring.distaʻsti—a mill (generic).ditaʻstayeski—“a barber,” literally “one who cuts things (as with scissors), from tsistaʻyu, “I cut.” The cricket (talaʻtu) is sometimes so-called.Diwaʻli—“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 may have been another of the same name.diyaʻhali (or duyaʻhali)—the alligator lizard (Sceloporue undulatus).Diyaʻhaliʻyi—“Lizard’s place,” from diyaʻhali, lizard, and yi, locative. Joanna Bald, a mountain at the head of Valley river on the line between Cherokee and Graham counties, North Carolina.Double-Head—see Tal-tsuʻskaʻ.Dragging-Canoe—see Tsiʻyu-gunsiʻni.Dudunʻleksunʻyi—“where its legs were broken off”; a place on Tuckasegee river, a few miles above Webster, in Jackson county, N. C.Dugiluʻyi (abbreviated Dugiluʻ, 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, Ga. The word is of uncertain etymology; but seems to refer to a place at the forks of a stream.Dukasʻi, Dukwasʻi—The correct form of the name commonly written Toxaway, applied to a former Cherokee settlement in S. C., and the creek upon which it stood, and extreme headstream of Keowee river having its source in Jackson county, N. C. The meaning of the name is lost, although it hasbeen wrongly interpreted to mean “place of shedding tears.”Dulastunʻyi—“Potsherd place.” A former Cherokee settlement on Nottely river in Cherokee county, North Carolina.duleʻtsi—“kernels,” a goitrous swelling upon the throat.duluʻsi—a variety of frog found upon the headwaters of Savannah river.Duniya ta lunʻyi—“where there are shelves, or flat places,” from aya teʻni, flat, whence daʻya tana lunʻi, a shelf, and yi, locative. A gap on the Great Smoky range, near Clingman’s dome, Swain county, N. C.Duniduʻlalunʻyi—“where they made arrows”; a place on Straight creek, a headstream of Oconaluftee river, in Swain county, N. C.Duniʻskwa lgunʻi—the double peak known as the Chimney Tops, in Great Smoky Mountains about the head of Deep creek, in Swain county, N. C. On the north side is the pass known as Indian gap. The name signifies a “forked antler,” from uskwa lgu, antler, but indicates that the antler is attached in place, as though the deer itself were concealed below.Duʻstayalunʻyi—“where it made a noise as of thunder or shooting,” apparently referring to a lightningstrike(detsistayaʻhihu, “I make a shooting or thundering noise,” might be a first person form used by thepersonifiedThundergod); a spot on Hiwassee river, about the junction of Shooting creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, N. C. A former settlement along the creek bore the same name.duʻstuʻ—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 Tatsiʻ.duwe ga—a spring lizard.Eagle Dance—see Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti.Eastinaulee—see Uʻstanaʻli.Echota, New—see Gansaʻgi.edata—my father (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agidaʻta.Ediʻhi—“He goes about” (habitually); a masculine name.edutu—my maternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agidu tu; cf. enisi.egwa—great; cf. utanu.egwani—river.Egwanulti—“By the river,” from egwa ni, river, and nulati or nulti, near, beside. The proper form of Oconaluftee, the name of the river flowing thru the East Cherokee reservation in Swain and Jackson Counties, N. C. The town, Oconaluftee, 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.eladi—low, below; in the Lower dialect eradi, whence the Ayrata or Lower Cherokee of Adair, as distinguished from the Ottara (atari, atali) or Upper Cherokee.elanti—a song form for eladi, q. v.Elatseʻyi, (abbreviated Elatse)—“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 S. C.; another was on Ellijay creek of Little Tennessee river, near the present Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.; another was about the present Ellijay in Gilmer Co., Ga.; and still another was on Ellijay creek of Little river, near the present Maryville, in Blount Co., Tenn.Elawa diyi (abbreviated Elawa di)—“Red-earth place,” from ela, earth, wadi, brown-red or red paint, and yi, the locative. 1. The Cherokee name ofYellow-Hillsettlement, now officially known as Cherokee, the post office and agency headquarters for the East Cherokee, on Oconaluftee river, in Swain Co., N. C. 2. A former council ground known in history as Red Clay; at the site of the present village of that name in Whitfield Co., Ga., adjoining the Tennessee line.Ellijay—see Elatseʻyi.eni si—my paternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agani si, cf. edutu.Eskaqua—see Iskagua.Estanaula, Estinaula—see Uʻstanaʻli.Etawa ha tsistatlaʻski—“Deadwood-lighter,” a traditional Cherokee conjurer.eti—old, long ago.Etowah—see Iʻtawaʻ.Etsaiyi—see Untsaiyi.etsi—my mother (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agitsi.Euharlee—see Yuhaʻli.Feather dance—see Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti.Fightingtown—see Walasʻ-unulsti yi.Flax-toter—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.Flying-squirrel—see Kaʻlahuʻ.Frogtown—see Walasiʻyi.Gadaluʻla—the proper name of the mountain known to the whites as Yonah (from yanu, bear); or upper Chattahoochee river, in White Co., Ga. The name has no connection with Tallulah (see Talulu) and cannot be translated.Gadaluʻtsi—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, N. C., 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 wadaluʻyata, fringe, gaduʻta, “standing up in a row or series.”gahawiʻsiti—parched corn.Gahuti (Gahuʻta and Gwahuʻti in dialect forms)—Cohutta mountains in Murray Co., Ga. The name comes from gahutaʻyi, “ashed roof supported on poles”, and refers to a fancied resemblance in the summit.Gakatiʻyi—“place of setting fire”; something spoken in the plural form, Digaʻkatiʻyi, “place of the setting free.” A point on Tuckasegee river, about three miles above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N. C.gaktunʻta—an injunction, command or rule, more particularly a prohibition or ceremonial tabu. Tsigaʻteʻgu. “I am observing an injunction or tabu”; adakteʻgi, “he is under tabu regulations.”Galagiʻna—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.galiʻsgisidaʻhu—“I am dancing about”; from galiʻsgia, “I am dancing,” and edahu, “I am going about.”galunkwʻtiʻyo—honored; sacred; used in the bible to mean holy, hallowed.galunʻlati—above, on high.ganeʻga—skin.ganidawaʻski—“the champion catchfly” or “rattlesnake’s master” (Silene stellata); the name signifies “it disjoints itself,” from ganidawskuʻ, “it is unjointing itself,” on account of the peculiar manner in which the dried stalk breaks off at the joints.Gansagi (or Gansagiyi)—the name of several former settlements in the old Cherokee country; it cannot be analyzed. One of this name was upon Tuckasegee river, a short distance above the present Webster, in Jackson Co., N. C.; another was on the lower part of Canasauga creek, in McMinn Co., Tenn.; a third was at the junction of Conasauga and Coosawatee rivers, where afterwards was located the Cherokee capital, New Echota, in Gordon Co., Ga.; 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 Kennesaw mountain, Ga.Gansaʻtiʻyi—“robbing place,” from tsinaʻsahunsku, “I am robbing him.” Vengeance creek of Valley river in Cherokee Co., N. C. The name vengeance was originally a white man’s nickname for an old Cherokee woman, of forbidding aspect, who lived there before the Removal.Ganseʻti—a rattle; as the Cherokee dance rattle is made from the gourd, the masculine name, Ganseʻti, is usually rendered by the whites, “rattling-gourd.”gatausti—the wheel and stick of the Southern tribes, incorrectly called nettecwaw by Timberlake.Gategwaʻ—for Gategwaʻhi, possibly a contraction of Igat(I)-egwaʻhi, “Great-swamp, “thicket place.” A high peak southeast from Franklin, Macon Co., N. C., and perhaps identical with Fodderstack mountain.gaʻtsu—see hatluʻ.Gatuʻgitseʻyi (abbreviated Gatuʻgitseʻ)—“New-settlement place,” from gatuʻgi or agatuʻgi, town, settlement, itsehi, new, especially applied to new vegetation, and yi, the locative. A former settlement on Cartoogaja creek near the present Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.Gatugiʻyi—“Town building place,” or “Settlement place,” from gatuʻgi, a settlement, and yi, locative. A place on Santeetla creek, near Robbinsville, in Graham Co., N. C.Gatunʻitiʻyi—“Hemp place,” from Gatunʻlati, “wild hemp” (Apocynum cannabinum), and yi, locative. A former Cherokee settlement, commonly known as Hemptown, on the creek of the same name, near Morgantown, in Fannin Co., Ga.Gatunʻwaʻli—a noted western Cherokee, about 1842, known to the whites as Hardmush or Big-Mush.Gatunʻwaʻli, from gaʻtuʻ, “bread,” and unwaʻli, “made into balls or lumps,” is a sort of mush or parched corn meal, made very thick, so that it can be dipped out in lumps almost of the consistency of bread.geʻi—down stream, down the road, with the current; tsaʻgi, up stream.geseʻi—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 hiʻgeseʻi it usually accompanies an emphatic repetition.Geʻyaguʻga (for Ageʻhyaʻ-guga?)—a formulistic name for the moon (nunʻdaʻ); it cannot be analyzed, but seems to contain the word ageʻhya, “woman.” See also nunʻdaʻ.giʻga—blood; cf. giʻgageʻi, red.giʻga-danegiʻski—“blood taker,” from giʻga, blood, and adaʻnegiʻski, “one who takes liquids,” from tsiʻnegiaʻ (liquid). Another name for the tsaneʻni or scorpion lizard.giʻgageʻi—red, bright red, scarlet; the brown-red of certain animals and clays is distinguished as waʻdigeʻi.giʻga-tsuhaʻli—“bloody-mouth,” literally “having blood on the corners of his mouth”; from giʻga, blood, and tsuhanunsiʻyi, the corners of the mouth (ahaʻli, his mouth). A large lizard, probably the pleistodon.gili—dog; the Lower dialect, giʻri.Gili-dinehunʻyi—“where the dogs live,” from gili, dog, dinehuʻ, “they dwell” (ehu, “I dwell”), and yi, locative. A place on Oconaluftee river, a short distance above the present Cherokee in Swain Co., N. C.Giʻliʻ-utsunʻstanunʻyi—“where the dog ran,” from giliʻ, dog, and Utsunʻstanunʻyi, “footprints made by an animal running”; the Milky way.ginunti—a song form for gunuʻtiiʻ, “to lay him (animate object) upon the ground.”giri—see giʻliʻ.Gisehunʻyi—“where the female lives,” from agiʻsi, female, and yi, locative. A place on Tuckasegee river a short distance above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N. C.gitʻlu—hair. (Upper dialect); in Lower and Middle dialects gitsu.Glass, The—see Taʻgwadihiʻ.Gohoma—A Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be identified.Going-snake—see Iʻnadunaʻi.Gorhaleka—a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be identified.Great Island—see Amayel-eʻgwa.Gregory Bald—seeTsistuʻyi.Guachoula—see Guaxule.Guaquila (Waki la)—a town in the Cherokee country, visited by De Soto in 1540, and again in 1567 by Pardo, who calls it Aguaquiri, and the name may have a connection with waguli, “Whippoorwill,” or with uʻwaʻgiʻli, “foam.”Guasula—see Guaxule.Gusila—see Guaxule.Guaxule—a town in Cherokee county, visited in 1540 by De Soto. It was probably about at Nacoochee mound in White Co., Ga.guʻdayʻwu—“I have sewed myself together”; “I am sewing,” tsiyeʻwiaʻ; “I am sewing myself together.”gugweʻ—the quail or partridge.gugweʻulasuʻla—“partridge moccasin,” from guewe, partridge, and ulasula, moccasin or shoe; the lady slipper.Gulahiʻyi (abbreviated Gulahiʻ, or Gurahiʻ, in the Lower dialect)—“Gulaʻhi place,” so-called from the 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 Co., Ga., the other on Cullowhee river, an upper branch of Tuckasegee, in Jackson Co., N. C. Currahee Dick was a noted chief about the year 1820.Guʻlaniʻyi—a Cherokee and Natchez settlement, formerly about the junction of Brasstown creek with Hiwassee river, a short distance above Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C. The etymology of the word is doubtful.guleʻ—acorn.guleʻdiskaʻnihi—the turtle-dove; literally “it cries, or mourns, for acorns,” from gule, acorn, and diskaʻnihiʻ, “it cries for them,” (di-. plural prefix, hi, habitual suffix). The turtle-dove feeds upon acorns and its cry somewhat resembles the name, gule.guleʻgi—“climber,” from tsilahi, “I climb” (second person, hiʻlahi; third person, gulahi); the blacksnake.Gulʻkalaʻski—an earlier name for Tsunuʻlahunʻski, q. v.gulʻkwaʻgi—seven; also the mole-cricket.gulʻkwaʻgine(-i)—seventh; from gulʻkwagi, seven.Gulsadihi (or Gultsadihiʻ?) a masculine name of uncertain etymology.gunahiʻti—long.Guʻnahitunʻyi—Long place (i. e., Long valley), from gunahiʻti, 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 Co., N. C. The various settlements on Valley river and the adjacent part of Hiwassee were known collectively as “Valley towns.”Gunʻdiʻgaduhunʻyi (abbreviated Gunʻ-digaduʻhun)—“Turkey settlement” (guʻna, 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, Co., Ala.guʻni—arrow. Cf. Senica, gaʻna.gunʻnageʻi (or gunʻnage) black.Gunneʻhi—see Nunneʻhi.Gunskaliʻski—a masculine personal name of uncertain etymology.Gunters Landing, Guntersville—see Kuʻsa-Nunnaʻhi.Gun-tuskwaʻli—“short arrows,” from guni, arrow, and tsuskwaʻli, plural of uskaʻli, short; a traditional western tribe.Gununʻdaʻleʻgi—see Nunna-hiʻdihi.Gustiʻ—a traditional Cherokee settlement on Tennessee river, near Kingston, Roane Co., Tenn. The name cannot be analyzed.Guʻwisguwiʻ—The Cherokee name of 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 Tsanʻusdi, “Little John.”Gwalʻgaʻhi—“Frog-place,” from gwalʻgu, a variety of frog, and hi, locative. A place on Hiwassee river, just above the junction of Peachtree creek, near Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C.; about 1755 the site of a village of refugee Natchez, and later of a Baptist mission.gweheʻ—a cricket’s cry.Ha!—an introductory exclamation intended to attract attention or add emphasis; about equivalent to Here! Now!Haʻ-maʻmaʻ—a song term compounded of ha! an introductory exclamation, and mamaʻ, a word which has no analysis, but is used in speaking to young children to mean “let me carry you on my back.”Hanging-maw—see Uskwaʻli-guʻta.haʻnia-lilʻ-lilʻ—an unmeaning dance refrain.Hard-mush—see Gatunʻwali.haʻtlu—dialectic form, gaʻtsu, “where?” (interrogative).haʻwiyeʻehiʻ, haʻwiyeʻhyuweʻ—unmeaning dance refrains.hayuʻ—an emphatic affirmative, about equivalent to “Yes, sir.”hayuyaʻhaniwaʻ—an unmeaning refrain in one of the bear songs.he-e!—an unmeaning song introduction.Hemp-carrier—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.Hemptown—see Gatunltiʻyi.hi!—unmeaning dance exclamation.Hickory-log—see Waneʻ-asunʻtlunyi.hiʻginaʻlii—“(you are) my friend”; afinaʻlii, “(he is) my friend.” In white man’s jargon, canaly.Hightower—see Iʻtawaʻ.hilaʻgu?—how many? how much? (Upper dialect); the Middle dialect form is hunguʻ.hilahiʻyu—long ago; the final yu makes it more emphatic.hiʻlunnu—“(thou) go to sleep”; from tsiʻlihuʻ, “I am asleep.”hiʻski—five; cf. Mohawk wisk. The Cherokee numerals including 10 are as follows: saʻgwu, taʻli, tsaʻi, nunʻgi, hiʻski, suʻtali, gul kwaʻgi, tsuneʻla, askaʻhiHiwassee—Ayuhwaʻsi.hiʻyaguʻwe—an unmeaning dance refrain.Houston, Samuel—see Kaʻlanu.huhu—the yellow-breasted chat, or yellow mocking bird (Icteria virens); the name is an onomatope.hunyahuʻska—“he will die.”hwiʻlahiʻ—“thou (must) go.”Iauʻnigu—an important Cherokee settlement, commonly known to the whites as Seneca, formerly on Keowee river, about the mouth of Conneross creek, in Oconee county, S. C. 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.igaguʻti—daylight. The name is sometimes applied to the ulunsuʻti (q. v.) and also to the clematis vine.iʻhya—the cane reed (Arundinaria) of the Gulf states, used by the Indians for blow-guns, fishing rods and basketry.ihyaʻga—see atsilʻsunti.inaduʻ—snake.Iʻnadu-naʻi—“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 astaʻi, “I am going along with him.”The name has been given to a district of the present Cherokee Nation.iʻnageʻhi—dwelling in the wilderness, an inhabitant of the wilderness; from iʻnageʻi “wilderness,” and ehi, habitual present form of ehu, “he is dwelling”; geʻu, “I am dwelling.”
The Cherokee language has the continental vowel sounds a, e, i, and u, but lacks o, which is replaced by a deep a. The obscure or short u 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 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.aas in far.ăas in what, or obscure as in showman.àas in law, all.dmedial (semisonant), approximating t.eas in they.ĕas in net.gmedial (semisonant), approximating k.has in hat.ias in pique.ĭas in pick.kas in kick.las in lull.ʻlsurd l (sometimes written hl), nearly the Welsh ll.mas in man.nas in not.rtakes place of 1 in Lower dialect.sas in sin.tas in top.uas in rule.ûas in cut.ûñû nasalized.was in wit.yas 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.Chimney Rock.Chimney Rock.“Like a monolith it risesTo a grand majestic height.”adaʻlanunʻsti—a staff or cane.adanʻta—soul.adaʻwehi—a magician or supernatural being.adaʻwehiʻyu—a very great magician; intensive form of adaʻwehi.aʻgana—groundhog.Aʻganstaʻta—“groundhog-sausage,” from aʻgana, ground-hog, and tsistaʻu, “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.Aʻgan-uniʻtsi—“Ground-hog’s mother,” from aʻgana and uniʻtsi, their mother, plural of utsiʻ, his mother (etsiʻ, agitsiʻ, my mother). The Cherokee name of the Shawano captive, who, according to tradition, killed the great Uktena serpent and procured the Ulunsuʻti.Agaweʻla—“Old Woman,” a formulistic name for corn or the spirit corn.agayunʻli—for agayunlige, old, ancient.agidaʻta—see edaʻta.agidutu—see eduʻtu.Agi′li—“He is rising,” possibly a contraction of an old personal name. Aginʻ-agi′li, “Rising-fawn.” Major George Lawrey, cousin of Sequoya, and assistant chief of the Cherokee Nation about 1840. Stanley incorrectly makes it “Keeth-la, or Dog” for gi′liʻ.aginʻsi—see eniʻsi.agiʻsi—female, applied usually to quadrupeds.Agisʻ-eʻgwa—“Great Female,” possibly “Great Doe.” A being, probably an animal god invoked in the sacred formulas.agitsiʻ—see etsiʻ.Agitsta′tiʻyi—“where they stayed up all night,” from tsigitsunʻtihu, “I stay up all night.” A place in the Great Smoky range about the head of Noland creek, in Swain County, N. C.Aguaquiri—see Guaquili.Ahaluʻna—“Ambush,” Ahalununʻyi, “Ambush place,” or Uniʻhaluʻna, “where they ambushed,” from akaluʻga, “I am watching.” Soco gap, at the head of Soco creek, on the line between Swain and Haywood counties, N. C. The name is also applied to the lookout station for deer hunters.ahanuʻlahi—“he is bearded,” from ahanuʻlahu, a beard.Ahuʻludeʻgi—“He throws away the drum” (habitual), from ahuʻli, drum, and akwadeʻgu, “I am throwing it away” (round object). The Cherokee name of John Jolly, a noted chief and adopted father of Samuel Houston, about 1800.ahyeliʻski—a mocker or mimic.aktaʻ—eye; plural, diktaʻ.aktaʻti—a telescope or field glass. The name denotes something with which to examine or look into closely, from aktaʻ, eye.akwanduʻli—a song form for akwiduʻli (-hu,) “I want it.”Akwan′ki—see Anakwanʻki.Akwe′tiʻyi—a location on Tuckasegee river, in Jackson county, North Carolina; the meaning of the name is lost.Alarka—see Yalagi.aligaʻ—the red-horse fish (Moxostoma).Alkiniʻ—the last woman known to be of Natchez decent and peculiarity among the East Cherokee; died about 1890. The name has no apparent meaning.amaʻ—water; in the Lower dialect, awaʻ; cf. aʻma salt.amayeʻhi—“dwelling in the water,” from amaʻ (amaʻyi, “in the water”) and ehuʻ, “I dwell,” “I live.”Amaye′l-eʻgwa—“Great island,” from amaye′li, island (from amaʻ, water, and aye′li, “in the middle”) and eʻgwa, great. A former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, at Big island, a short distance below the mouth of Tellico, in Monroe county, Tenn. Timberlake writes it Mialaquo, while Bartram spells it Nilaque. Not to be confounded with Long-Island town below Chattanooga.Amaye′li-gunahiʻta—“Long-island,” from amaye′li, island, and gunahiʻta, 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 Tsikamaʻgi).amaʻyineʻhi—“dwellers in the water,” plural of amayeʻhi.Anadaʻduntaski—“roasters,” i. e., cannibals; from gunʻtaskuʻ. “I am putting it (round) into the fire to roast.” The regular word for cannibals is Yunʻwiniʻgiski, q. v.anagahunʻunskuʻ—the green-corn dance; literally, “they are having a 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 AniʻNunʻdaweʻgi.a′neʻtsa, oranetsaʻgi—the ball-play.a′netsaʻunski—a ball-player; literally, “a lover of the ball-play.”aniʻ—a tribal and animate prefix.aniʻdaʻwehi—plural of adaʻwehi.aʻnigantiʻski—see dagan′tu.AniʻGatageʻwi—one of the seven Cherokee clans. The name has now no meaning, but has been absurdly rendered “Blind savana,” from an incorrect idea that it is derived from Igaʻti, a swamp or savanna, and digeʻwi, blind.Ani-Gilaʻhi—“Long-haired people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; singular, Agilaʻhi. The word comes from agilaʻhi (perhaps connected with afi′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.Aniʻ-Giliʻ—a problematic tribe, possibly the Congaree. The name is not connected with giʻliʻ, dog.Aniʻ-Gusa—see AniʻKuʻsa.aʻnigwa—soon after; dineʻtlana aʻnigwa, “soon after the creation.”Aniʻ-Hyunʻtikwalaʻski—“The Thunders,” 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. tikwaleʻlu, a wheel, hence a wagon; amaʻ-tikwalelunyi, “rolling water place,” applied to a cascade where the water falls along the surface of the rock; ahyunʻtikwalaʻstihuʻ, “it is thundering,” applied to the roar of a railroad train or waterfall.Aniʻ-Kawiʻ—“Deer people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; the regular form for deer is a′wiʻ.Aniʻ-Kawiʻta—the Lower Creeks, from Kawiʻta or Coweta, their former principal town on Chattahoochee river near the present Columbus, Ga.; the Upper Creeks on the head streams of Alabama river were distinguished as Aniʻ-Kuʻsa (q. v.) A small creek of Little Tennessee river above Franklin, in Macon county, N. C., is now known as Coweeta creek.Aniʻ-Kituʻhwagi—“Kituʻhwa people,” from Kituʻhwa (q. v.), an ancient Cherokee settlement.Aniʻ-Kuʻsa or Aniʻ-Guʻsa—the Creek Indians, particularly the Upper Creeks on the waters of Alabama river; singular AʻKuʻsa or Coosa (Spanish, Coca, Cossa) their principal ancient town.Aniʻ-Kutaʻni (also Aniʻ-Kwataʻni, or incorrectly, Nicotani)—traditional Cherokee priestly society or clan exterminated in a popular uprising.aninaʻhilidahi—“creatures that fly about,” from tsinaiʻli, “I am flying,”tsinaʻilidaʻhu, “I am flying about.” The generic term for birds and flying insects.Aniʻ-Na′tsi—abbreviated Anintsi, singular A-Na′tsi. The Natchez Indians. From coincidence with naʻtsi, pine, the name has been incorrectly rendered “Pine Indians,” whereas it is really a Cherokee plural name of the Natchez.Aninʻtsi—see AniʻNa′tsi.AniʻNundaweʻgi—singular, Nunʻdaweʻgi; the Iroquois, more particularly the Seneca, from Nundawao, the name by which the Seneca call themselves. Adair spells it Anantooeah. The tribe was also known as Aniʻ-Seʻnika.Aniʻ-Sahaʻni—one of the seven Cherokee clans; possibly an archaic form for “Blue people,” from sa′kaʻni, saʻkaʻnigeʻi, blue.Aniʻ-Saʻni, Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni—see Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi.Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi (singular Sawanuʻgi)—the Shawano Indians. Aniʻ-saʻni and Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni may be the same.Aniʻ-Seʻnika—see AniʻNundaweʻgi.Anisgaʻya Tsunsdiʻ (ga)—“The Little Men”; the Thunder Boys in Cherokee mythology.Aniʻ-sgayaiyi—“Men town” (?), a traditional Cherokee settlement on Valley river, in Cherokee county, North Carolina.Aniʻsgiʻna—plural of asgiʻna, q. v.Aniʻ-Skalaʻli—the Tuscarora Indian; singular, Skalaʻli or A-Skalaʻli.Aniʻskwaʻni—Spaniards; singular, Askwaʻni.Aniʻ-Suwaʻli—or Aniʻ-Swqaʻla—the Suala, Sara or Cheraw Indians, formerly about the headwatersof Broad river, North Carolina, the Xuala province of the De Soto chronicle, and Joara or Juada of the later Pardo narrative.Aniʻtaʻgwa—the Catawba Indians; singular, Ataʻgwa or Tagwa.Aniʻ-Tsaʻguhi—the Cherokee clan, transformed to bears according to tradition. Swimmer’s daughter bears the name Tsaguhi, which is not recognized as distinctively belonging to either sex.Aniʻ-Tsaʻlagiʻ—the Cherokee.Aniʻ-Tsa′ta—the Choctaw Indians; singular, Tsa′ta.Aniʻ-Tsiʻksu—the Chickasaw Indians; singular, Tsiʻksu.Aniʻ-Tsiʻskwa—“Bird people”; one of the seven Cherokee clans.Aniʻ-Tsuʻtsa—“The Boys,” from atsuʻtsa, boy; the Pleiades.Aniʻ-Waʻdi—“Paint people”; one of the seven Cherokee clans.Aniʻ-Wa′dihiʻ—“Place of 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 Aniʻ-Waʻdi or Paint clan.aniʻwaniʻski—the bugle weed,Lycopus virginicus; literally, “the talk” or “talkers,” from tsiwaʻnihu, “I am talking,” awaniski, “he talks habitually.”Aniʻ-Wasaʻsi—the Osage Indians; singular, Wasaʻsi.Aniʻ-Waʻya—“Wolf people”; the most important of the seven clans of the Cherokee.Aniʻ-Yunʻwiyaʻ—Indians, particularly Cherokee Indians; literally “principal or real people,” from yunwi, person, ya, a suffix implying principal or real, and aniʻ, the tribal prefix.Aniʻ-Yuʻtsi—the Yuchi or Uchee Indians; singular, Yuʻtsi.Annie Ax—see Sadayiʻ.Aquone—a post-office on Nantahala river, in Mason county, North Carolina, site of the former Fort Scott. Probably a corruption of egwani, river.Arch, John—see Atsi.Asaʻgwalihuʻ—a pack or burden; asaʻgwal luʻ, or asaʻgwi liʻ, “there is a pack on him.”asehiʻ—surely.Aseʻnika—singular of Aniʻ-Seʻnika.asgaʻya—man.asgaʻya Giʻgagei—the “Red Man”; the Lightning spirit.asgiʻna—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 Kasduʻyi and Untaʻkiyastiʻyi.asi—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.”asiyuʻ (abbreviated siyuʻ)—good; the common Cherokee salute; gaʻsiyuʻ, “I am good”; hasiyuʻ, “thou art good”; aʻsiyu, “he (it) is good”; astu, “very good.”Askwaʻni—a Spaniard. See Aniʻskwaʻni.astuʻ—very good; astu tsikiʻ, very good, best of all.Astuʻgataʻga—A Cherokee lieutenant in the Confederate service killed in 1862. 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; gataʻga, “he is standing”; stuti, a door or shutter; stuhu, a closed door or passage; stugiʻsti, a key, i. e., something with which to open the door.asunʻtli, asuntlunʻyu—a footlog or bridge; literally, “log lying across,” from asiʻta, log.ataʻ—wood; ataʻya, “principal wood,” i. e., oak; cf. Muscogee iti, wood.Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ—a noted Cherokee chief, recognized by the British government as the head chief or “emperor” of the Nation, about 1760 and later, and 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 ataʻ, “Wood” and gul kalu, 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.”Ataʻgwa—a Catawba Indian.Atahiʻta—abbreviated from Atahitunʻyi, “Place where they shouted,” from gataʻhiuʻ, “I shout,” and yi, locative. Waya gap, on the ridge west of Franklin, Macon county, North Carolina. The map name is probably from the Cherokee wa ya, wolf.Ata-Kullakulla—see Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ.aʻtali—mountain; in the Lower dialect aʻtari, whence the “Ottare” or Upper Cherokee of Adair. The form aʻtali is used only in composition; and mountain in situ is atalunyi or gatuʻsi.aʻtali-guliʻ—“it climbs the mountain,” i. e., “mountain-climber”; the ginseng plant,Ginseng quinquefolium; from aʻtali, mountain, and guliʻ, “it climbs” (habitually); tsilahiʻ or tsiliʻ, “I amclimbing.” Also called in the sacred formulas, Yunʻwi Usdiʻ, “Little man.”Atalaʻnuwaʻ—“Tlaʻnuwa hole”; the Cherokee name of Chattanooga, Tennessee (see tsatanuʻgi); originally applied to a bluff on the south side of the Tennessee river, at the foot of the present Market street.aʻtaluluʻ—unfinished, premature, unsuccessful; whence utaluʻli, “it is not yet time.”Ataʻluntiʻski—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.Aʻtari—see aʻtali.atasiʻ (or atasaʻ, in a dialectic form)—a war-club.atatsunʻski—stinging; literally, “he stings” (habitually).Aʻtsi—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.atsiʻla—fire; in the Lower dialect, atsiʻra.Atsiʻla-waʻi—“Fire—”; a mountain sometimes known as Rattlesnake knob, about two miles northeast of Cherokee, Swain county, N. C.Atsilʻ-dihyeʻgi—“Fire-Carrier”; apparently the Cherokee name for the will-of-the-wisp. As is usually the case in the Cherokee compounds, the verbal form is plural (“it carries fire”); the singular form is ahyeʻgi.Atsilʻ-sunti (abbreviated tsilʻ-sunti)—fleabane (Erigeron canadense); the name signifies “material with which to make fire,” from atsiʻla, fire, and gasunti,gatsunti or gatlunti, material with which to make something, from fasunʻsku (or gatlunʻsku), “I make it.” The plant is also called ihyaʻga.atsilʻ-tluntuʻtsi—“fire-panther.” A meteor or comet.Aʻtsinaʻ—cedar.Aʻtsinaʻ-k taʻum—“Hanging cedar place”; from aʻtsinaʻ, cedar, and k taʻun, “where it (long) hangs down”; a Cherokee name for the old Taskigi town on the Little Tennessee river in Monroe county, Tenn.Atsiʻra—see atsiʻla.Atsunʻsta tiʻyi (abbreviated Atsunʻsta ti)—“Fire-light place,” 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, Ga.Attakullakulla—see Ata-gul kaluʻ.awaʻ—see amaʻ.awaʻhili—eagle; particularlyAquila Chrysaetus, distinguished as the “pretty-feathered eagle.”awiʻ—deer; also sometimes written and pronounced ahawiʻ; the name is sometimes applied to the large horned beetle, the flying stag of early writers.awiʻ-ahanuʻlahi—goat; literally “bearded deer.”awiʻ-ahyeliʻski—“deer mocker”; the deer bleat, a sort of whistle used by hunters to call the doe by imitating the cry of the fawn.awiʻ-aktaʻ—“deer eye”; theRudbeckiaor black-eyed Susan.awiʻ-eʻgwa (abbreviated aw-eʻgwa)—the elk, literally “great deer.”awiʻ-unadeʻna—sheep; literally “woolly deer.”AwiʻUsdiʻ—“Little Deer,” the mythic chief of the Deer tribe.Ax, Annie—see Sadayiʻ.Ax, John—see Itaguʻnahi.awe li—half, middle, in the middle.Ayphwaʻsi—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 Ayuhwaʻsi Egwaʻhi or Great Hiwassee, was on the north bank of Hiwassee river at the present Savannah ford above Columbus, in Polk county, Tenn. The other was farther up the same river, at the junction of Peachtree creek, above Murphy, in Cherokee county, N. C. Lanman writes it Owassa.Ayrate—see eʻladiʻ.Aysʻsta—“The Spoiler,” from tsiyaʻstihu, “I spoil it”; cf. uyaʻi, bad. A prominent woman and informant on the East Cherokee reservation.Ayunʻini—“Swimmer”; literally, “he is swimming,” from gayuniniʻ, “I am swimming.” A principal priest and informant of the East Cherokee, died in 1899.Ayulsuʻ—see Dayulsunʻyi.Beaverdam—see Uy′gilaʻgi.Big-Cove—see Kaʻlanunʻyi.Big-Island—see Amaye′l-eʻgwa.Big-Witch—see Tskil-eʻgwa.Bird-Town—see Tsiskwaʻhi.Bloody-Fellow—see Iskagua.Blythe—see Diskwani.Black-fox—see Inaʻli.Boudinot, Elias—see Galagiʻna.Bowl, The; Bowles, Colonel—see Diwali.Brass—see Untsaiyiʻ.Brasstown—see Itseʻyi.Breadth, The—see Unliʻta.Briertown—see Kanuʻgulaʻyi.Buffalo (creek)—see Yunsaʻi.Bull-Head—see Sukwaleʻna.Butler, John—see Tsanʻ-ugaʻsita.Cade’s Cove—see Tsiyaʻhi.Canacaught—“Canacaught, the great Conjurer,” mentioned as a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; possibly kanegwaʻti, the water-moccasin snake.Canaly—see hiʻginaʻlii.Canasagua—see Gansaʻgi.Cannastion, Cannostee—see Kanaʻsta.Canuga—see Kanuʻga.Cartoogaja—see Gatuʻgitseʻyi.Cataluchee—see Gadaluʻtsi.Cauchi—a place, apparently in the Cherokee county, visited by Pardo in 1567.Caunasaita—given as the name of a Lower Chief in 1684; possibly for Kanunsiʻta, “dogwood.”Chalaque—see Tsaʻlagi.Chattanooga—see Tsatanuʻgi.Chattooga, Chatuga—see Tsatuʻgi.Cheeowhee—see Tsiyaʻhi.Cheerake—see Tsaʻlagi.Cheraw—see Aniʻ-Suwaʻli.Cheowa—see Tsiyaʻhi.Cheowa Maximum—see Schwateʻyi.Cheraqui—see Tsaʻlagi.Cherokee—see Tsaʻlagi.Chestatee—see Atsunʻsta tiʻyi.Chestua—see Tsistuʻyi.Cheucunsene—see Tsiʻkamaʻgi.Chilhowee—see Tsu lunʻwe.Chimney Tops—see Duniʻskwa lgunʻi.Chisca—mentioned in the De Soto narratives as a mining region in the Cherokee country. The name may have a connection with Tsiʻskwa, “bird,” possibly Tsiskwaʻhi, “Bird place.”Choastea—see Tsistuʻyi.Chopped Oak—see Digaluʻyatunʻyi.Choquata—see Itsaʻti.Citico—see Siʻtikuʻ.Clear-sky—see Iskagua.Clennuse—see Tlanusiʻyi.Cleveland—see Tsistetsiʻyi.Coca—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa.Coco—see Kukuʻ.Cohutta—see Gahuʻti.Colanneh, Colona—see Kaʻlanu.Conasauga—see Gansaʻgi.Conneross—see Kawanʻ-uraʻsunyi.Coosawatee—see Kuʻsawetiʻyi.Cooweescoowee—see Guʻwisguwiʻ.Coosa—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa, Kusa.Corani—see Kaʻlanu.Coweeʻ—see Kawiʻyi.Coweeta, Coweta—see Aniʻ-Kawiʻta.Coyatee (variously spelled Cawatie, Coiatee, Coytee, Coytoy, Kai-a-tee)—a former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, some ten miles below the junction of Tellico, about the present Coytee post-office in Loudon county, Tennessee.Creek-path—see Kuʻsa-nunnaʻhi.Crow-town—see Kagunʻyi.Cuhtahlatah—a Cherokee woman noted in the Wahnenauhi manuscript as having distinguished herself by bravery in battle. The proper form mayhave some connection with gatunʻlati, “wild hemp.”Cullasagee—see Kulseʻtsiʻyi.Cullowhee, Currahee—see Gulahiʻyi.Cuttawa—see Kituʻhwa.Dagan tu—“he makes it rain”; from agaʻska, “it is raining,” agaʻna, “it has begun to rain”; a small variety of lizard whose cry is said to presage rain. It is also called aʻnigantiʻski, “they make it rain” (plural form), or rain-maker.dagul ku—the American white-fronted goose. The name may be an onomatope.daguʻna—the fresh-water mussel; also a variety of face pimples.Dagunʻhi—“Mussel place,” from daguʻna, mussel, and hi, locative. The Mussel shoals on Tennessee river, in northwestern Alabama. It was sometimes called also simply Tsu stanalunʻyi, “Shoal’s place.”Daguʻnawaʻlahi—“Mussel-liver place,” from daguʻna, mussel, uweʻla, liver, and hi, locative; the Cherokee name for the site of Nashville, Tenn. No reason can now be given for the name.Dahlonega—A town in Lumpkin county, Ga., near which the first gold was mined. A mint was established there in 1838. The name is from the Cherokee dalaʻnigeʻi, yellow, whence ateʻla-dalaʻ-nigeʻi, “yellow money,” i. e., gold.daksawaʻihu—“he is shedding tears.”dakwaʻ—a mythic great fish; also the whale.Dakwaʻi—“dakwa place,” from a tradition of a dakwaʻ in the river at that point. A former Cherokee settlement, known to the traders as Toqua or Toco, on Little Tennessee river, about the mouthof Toco creek in Monroe county, Tenn. A similar name and tradition attaches to a spot on the French Broad river, about six miles above the Warm springs, in Buncombe county, N. C.dakwaʻnitlastesti—“I shall have them on my legs for garters”; from anitlaʻsti (plural dinitlaʻsti), garter; d-, initial plural; akwa, first person particle; and esti, future suffix.daʻlikstaʻ—“vomiter,” from dagikʻstihuʻ, “I am vomiting,” dalikstaʻ, “he vomits” (habitually); the form is plural. The spreading adder (Heterodon), also sometimes called kwandayaʻhu, a word of uncertain etymology.Daʻnagasta—for Daʻ nawa-gastaʻya, “Sharp-war,” i. e., “Eager-warrior;”a Cherokee woman’s name.Daʻ nawa-(a)sa tsunʻyi, “War-ford,” from daʻ nawa, war, and asa tsunʻyi, “a crossing-place or ford.”A ford on Cheowa river about three miles below Robbinsville, in Graham county, N. C.Dandaʻganuʻ—“Two looking at each other,” from detsiʻganuʻ, “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, Ga. One of the Chickamauga towns (see Tsiʻkamaʻgi), so-called on account of the appearance of the mountains facing each other across the Tennessee river at Chattanooga.Daʻsi giyaʻgi—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 Daʻsi giyaʻgi, and the same name is now used by the East Cherokee as the equivalent of the name Lloyd.Daʻskwitunʻyi—“Rafter’s Place,” from daskwitunʻi, rafters, and yi, locative. A former settlement on Tusquittee creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, North Carolina.dasunʻtali—ant; dasunʻtali, “stinging ant,” the large red cowant (Myrmica?), also called sometimes, on account of its hard body-case, nunʻyunuʻwi, “stone-clad,” after the fabulous monster.Datleʻyastaʻi—“where they fell down,” a point on Tuckasegee river, a short distance above Webster, in Jackson county, North Carolina.datsi—a traditional water-monster.Datsiʻyi—“Datsi place”; a place on Little Tennessee river, near junction of Eagle creek, in Swain county, North Carolina.Datsuʻnalagunʻyi—“where there are tracks or footprints,” from utaʻsinunʻyi or ulasgunʻyi, footprint. Track Rock gap, near Blairsville, Georgia. Also sometimes called Deʻgayelunʻha, “place of branded marks.”daʻyi—beaver.Dayulsunʻyi—“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.daʻyuniʻsi—“beaver’s grandchild,” from dayi, beaver, and uniʻsi, son’s child of either sex. The water beetle or mellow bug.Degal gunʻyi—a cairn, literally “where they are piled up”; a series of cairns on the south side of Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.Deʻgataʻga—The Cherokee name of General Stamd Watie and of a prominent early western chief known to the whites as Takatoka. The word is derived from tsitaʻga, “I am standing,” da nitaʻga “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.Deʻgayelunʻha—see Datsuʻnalagunʻyi.detsanunʻli—an enclosure 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 cannot be certainly analyzed.Deʻtsata—a Cherokee sprite.detsinuʻlahunguʻ—“I tried, but failed.”Didalaskiʻyi—“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 (atsiʻla) or rain (afaska, “it is raining”); degalaskuʻ, “they are showering down and lodging upon him.”Didaʻskastiʻyi—“where they were afraid of each other,” a spot on Little Tennessee river, near the mouth of Alarka creek, in Swain county, N. C.digaʻgwaniʻ—the mud-hen or didapper. The name is plural form and implies “lame,” or “crippled in the legs” (cf. detsiʻnigwaʻna, “I am kneeling”),probably from the bouncing motion of the bird when in the water. It is also the name of a dance.Digaʻkatiʻyi—see Gakatiʻyi.diʻgalungunʻyi—“where it rises, or comes up”; the east. The sacred term is Nundaʻyi, q. v.digalunʻlatiyun—a height, one of a series, from galunʻlati, “above.”Digaluʻyatunʻyi—“where it is gashed (with hatchets)”; from tsiluʻyu, “I am cutting (with a chopping stroke),” di, plural prefix, and yi, locative. The Chopped Oak, formerly east of Clarkesville, Ga.Diganeʻski—“he picks them up” (habitually), from tsineʻu, “I am picking it up.” A Cherokee Union soldier in the Civil War.digiʻgageʻi—the plural of giʻgageʻi, red.diguʻlanahiʻta—for diguʻli-anahiʻta, “having long ears,” “long-eared”; from gule, “ear” and gunahiʻta, “long.”Dihyunʻdulaʻ—“sheaths,” or “scabbards”; singular ahyunʻdulaʻ, “a gun-sheath,” or other scabbard. The probable correct form of a name which appears in Revolutionary documents as “Untoola, or Gum Rod.”Diktaʻ—plural of Aktaʻ, eye.dilaʻ—skunk.dilstaʻyati—“scissors”; the water-spider (Dolomedes).dindaʻskwateʻski—the violet; the name signifies, “they pull each others' heads off.”dineʻtlana—the creation.di nuski—“the breeder”; a variety of smilax brier.Disgaʻgistiʻyi—“where they gnaw”; a place on Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.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.Distaiʻyi—“they are strong,” plural of astaiʻyi, “strong or tough.” The Tephrosia or devil’s shoestring.distaʻsti—a mill (generic).ditaʻstayeski—“a barber,” literally “one who cuts things (as with scissors), from tsistaʻyu, “I cut.” The cricket (talaʻtu) is sometimes so-called.Diwaʻli—“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 may have been another of the same name.diyaʻhali (or duyaʻhali)—the alligator lizard (Sceloporue undulatus).Diyaʻhaliʻyi—“Lizard’s place,” from diyaʻhali, lizard, and yi, locative. Joanna Bald, a mountain at the head of Valley river on the line between Cherokee and Graham counties, North Carolina.Double-Head—see Tal-tsuʻskaʻ.Dragging-Canoe—see Tsiʻyu-gunsiʻni.Dudunʻleksunʻyi—“where its legs were broken off”; a place on Tuckasegee river, a few miles above Webster, in Jackson county, N. C.Dugiluʻyi (abbreviated Dugiluʻ, 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, Ga. The word is of uncertain etymology; but seems to refer to a place at the forks of a stream.Dukasʻi, Dukwasʻi—The correct form of the name commonly written Toxaway, applied to a former Cherokee settlement in S. C., and the creek upon which it stood, and extreme headstream of Keowee river having its source in Jackson county, N. C. The meaning of the name is lost, although it hasbeen wrongly interpreted to mean “place of shedding tears.”Dulastunʻyi—“Potsherd place.” A former Cherokee settlement on Nottely river in Cherokee county, North Carolina.duleʻtsi—“kernels,” a goitrous swelling upon the throat.duluʻsi—a variety of frog found upon the headwaters of Savannah river.Duniya ta lunʻyi—“where there are shelves, or flat places,” from aya teʻni, flat, whence daʻya tana lunʻi, a shelf, and yi, locative. A gap on the Great Smoky range, near Clingman’s dome, Swain county, N. C.Duniduʻlalunʻyi—“where they made arrows”; a place on Straight creek, a headstream of Oconaluftee river, in Swain county, N. C.Duniʻskwa lgunʻi—the double peak known as the Chimney Tops, in Great Smoky Mountains about the head of Deep creek, in Swain county, N. C. On the north side is the pass known as Indian gap. The name signifies a “forked antler,” from uskwa lgu, antler, but indicates that the antler is attached in place, as though the deer itself were concealed below.Duʻstayalunʻyi—“where it made a noise as of thunder or shooting,” apparently referring to a lightningstrike(detsistayaʻhihu, “I make a shooting or thundering noise,” might be a first person form used by thepersonifiedThundergod); a spot on Hiwassee river, about the junction of Shooting creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, N. C. A former settlement along the creek bore the same name.duʻstuʻ—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 Tatsiʻ.duwe ga—a spring lizard.Eagle Dance—see Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti.Eastinaulee—see Uʻstanaʻli.Echota, New—see Gansaʻgi.edata—my father (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agidaʻta.Ediʻhi—“He goes about” (habitually); a masculine name.edutu—my maternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agidu tu; cf. enisi.egwa—great; cf. utanu.egwani—river.Egwanulti—“By the river,” from egwa ni, river, and nulati or nulti, near, beside. The proper form of Oconaluftee, the name of the river flowing thru the East Cherokee reservation in Swain and Jackson Counties, N. C. The town, Oconaluftee, 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.eladi—low, below; in the Lower dialect eradi, whence the Ayrata or Lower Cherokee of Adair, as distinguished from the Ottara (atari, atali) or Upper Cherokee.elanti—a song form for eladi, q. v.Elatseʻyi, (abbreviated Elatse)—“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 S. C.; another was on Ellijay creek of Little Tennessee river, near the present Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.; another was about the present Ellijay in Gilmer Co., Ga.; and still another was on Ellijay creek of Little river, near the present Maryville, in Blount Co., Tenn.Elawa diyi (abbreviated Elawa di)—“Red-earth place,” from ela, earth, wadi, brown-red or red paint, and yi, the locative. 1. The Cherokee name ofYellow-Hillsettlement, now officially known as Cherokee, the post office and agency headquarters for the East Cherokee, on Oconaluftee river, in Swain Co., N. C. 2. A former council ground known in history as Red Clay; at the site of the present village of that name in Whitfield Co., Ga., adjoining the Tennessee line.Ellijay—see Elatseʻyi.eni si—my paternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agani si, cf. edutu.Eskaqua—see Iskagua.Estanaula, Estinaula—see Uʻstanaʻli.Etawa ha tsistatlaʻski—“Deadwood-lighter,” a traditional Cherokee conjurer.eti—old, long ago.Etowah—see Iʻtawaʻ.Etsaiyi—see Untsaiyi.etsi—my mother (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agitsi.Euharlee—see Yuhaʻli.Feather dance—see Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti.Fightingtown—see Walasʻ-unulsti yi.Flax-toter—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.Flying-squirrel—see Kaʻlahuʻ.Frogtown—see Walasiʻyi.Gadaluʻla—the proper name of the mountain known to the whites as Yonah (from yanu, bear); or upper Chattahoochee river, in White Co., Ga. The name has no connection with Tallulah (see Talulu) and cannot be translated.Gadaluʻtsi—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, N. C., 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 wadaluʻyata, fringe, gaduʻta, “standing up in a row or series.”gahawiʻsiti—parched corn.Gahuti (Gahuʻta and Gwahuʻti in dialect forms)—Cohutta mountains in Murray Co., Ga. The name comes from gahutaʻyi, “ashed roof supported on poles”, and refers to a fancied resemblance in the summit.Gakatiʻyi—“place of setting fire”; something spoken in the plural form, Digaʻkatiʻyi, “place of the setting free.” A point on Tuckasegee river, about three miles above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N. C.gaktunʻta—an injunction, command or rule, more particularly a prohibition or ceremonial tabu. Tsigaʻteʻgu. “I am observing an injunction or tabu”; adakteʻgi, “he is under tabu regulations.”Galagiʻna—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.galiʻsgisidaʻhu—“I am dancing about”; from galiʻsgia, “I am dancing,” and edahu, “I am going about.”galunkwʻtiʻyo—honored; sacred; used in the bible to mean holy, hallowed.galunʻlati—above, on high.ganeʻga—skin.ganidawaʻski—“the champion catchfly” or “rattlesnake’s master” (Silene stellata); the name signifies “it disjoints itself,” from ganidawskuʻ, “it is unjointing itself,” on account of the peculiar manner in which the dried stalk breaks off at the joints.Gansagi (or Gansagiyi)—the name of several former settlements in the old Cherokee country; it cannot be analyzed. One of this name was upon Tuckasegee river, a short distance above the present Webster, in Jackson Co., N. C.; another was on the lower part of Canasauga creek, in McMinn Co., Tenn.; a third was at the junction of Conasauga and Coosawatee rivers, where afterwards was located the Cherokee capital, New Echota, in Gordon Co., Ga.; 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 Kennesaw mountain, Ga.Gansaʻtiʻyi—“robbing place,” from tsinaʻsahunsku, “I am robbing him.” Vengeance creek of Valley river in Cherokee Co., N. C. The name vengeance was originally a white man’s nickname for an old Cherokee woman, of forbidding aspect, who lived there before the Removal.Ganseʻti—a rattle; as the Cherokee dance rattle is made from the gourd, the masculine name, Ganseʻti, is usually rendered by the whites, “rattling-gourd.”gatausti—the wheel and stick of the Southern tribes, incorrectly called nettecwaw by Timberlake.Gategwaʻ—for Gategwaʻhi, possibly a contraction of Igat(I)-egwaʻhi, “Great-swamp, “thicket place.” A high peak southeast from Franklin, Macon Co., N. C., and perhaps identical with Fodderstack mountain.gaʻtsu—see hatluʻ.Gatuʻgitseʻyi (abbreviated Gatuʻgitseʻ)—“New-settlement place,” from gatuʻgi or agatuʻgi, town, settlement, itsehi, new, especially applied to new vegetation, and yi, the locative. A former settlement on Cartoogaja creek near the present Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.Gatugiʻyi—“Town building place,” or “Settlement place,” from gatuʻgi, a settlement, and yi, locative. A place on Santeetla creek, near Robbinsville, in Graham Co., N. C.Gatunʻitiʻyi—“Hemp place,” from Gatunʻlati, “wild hemp” (Apocynum cannabinum), and yi, locative. A former Cherokee settlement, commonly known as Hemptown, on the creek of the same name, near Morgantown, in Fannin Co., Ga.Gatunʻwaʻli—a noted western Cherokee, about 1842, known to the whites as Hardmush or Big-Mush.Gatunʻwaʻli, from gaʻtuʻ, “bread,” and unwaʻli, “made into balls or lumps,” is a sort of mush or parched corn meal, made very thick, so that it can be dipped out in lumps almost of the consistency of bread.geʻi—down stream, down the road, with the current; tsaʻgi, up stream.geseʻi—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 hiʻgeseʻi it usually accompanies an emphatic repetition.Geʻyaguʻga (for Ageʻhyaʻ-guga?)—a formulistic name for the moon (nunʻdaʻ); it cannot be analyzed, but seems to contain the word ageʻhya, “woman.” See also nunʻdaʻ.giʻga—blood; cf. giʻgageʻi, red.giʻga-danegiʻski—“blood taker,” from giʻga, blood, and adaʻnegiʻski, “one who takes liquids,” from tsiʻnegiaʻ (liquid). Another name for the tsaneʻni or scorpion lizard.giʻgageʻi—red, bright red, scarlet; the brown-red of certain animals and clays is distinguished as waʻdigeʻi.giʻga-tsuhaʻli—“bloody-mouth,” literally “having blood on the corners of his mouth”; from giʻga, blood, and tsuhanunsiʻyi, the corners of the mouth (ahaʻli, his mouth). A large lizard, probably the pleistodon.gili—dog; the Lower dialect, giʻri.Gili-dinehunʻyi—“where the dogs live,” from gili, dog, dinehuʻ, “they dwell” (ehu, “I dwell”), and yi, locative. A place on Oconaluftee river, a short distance above the present Cherokee in Swain Co., N. C.Giʻliʻ-utsunʻstanunʻyi—“where the dog ran,” from giliʻ, dog, and Utsunʻstanunʻyi, “footprints made by an animal running”; the Milky way.ginunti—a song form for gunuʻtiiʻ, “to lay him (animate object) upon the ground.”giri—see giʻliʻ.Gisehunʻyi—“where the female lives,” from agiʻsi, female, and yi, locative. A place on Tuckasegee river a short distance above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N. C.gitʻlu—hair. (Upper dialect); in Lower and Middle dialects gitsu.Glass, The—see Taʻgwadihiʻ.Gohoma—A Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be identified.Going-snake—see Iʻnadunaʻi.Gorhaleka—a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be identified.Great Island—see Amayel-eʻgwa.Gregory Bald—seeTsistuʻyi.Guachoula—see Guaxule.Guaquila (Waki la)—a town in the Cherokee country, visited by De Soto in 1540, and again in 1567 by Pardo, who calls it Aguaquiri, and the name may have a connection with waguli, “Whippoorwill,” or with uʻwaʻgiʻli, “foam.”Guasula—see Guaxule.Gusila—see Guaxule.Guaxule—a town in Cherokee county, visited in 1540 by De Soto. It was probably about at Nacoochee mound in White Co., Ga.guʻdayʻwu—“I have sewed myself together”; “I am sewing,” tsiyeʻwiaʻ; “I am sewing myself together.”gugweʻ—the quail or partridge.gugweʻulasuʻla—“partridge moccasin,” from guewe, partridge, and ulasula, moccasin or shoe; the lady slipper.Gulahiʻyi (abbreviated Gulahiʻ, or Gurahiʻ, in the Lower dialect)—“Gulaʻhi place,” so-called from the 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 Co., Ga., the other on Cullowhee river, an upper branch of Tuckasegee, in Jackson Co., N. C. Currahee Dick was a noted chief about the year 1820.Guʻlaniʻyi—a Cherokee and Natchez settlement, formerly about the junction of Brasstown creek with Hiwassee river, a short distance above Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C. The etymology of the word is doubtful.guleʻ—acorn.guleʻdiskaʻnihi—the turtle-dove; literally “it cries, or mourns, for acorns,” from gule, acorn, and diskaʻnihiʻ, “it cries for them,” (di-. plural prefix, hi, habitual suffix). The turtle-dove feeds upon acorns and its cry somewhat resembles the name, gule.guleʻgi—“climber,” from tsilahi, “I climb” (second person, hiʻlahi; third person, gulahi); the blacksnake.Gulʻkalaʻski—an earlier name for Tsunuʻlahunʻski, q. v.gulʻkwaʻgi—seven; also the mole-cricket.gulʻkwaʻgine(-i)—seventh; from gulʻkwagi, seven.Gulsadihi (or Gultsadihiʻ?) a masculine name of uncertain etymology.gunahiʻti—long.Guʻnahitunʻyi—Long place (i. e., Long valley), from gunahiʻti, 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 Co., N. C. The various settlements on Valley river and the adjacent part of Hiwassee were known collectively as “Valley towns.”Gunʻdiʻgaduhunʻyi (abbreviated Gunʻ-digaduʻhun)—“Turkey settlement” (guʻna, 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, Co., Ala.guʻni—arrow. Cf. Senica, gaʻna.gunʻnageʻi (or gunʻnage) black.Gunneʻhi—see Nunneʻhi.Gunskaliʻski—a masculine personal name of uncertain etymology.Gunters Landing, Guntersville—see Kuʻsa-Nunnaʻhi.Gun-tuskwaʻli—“short arrows,” from guni, arrow, and tsuskwaʻli, plural of uskaʻli, short; a traditional western tribe.Gununʻdaʻleʻgi—see Nunna-hiʻdihi.Gustiʻ—a traditional Cherokee settlement on Tennessee river, near Kingston, Roane Co., Tenn. The name cannot be analyzed.Guʻwisguwiʻ—The Cherokee name of 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 Tsanʻusdi, “Little John.”Gwalʻgaʻhi—“Frog-place,” from gwalʻgu, a variety of frog, and hi, locative. A place on Hiwassee river, just above the junction of Peachtree creek, near Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C.; about 1755 the site of a village of refugee Natchez, and later of a Baptist mission.gweheʻ—a cricket’s cry.Ha!—an introductory exclamation intended to attract attention or add emphasis; about equivalent to Here! Now!Haʻ-maʻmaʻ—a song term compounded of ha! an introductory exclamation, and mamaʻ, a word which has no analysis, but is used in speaking to young children to mean “let me carry you on my back.”Hanging-maw—see Uskwaʻli-guʻta.haʻnia-lilʻ-lilʻ—an unmeaning dance refrain.Hard-mush—see Gatunʻwali.haʻtlu—dialectic form, gaʻtsu, “where?” (interrogative).haʻwiyeʻehiʻ, haʻwiyeʻhyuweʻ—unmeaning dance refrains.hayuʻ—an emphatic affirmative, about equivalent to “Yes, sir.”hayuyaʻhaniwaʻ—an unmeaning refrain in one of the bear songs.he-e!—an unmeaning song introduction.Hemp-carrier—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.Hemptown—see Gatunltiʻyi.hi!—unmeaning dance exclamation.Hickory-log—see Waneʻ-asunʻtlunyi.hiʻginaʻlii—“(you are) my friend”; afinaʻlii, “(he is) my friend.” In white man’s jargon, canaly.Hightower—see Iʻtawaʻ.hilaʻgu?—how many? how much? (Upper dialect); the Middle dialect form is hunguʻ.hilahiʻyu—long ago; the final yu makes it more emphatic.hiʻlunnu—“(thou) go to sleep”; from tsiʻlihuʻ, “I am asleep.”hiʻski—five; cf. Mohawk wisk. The Cherokee numerals including 10 are as follows: saʻgwu, taʻli, tsaʻi, nunʻgi, hiʻski, suʻtali, gul kwaʻgi, tsuneʻla, askaʻhiHiwassee—Ayuhwaʻsi.hiʻyaguʻwe—an unmeaning dance refrain.Houston, Samuel—see Kaʻlanu.huhu—the yellow-breasted chat, or yellow mocking bird (Icteria virens); the name is an onomatope.hunyahuʻska—“he will die.”hwiʻlahiʻ—“thou (must) go.”Iauʻnigu—an important Cherokee settlement, commonly known to the whites as Seneca, formerly on Keowee river, about the mouth of Conneross creek, in Oconee county, S. C. 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.igaguʻti—daylight. The name is sometimes applied to the ulunsuʻti (q. v.) and also to the clematis vine.iʻhya—the cane reed (Arundinaria) of the Gulf states, used by the Indians for blow-guns, fishing rods and basketry.ihyaʻga—see atsilʻsunti.inaduʻ—snake.Iʻnadu-naʻi—“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 astaʻi, “I am going along with him.”The name has been given to a district of the present Cherokee Nation.iʻnageʻhi—dwelling in the wilderness, an inhabitant of the wilderness; from iʻnageʻi “wilderness,” and ehi, habitual present form of ehu, “he is dwelling”; geʻu, “I am dwelling.”
The Cherokee language has the continental vowel sounds a, e, i, and u, but lacks o, which is replaced by a deep a. The obscure or short u 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 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.aas in far.ăas in what, or obscure as in showman.àas in law, all.dmedial (semisonant), approximating t.eas in they.ĕas in net.gmedial (semisonant), approximating k.has in hat.ias in pique.ĭas in pick.kas in kick.las in lull.ʻlsurd l (sometimes written hl), nearly the Welsh ll.mas in man.nas in not.rtakes place of 1 in Lower dialect.sas in sin.tas in top.uas in rule.ûas in cut.ûñû nasalized.was in wit.yas 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.Chimney Rock.Chimney Rock.“Like a monolith it risesTo a grand majestic height.”adaʻlanunʻsti—a staff or cane.adanʻta—soul.adaʻwehi—a magician or supernatural being.adaʻwehiʻyu—a very great magician; intensive form of adaʻwehi.aʻgana—groundhog.Aʻganstaʻta—“groundhog-sausage,” from aʻgana, ground-hog, and tsistaʻu, “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.Aʻgan-uniʻtsi—“Ground-hog’s mother,” from aʻgana and uniʻtsi, their mother, plural of utsiʻ, his mother (etsiʻ, agitsiʻ, my mother). The Cherokee name of the Shawano captive, who, according to tradition, killed the great Uktena serpent and procured the Ulunsuʻti.Agaweʻla—“Old Woman,” a formulistic name for corn or the spirit corn.agayunʻli—for agayunlige, old, ancient.agidaʻta—see edaʻta.agidutu—see eduʻtu.Agi′li—“He is rising,” possibly a contraction of an old personal name. Aginʻ-agi′li, “Rising-fawn.” Major George Lawrey, cousin of Sequoya, and assistant chief of the Cherokee Nation about 1840. Stanley incorrectly makes it “Keeth-la, or Dog” for gi′liʻ.aginʻsi—see eniʻsi.agiʻsi—female, applied usually to quadrupeds.Agisʻ-eʻgwa—“Great Female,” possibly “Great Doe.” A being, probably an animal god invoked in the sacred formulas.agitsiʻ—see etsiʻ.Agitsta′tiʻyi—“where they stayed up all night,” from tsigitsunʻtihu, “I stay up all night.” A place in the Great Smoky range about the head of Noland creek, in Swain County, N. C.Aguaquiri—see Guaquili.Ahaluʻna—“Ambush,” Ahalununʻyi, “Ambush place,” or Uniʻhaluʻna, “where they ambushed,” from akaluʻga, “I am watching.” Soco gap, at the head of Soco creek, on the line between Swain and Haywood counties, N. C. The name is also applied to the lookout station for deer hunters.ahanuʻlahi—“he is bearded,” from ahanuʻlahu, a beard.Ahuʻludeʻgi—“He throws away the drum” (habitual), from ahuʻli, drum, and akwadeʻgu, “I am throwing it away” (round object). The Cherokee name of John Jolly, a noted chief and adopted father of Samuel Houston, about 1800.ahyeliʻski—a mocker or mimic.aktaʻ—eye; plural, diktaʻ.aktaʻti—a telescope or field glass. The name denotes something with which to examine or look into closely, from aktaʻ, eye.akwanduʻli—a song form for akwiduʻli (-hu,) “I want it.”Akwan′ki—see Anakwanʻki.Akwe′tiʻyi—a location on Tuckasegee river, in Jackson county, North Carolina; the meaning of the name is lost.Alarka—see Yalagi.aligaʻ—the red-horse fish (Moxostoma).Alkiniʻ—the last woman known to be of Natchez decent and peculiarity among the East Cherokee; died about 1890. The name has no apparent meaning.amaʻ—water; in the Lower dialect, awaʻ; cf. aʻma salt.amayeʻhi—“dwelling in the water,” from amaʻ (amaʻyi, “in the water”) and ehuʻ, “I dwell,” “I live.”Amaye′l-eʻgwa—“Great island,” from amaye′li, island (from amaʻ, water, and aye′li, “in the middle”) and eʻgwa, great. A former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, at Big island, a short distance below the mouth of Tellico, in Monroe county, Tenn. Timberlake writes it Mialaquo, while Bartram spells it Nilaque. Not to be confounded with Long-Island town below Chattanooga.Amaye′li-gunahiʻta—“Long-island,” from amaye′li, island, and gunahiʻta, 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 Tsikamaʻgi).amaʻyineʻhi—“dwellers in the water,” plural of amayeʻhi.Anadaʻduntaski—“roasters,” i. e., cannibals; from gunʻtaskuʻ. “I am putting it (round) into the fire to roast.” The regular word for cannibals is Yunʻwiniʻgiski, q. v.anagahunʻunskuʻ—the green-corn dance; literally, “they are having a 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 AniʻNunʻdaweʻgi.a′neʻtsa, oranetsaʻgi—the ball-play.a′netsaʻunski—a ball-player; literally, “a lover of the ball-play.”aniʻ—a tribal and animate prefix.aniʻdaʻwehi—plural of adaʻwehi.aʻnigantiʻski—see dagan′tu.AniʻGatageʻwi—one of the seven Cherokee clans. The name has now no meaning, but has been absurdly rendered “Blind savana,” from an incorrect idea that it is derived from Igaʻti, a swamp or savanna, and digeʻwi, blind.Ani-Gilaʻhi—“Long-haired people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; singular, Agilaʻhi. The word comes from agilaʻhi (perhaps connected with afi′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.Aniʻ-Giliʻ—a problematic tribe, possibly the Congaree. The name is not connected with giʻliʻ, dog.Aniʻ-Gusa—see AniʻKuʻsa.aʻnigwa—soon after; dineʻtlana aʻnigwa, “soon after the creation.”Aniʻ-Hyunʻtikwalaʻski—“The Thunders,” 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. tikwaleʻlu, a wheel, hence a wagon; amaʻ-tikwalelunyi, “rolling water place,” applied to a cascade where the water falls along the surface of the rock; ahyunʻtikwalaʻstihuʻ, “it is thundering,” applied to the roar of a railroad train or waterfall.Aniʻ-Kawiʻ—“Deer people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; the regular form for deer is a′wiʻ.Aniʻ-Kawiʻta—the Lower Creeks, from Kawiʻta or Coweta, their former principal town on Chattahoochee river near the present Columbus, Ga.; the Upper Creeks on the head streams of Alabama river were distinguished as Aniʻ-Kuʻsa (q. v.) A small creek of Little Tennessee river above Franklin, in Macon county, N. C., is now known as Coweeta creek.Aniʻ-Kituʻhwagi—“Kituʻhwa people,” from Kituʻhwa (q. v.), an ancient Cherokee settlement.Aniʻ-Kuʻsa or Aniʻ-Guʻsa—the Creek Indians, particularly the Upper Creeks on the waters of Alabama river; singular AʻKuʻsa or Coosa (Spanish, Coca, Cossa) their principal ancient town.Aniʻ-Kutaʻni (also Aniʻ-Kwataʻni, or incorrectly, Nicotani)—traditional Cherokee priestly society or clan exterminated in a popular uprising.aninaʻhilidahi—“creatures that fly about,” from tsinaiʻli, “I am flying,”tsinaʻilidaʻhu, “I am flying about.” The generic term for birds and flying insects.Aniʻ-Na′tsi—abbreviated Anintsi, singular A-Na′tsi. The Natchez Indians. From coincidence with naʻtsi, pine, the name has been incorrectly rendered “Pine Indians,” whereas it is really a Cherokee plural name of the Natchez.Aninʻtsi—see AniʻNa′tsi.AniʻNundaweʻgi—singular, Nunʻdaweʻgi; the Iroquois, more particularly the Seneca, from Nundawao, the name by which the Seneca call themselves. Adair spells it Anantooeah. The tribe was also known as Aniʻ-Seʻnika.Aniʻ-Sahaʻni—one of the seven Cherokee clans; possibly an archaic form for “Blue people,” from sa′kaʻni, saʻkaʻnigeʻi, blue.Aniʻ-Saʻni, Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni—see Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi.Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi (singular Sawanuʻgi)—the Shawano Indians. Aniʻ-saʻni and Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni may be the same.Aniʻ-Seʻnika—see AniʻNundaweʻgi.Anisgaʻya Tsunsdiʻ (ga)—“The Little Men”; the Thunder Boys in Cherokee mythology.Aniʻ-sgayaiyi—“Men town” (?), a traditional Cherokee settlement on Valley river, in Cherokee county, North Carolina.Aniʻsgiʻna—plural of asgiʻna, q. v.Aniʻ-Skalaʻli—the Tuscarora Indian; singular, Skalaʻli or A-Skalaʻli.Aniʻskwaʻni—Spaniards; singular, Askwaʻni.Aniʻ-Suwaʻli—or Aniʻ-Swqaʻla—the Suala, Sara or Cheraw Indians, formerly about the headwatersof Broad river, North Carolina, the Xuala province of the De Soto chronicle, and Joara or Juada of the later Pardo narrative.Aniʻtaʻgwa—the Catawba Indians; singular, Ataʻgwa or Tagwa.Aniʻ-Tsaʻguhi—the Cherokee clan, transformed to bears according to tradition. Swimmer’s daughter bears the name Tsaguhi, which is not recognized as distinctively belonging to either sex.Aniʻ-Tsaʻlagiʻ—the Cherokee.Aniʻ-Tsa′ta—the Choctaw Indians; singular, Tsa′ta.Aniʻ-Tsiʻksu—the Chickasaw Indians; singular, Tsiʻksu.Aniʻ-Tsiʻskwa—“Bird people”; one of the seven Cherokee clans.Aniʻ-Tsuʻtsa—“The Boys,” from atsuʻtsa, boy; the Pleiades.Aniʻ-Waʻdi—“Paint people”; one of the seven Cherokee clans.Aniʻ-Wa′dihiʻ—“Place of 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 Aniʻ-Waʻdi or Paint clan.aniʻwaniʻski—the bugle weed,Lycopus virginicus; literally, “the talk” or “talkers,” from tsiwaʻnihu, “I am talking,” awaniski, “he talks habitually.”Aniʻ-Wasaʻsi—the Osage Indians; singular, Wasaʻsi.Aniʻ-Waʻya—“Wolf people”; the most important of the seven clans of the Cherokee.Aniʻ-Yunʻwiyaʻ—Indians, particularly Cherokee Indians; literally “principal or real people,” from yunwi, person, ya, a suffix implying principal or real, and aniʻ, the tribal prefix.Aniʻ-Yuʻtsi—the Yuchi or Uchee Indians; singular, Yuʻtsi.Annie Ax—see Sadayiʻ.Aquone—a post-office on Nantahala river, in Mason county, North Carolina, site of the former Fort Scott. Probably a corruption of egwani, river.Arch, John—see Atsi.Asaʻgwalihuʻ—a pack or burden; asaʻgwal luʻ, or asaʻgwi liʻ, “there is a pack on him.”asehiʻ—surely.Aseʻnika—singular of Aniʻ-Seʻnika.asgaʻya—man.asgaʻya Giʻgagei—the “Red Man”; the Lightning spirit.asgiʻna—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 Kasduʻyi and Untaʻkiyastiʻyi.asi—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.”asiyuʻ (abbreviated siyuʻ)—good; the common Cherokee salute; gaʻsiyuʻ, “I am good”; hasiyuʻ, “thou art good”; aʻsiyu, “he (it) is good”; astu, “very good.”Askwaʻni—a Spaniard. See Aniʻskwaʻni.astuʻ—very good; astu tsikiʻ, very good, best of all.Astuʻgataʻga—A Cherokee lieutenant in the Confederate service killed in 1862. 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; gataʻga, “he is standing”; stuti, a door or shutter; stuhu, a closed door or passage; stugiʻsti, a key, i. e., something with which to open the door.asunʻtli, asuntlunʻyu—a footlog or bridge; literally, “log lying across,” from asiʻta, log.ataʻ—wood; ataʻya, “principal wood,” i. e., oak; cf. Muscogee iti, wood.Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ—a noted Cherokee chief, recognized by the British government as the head chief or “emperor” of the Nation, about 1760 and later, and 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 ataʻ, “Wood” and gul kalu, 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.”Ataʻgwa—a Catawba Indian.Atahiʻta—abbreviated from Atahitunʻyi, “Place where they shouted,” from gataʻhiuʻ, “I shout,” and yi, locative. Waya gap, on the ridge west of Franklin, Macon county, North Carolina. The map name is probably from the Cherokee wa ya, wolf.Ata-Kullakulla—see Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ.aʻtali—mountain; in the Lower dialect aʻtari, whence the “Ottare” or Upper Cherokee of Adair. The form aʻtali is used only in composition; and mountain in situ is atalunyi or gatuʻsi.aʻtali-guliʻ—“it climbs the mountain,” i. e., “mountain-climber”; the ginseng plant,Ginseng quinquefolium; from aʻtali, mountain, and guliʻ, “it climbs” (habitually); tsilahiʻ or tsiliʻ, “I amclimbing.” Also called in the sacred formulas, Yunʻwi Usdiʻ, “Little man.”Atalaʻnuwaʻ—“Tlaʻnuwa hole”; the Cherokee name of Chattanooga, Tennessee (see tsatanuʻgi); originally applied to a bluff on the south side of the Tennessee river, at the foot of the present Market street.aʻtaluluʻ—unfinished, premature, unsuccessful; whence utaluʻli, “it is not yet time.”Ataʻluntiʻski—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.Aʻtari—see aʻtali.atasiʻ (or atasaʻ, in a dialectic form)—a war-club.atatsunʻski—stinging; literally, “he stings” (habitually).Aʻtsi—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.atsiʻla—fire; in the Lower dialect, atsiʻra.Atsiʻla-waʻi—“Fire—”; a mountain sometimes known as Rattlesnake knob, about two miles northeast of Cherokee, Swain county, N. C.Atsilʻ-dihyeʻgi—“Fire-Carrier”; apparently the Cherokee name for the will-of-the-wisp. As is usually the case in the Cherokee compounds, the verbal form is plural (“it carries fire”); the singular form is ahyeʻgi.Atsilʻ-sunti (abbreviated tsilʻ-sunti)—fleabane (Erigeron canadense); the name signifies “material with which to make fire,” from atsiʻla, fire, and gasunti,gatsunti or gatlunti, material with which to make something, from fasunʻsku (or gatlunʻsku), “I make it.” The plant is also called ihyaʻga.atsilʻ-tluntuʻtsi—“fire-panther.” A meteor or comet.Aʻtsinaʻ—cedar.Aʻtsinaʻ-k taʻum—“Hanging cedar place”; from aʻtsinaʻ, cedar, and k taʻun, “where it (long) hangs down”; a Cherokee name for the old Taskigi town on the Little Tennessee river in Monroe county, Tenn.Atsiʻra—see atsiʻla.Atsunʻsta tiʻyi (abbreviated Atsunʻsta ti)—“Fire-light place,” 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, Ga.Attakullakulla—see Ata-gul kaluʻ.awaʻ—see amaʻ.awaʻhili—eagle; particularlyAquila Chrysaetus, distinguished as the “pretty-feathered eagle.”awiʻ—deer; also sometimes written and pronounced ahawiʻ; the name is sometimes applied to the large horned beetle, the flying stag of early writers.awiʻ-ahanuʻlahi—goat; literally “bearded deer.”awiʻ-ahyeliʻski—“deer mocker”; the deer bleat, a sort of whistle used by hunters to call the doe by imitating the cry of the fawn.awiʻ-aktaʻ—“deer eye”; theRudbeckiaor black-eyed Susan.awiʻ-eʻgwa (abbreviated aw-eʻgwa)—the elk, literally “great deer.”awiʻ-unadeʻna—sheep; literally “woolly deer.”AwiʻUsdiʻ—“Little Deer,” the mythic chief of the Deer tribe.Ax, Annie—see Sadayiʻ.Ax, John—see Itaguʻnahi.awe li—half, middle, in the middle.Ayphwaʻsi—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 Ayuhwaʻsi Egwaʻhi or Great Hiwassee, was on the north bank of Hiwassee river at the present Savannah ford above Columbus, in Polk county, Tenn. The other was farther up the same river, at the junction of Peachtree creek, above Murphy, in Cherokee county, N. C. Lanman writes it Owassa.Ayrate—see eʻladiʻ.Aysʻsta—“The Spoiler,” from tsiyaʻstihu, “I spoil it”; cf. uyaʻi, bad. A prominent woman and informant on the East Cherokee reservation.Ayunʻini—“Swimmer”; literally, “he is swimming,” from gayuniniʻ, “I am swimming.” A principal priest and informant of the East Cherokee, died in 1899.Ayulsuʻ—see Dayulsunʻyi.Beaverdam—see Uy′gilaʻgi.Big-Cove—see Kaʻlanunʻyi.Big-Island—see Amaye′l-eʻgwa.Big-Witch—see Tskil-eʻgwa.Bird-Town—see Tsiskwaʻhi.Bloody-Fellow—see Iskagua.Blythe—see Diskwani.Black-fox—see Inaʻli.Boudinot, Elias—see Galagiʻna.Bowl, The; Bowles, Colonel—see Diwali.Brass—see Untsaiyiʻ.Brasstown—see Itseʻyi.Breadth, The—see Unliʻta.Briertown—see Kanuʻgulaʻyi.Buffalo (creek)—see Yunsaʻi.Bull-Head—see Sukwaleʻna.Butler, John—see Tsanʻ-ugaʻsita.Cade’s Cove—see Tsiyaʻhi.Canacaught—“Canacaught, the great Conjurer,” mentioned as a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; possibly kanegwaʻti, the water-moccasin snake.Canaly—see hiʻginaʻlii.Canasagua—see Gansaʻgi.Cannastion, Cannostee—see Kanaʻsta.Canuga—see Kanuʻga.Cartoogaja—see Gatuʻgitseʻyi.Cataluchee—see Gadaluʻtsi.Cauchi—a place, apparently in the Cherokee county, visited by Pardo in 1567.Caunasaita—given as the name of a Lower Chief in 1684; possibly for Kanunsiʻta, “dogwood.”Chalaque—see Tsaʻlagi.Chattanooga—see Tsatanuʻgi.Chattooga, Chatuga—see Tsatuʻgi.Cheeowhee—see Tsiyaʻhi.Cheerake—see Tsaʻlagi.Cheraw—see Aniʻ-Suwaʻli.Cheowa—see Tsiyaʻhi.Cheowa Maximum—see Schwateʻyi.Cheraqui—see Tsaʻlagi.Cherokee—see Tsaʻlagi.Chestatee—see Atsunʻsta tiʻyi.Chestua—see Tsistuʻyi.Cheucunsene—see Tsiʻkamaʻgi.Chilhowee—see Tsu lunʻwe.Chimney Tops—see Duniʻskwa lgunʻi.Chisca—mentioned in the De Soto narratives as a mining region in the Cherokee country. The name may have a connection with Tsiʻskwa, “bird,” possibly Tsiskwaʻhi, “Bird place.”Choastea—see Tsistuʻyi.Chopped Oak—see Digaluʻyatunʻyi.Choquata—see Itsaʻti.Citico—see Siʻtikuʻ.Clear-sky—see Iskagua.Clennuse—see Tlanusiʻyi.Cleveland—see Tsistetsiʻyi.Coca—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa.Coco—see Kukuʻ.Cohutta—see Gahuʻti.Colanneh, Colona—see Kaʻlanu.Conasauga—see Gansaʻgi.Conneross—see Kawanʻ-uraʻsunyi.Coosawatee—see Kuʻsawetiʻyi.Cooweescoowee—see Guʻwisguwiʻ.Coosa—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa, Kusa.Corani—see Kaʻlanu.Coweeʻ—see Kawiʻyi.Coweeta, Coweta—see Aniʻ-Kawiʻta.Coyatee (variously spelled Cawatie, Coiatee, Coytee, Coytoy, Kai-a-tee)—a former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, some ten miles below the junction of Tellico, about the present Coytee post-office in Loudon county, Tennessee.Creek-path—see Kuʻsa-nunnaʻhi.Crow-town—see Kagunʻyi.Cuhtahlatah—a Cherokee woman noted in the Wahnenauhi manuscript as having distinguished herself by bravery in battle. The proper form mayhave some connection with gatunʻlati, “wild hemp.”Cullasagee—see Kulseʻtsiʻyi.Cullowhee, Currahee—see Gulahiʻyi.Cuttawa—see Kituʻhwa.Dagan tu—“he makes it rain”; from agaʻska, “it is raining,” agaʻna, “it has begun to rain”; a small variety of lizard whose cry is said to presage rain. It is also called aʻnigantiʻski, “they make it rain” (plural form), or rain-maker.dagul ku—the American white-fronted goose. The name may be an onomatope.daguʻna—the fresh-water mussel; also a variety of face pimples.Dagunʻhi—“Mussel place,” from daguʻna, mussel, and hi, locative. The Mussel shoals on Tennessee river, in northwestern Alabama. It was sometimes called also simply Tsu stanalunʻyi, “Shoal’s place.”Daguʻnawaʻlahi—“Mussel-liver place,” from daguʻna, mussel, uweʻla, liver, and hi, locative; the Cherokee name for the site of Nashville, Tenn. No reason can now be given for the name.Dahlonega—A town in Lumpkin county, Ga., near which the first gold was mined. A mint was established there in 1838. The name is from the Cherokee dalaʻnigeʻi, yellow, whence ateʻla-dalaʻ-nigeʻi, “yellow money,” i. e., gold.daksawaʻihu—“he is shedding tears.”dakwaʻ—a mythic great fish; also the whale.Dakwaʻi—“dakwa place,” from a tradition of a dakwaʻ in the river at that point. A former Cherokee settlement, known to the traders as Toqua or Toco, on Little Tennessee river, about the mouthof Toco creek in Monroe county, Tenn. A similar name and tradition attaches to a spot on the French Broad river, about six miles above the Warm springs, in Buncombe county, N. C.dakwaʻnitlastesti—“I shall have them on my legs for garters”; from anitlaʻsti (plural dinitlaʻsti), garter; d-, initial plural; akwa, first person particle; and esti, future suffix.daʻlikstaʻ—“vomiter,” from dagikʻstihuʻ, “I am vomiting,” dalikstaʻ, “he vomits” (habitually); the form is plural. The spreading adder (Heterodon), also sometimes called kwandayaʻhu, a word of uncertain etymology.Daʻnagasta—for Daʻ nawa-gastaʻya, “Sharp-war,” i. e., “Eager-warrior;”a Cherokee woman’s name.Daʻ nawa-(a)sa tsunʻyi, “War-ford,” from daʻ nawa, war, and asa tsunʻyi, “a crossing-place or ford.”A ford on Cheowa river about three miles below Robbinsville, in Graham county, N. C.Dandaʻganuʻ—“Two looking at each other,” from detsiʻganuʻ, “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, Ga. One of the Chickamauga towns (see Tsiʻkamaʻgi), so-called on account of the appearance of the mountains facing each other across the Tennessee river at Chattanooga.Daʻsi giyaʻgi—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 Daʻsi giyaʻgi, and the same name is now used by the East Cherokee as the equivalent of the name Lloyd.Daʻskwitunʻyi—“Rafter’s Place,” from daskwitunʻi, rafters, and yi, locative. A former settlement on Tusquittee creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, North Carolina.dasunʻtali—ant; dasunʻtali, “stinging ant,” the large red cowant (Myrmica?), also called sometimes, on account of its hard body-case, nunʻyunuʻwi, “stone-clad,” after the fabulous monster.Datleʻyastaʻi—“where they fell down,” a point on Tuckasegee river, a short distance above Webster, in Jackson county, North Carolina.datsi—a traditional water-monster.Datsiʻyi—“Datsi place”; a place on Little Tennessee river, near junction of Eagle creek, in Swain county, North Carolina.Datsuʻnalagunʻyi—“where there are tracks or footprints,” from utaʻsinunʻyi or ulasgunʻyi, footprint. Track Rock gap, near Blairsville, Georgia. Also sometimes called Deʻgayelunʻha, “place of branded marks.”daʻyi—beaver.Dayulsunʻyi—“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.daʻyuniʻsi—“beaver’s grandchild,” from dayi, beaver, and uniʻsi, son’s child of either sex. The water beetle or mellow bug.Degal gunʻyi—a cairn, literally “where they are piled up”; a series of cairns on the south side of Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.Deʻgataʻga—The Cherokee name of General Stamd Watie and of a prominent early western chief known to the whites as Takatoka. The word is derived from tsitaʻga, “I am standing,” da nitaʻga “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.Deʻgayelunʻha—see Datsuʻnalagunʻyi.detsanunʻli—an enclosure 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 cannot be certainly analyzed.Deʻtsata—a Cherokee sprite.detsinuʻlahunguʻ—“I tried, but failed.”Didalaskiʻyi—“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 (atsiʻla) or rain (afaska, “it is raining”); degalaskuʻ, “they are showering down and lodging upon him.”Didaʻskastiʻyi—“where they were afraid of each other,” a spot on Little Tennessee river, near the mouth of Alarka creek, in Swain county, N. C.digaʻgwaniʻ—the mud-hen or didapper. The name is plural form and implies “lame,” or “crippled in the legs” (cf. detsiʻnigwaʻna, “I am kneeling”),probably from the bouncing motion of the bird when in the water. It is also the name of a dance.Digaʻkatiʻyi—see Gakatiʻyi.diʻgalungunʻyi—“where it rises, or comes up”; the east. The sacred term is Nundaʻyi, q. v.digalunʻlatiyun—a height, one of a series, from galunʻlati, “above.”Digaluʻyatunʻyi—“where it is gashed (with hatchets)”; from tsiluʻyu, “I am cutting (with a chopping stroke),” di, plural prefix, and yi, locative. The Chopped Oak, formerly east of Clarkesville, Ga.Diganeʻski—“he picks them up” (habitually), from tsineʻu, “I am picking it up.” A Cherokee Union soldier in the Civil War.digiʻgageʻi—the plural of giʻgageʻi, red.diguʻlanahiʻta—for diguʻli-anahiʻta, “having long ears,” “long-eared”; from gule, “ear” and gunahiʻta, “long.”Dihyunʻdulaʻ—“sheaths,” or “scabbards”; singular ahyunʻdulaʻ, “a gun-sheath,” or other scabbard. The probable correct form of a name which appears in Revolutionary documents as “Untoola, or Gum Rod.”Diktaʻ—plural of Aktaʻ, eye.dilaʻ—skunk.dilstaʻyati—“scissors”; the water-spider (Dolomedes).dindaʻskwateʻski—the violet; the name signifies, “they pull each others' heads off.”dineʻtlana—the creation.di nuski—“the breeder”; a variety of smilax brier.Disgaʻgistiʻyi—“where they gnaw”; a place on Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.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.Distaiʻyi—“they are strong,” plural of astaiʻyi, “strong or tough.” The Tephrosia or devil’s shoestring.distaʻsti—a mill (generic).ditaʻstayeski—“a barber,” literally “one who cuts things (as with scissors), from tsistaʻyu, “I cut.” The cricket (talaʻtu) is sometimes so-called.Diwaʻli—“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 may have been another of the same name.diyaʻhali (or duyaʻhali)—the alligator lizard (Sceloporue undulatus).Diyaʻhaliʻyi—“Lizard’s place,” from diyaʻhali, lizard, and yi, locative. Joanna Bald, a mountain at the head of Valley river on the line between Cherokee and Graham counties, North Carolina.Double-Head—see Tal-tsuʻskaʻ.Dragging-Canoe—see Tsiʻyu-gunsiʻni.Dudunʻleksunʻyi—“where its legs were broken off”; a place on Tuckasegee river, a few miles above Webster, in Jackson county, N. C.Dugiluʻyi (abbreviated Dugiluʻ, 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, Ga. The word is of uncertain etymology; but seems to refer to a place at the forks of a stream.Dukasʻi, Dukwasʻi—The correct form of the name commonly written Toxaway, applied to a former Cherokee settlement in S. C., and the creek upon which it stood, and extreme headstream of Keowee river having its source in Jackson county, N. C. The meaning of the name is lost, although it hasbeen wrongly interpreted to mean “place of shedding tears.”Dulastunʻyi—“Potsherd place.” A former Cherokee settlement on Nottely river in Cherokee county, North Carolina.duleʻtsi—“kernels,” a goitrous swelling upon the throat.duluʻsi—a variety of frog found upon the headwaters of Savannah river.Duniya ta lunʻyi—“where there are shelves, or flat places,” from aya teʻni, flat, whence daʻya tana lunʻi, a shelf, and yi, locative. A gap on the Great Smoky range, near Clingman’s dome, Swain county, N. C.Duniduʻlalunʻyi—“where they made arrows”; a place on Straight creek, a headstream of Oconaluftee river, in Swain county, N. C.Duniʻskwa lgunʻi—the double peak known as the Chimney Tops, in Great Smoky Mountains about the head of Deep creek, in Swain county, N. C. On the north side is the pass known as Indian gap. The name signifies a “forked antler,” from uskwa lgu, antler, but indicates that the antler is attached in place, as though the deer itself were concealed below.Duʻstayalunʻyi—“where it made a noise as of thunder or shooting,” apparently referring to a lightningstrike(detsistayaʻhihu, “I make a shooting or thundering noise,” might be a first person form used by thepersonifiedThundergod); a spot on Hiwassee river, about the junction of Shooting creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, N. C. A former settlement along the creek bore the same name.duʻstuʻ—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 Tatsiʻ.duwe ga—a spring lizard.Eagle Dance—see Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti.Eastinaulee—see Uʻstanaʻli.Echota, New—see Gansaʻgi.edata—my father (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agidaʻta.Ediʻhi—“He goes about” (habitually); a masculine name.edutu—my maternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agidu tu; cf. enisi.egwa—great; cf. utanu.egwani—river.Egwanulti—“By the river,” from egwa ni, river, and nulati or nulti, near, beside. The proper form of Oconaluftee, the name of the river flowing thru the East Cherokee reservation in Swain and Jackson Counties, N. C. The town, Oconaluftee, 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.eladi—low, below; in the Lower dialect eradi, whence the Ayrata or Lower Cherokee of Adair, as distinguished from the Ottara (atari, atali) or Upper Cherokee.elanti—a song form for eladi, q. v.Elatseʻyi, (abbreviated Elatse)—“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 S. C.; another was on Ellijay creek of Little Tennessee river, near the present Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.; another was about the present Ellijay in Gilmer Co., Ga.; and still another was on Ellijay creek of Little river, near the present Maryville, in Blount Co., Tenn.Elawa diyi (abbreviated Elawa di)—“Red-earth place,” from ela, earth, wadi, brown-red or red paint, and yi, the locative. 1. The Cherokee name ofYellow-Hillsettlement, now officially known as Cherokee, the post office and agency headquarters for the East Cherokee, on Oconaluftee river, in Swain Co., N. C. 2. A former council ground known in history as Red Clay; at the site of the present village of that name in Whitfield Co., Ga., adjoining the Tennessee line.Ellijay—see Elatseʻyi.eni si—my paternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agani si, cf. edutu.Eskaqua—see Iskagua.Estanaula, Estinaula—see Uʻstanaʻli.Etawa ha tsistatlaʻski—“Deadwood-lighter,” a traditional Cherokee conjurer.eti—old, long ago.Etowah—see Iʻtawaʻ.Etsaiyi—see Untsaiyi.etsi—my mother (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agitsi.Euharlee—see Yuhaʻli.Feather dance—see Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti.Fightingtown—see Walasʻ-unulsti yi.Flax-toter—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.Flying-squirrel—see Kaʻlahuʻ.Frogtown—see Walasiʻyi.Gadaluʻla—the proper name of the mountain known to the whites as Yonah (from yanu, bear); or upper Chattahoochee river, in White Co., Ga. The name has no connection with Tallulah (see Talulu) and cannot be translated.Gadaluʻtsi—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, N. C., 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 wadaluʻyata, fringe, gaduʻta, “standing up in a row or series.”gahawiʻsiti—parched corn.Gahuti (Gahuʻta and Gwahuʻti in dialect forms)—Cohutta mountains in Murray Co., Ga. The name comes from gahutaʻyi, “ashed roof supported on poles”, and refers to a fancied resemblance in the summit.Gakatiʻyi—“place of setting fire”; something spoken in the plural form, Digaʻkatiʻyi, “place of the setting free.” A point on Tuckasegee river, about three miles above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N. C.gaktunʻta—an injunction, command or rule, more particularly a prohibition or ceremonial tabu. Tsigaʻteʻgu. “I am observing an injunction or tabu”; adakteʻgi, “he is under tabu regulations.”Galagiʻna—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.galiʻsgisidaʻhu—“I am dancing about”; from galiʻsgia, “I am dancing,” and edahu, “I am going about.”galunkwʻtiʻyo—honored; sacred; used in the bible to mean holy, hallowed.galunʻlati—above, on high.ganeʻga—skin.ganidawaʻski—“the champion catchfly” or “rattlesnake’s master” (Silene stellata); the name signifies “it disjoints itself,” from ganidawskuʻ, “it is unjointing itself,” on account of the peculiar manner in which the dried stalk breaks off at the joints.Gansagi (or Gansagiyi)—the name of several former settlements in the old Cherokee country; it cannot be analyzed. One of this name was upon Tuckasegee river, a short distance above the present Webster, in Jackson Co., N. C.; another was on the lower part of Canasauga creek, in McMinn Co., Tenn.; a third was at the junction of Conasauga and Coosawatee rivers, where afterwards was located the Cherokee capital, New Echota, in Gordon Co., Ga.; 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 Kennesaw mountain, Ga.Gansaʻtiʻyi—“robbing place,” from tsinaʻsahunsku, “I am robbing him.” Vengeance creek of Valley river in Cherokee Co., N. C. The name vengeance was originally a white man’s nickname for an old Cherokee woman, of forbidding aspect, who lived there before the Removal.Ganseʻti—a rattle; as the Cherokee dance rattle is made from the gourd, the masculine name, Ganseʻti, is usually rendered by the whites, “rattling-gourd.”gatausti—the wheel and stick of the Southern tribes, incorrectly called nettecwaw by Timberlake.Gategwaʻ—for Gategwaʻhi, possibly a contraction of Igat(I)-egwaʻhi, “Great-swamp, “thicket place.” A high peak southeast from Franklin, Macon Co., N. C., and perhaps identical with Fodderstack mountain.gaʻtsu—see hatluʻ.Gatuʻgitseʻyi (abbreviated Gatuʻgitseʻ)—“New-settlement place,” from gatuʻgi or agatuʻgi, town, settlement, itsehi, new, especially applied to new vegetation, and yi, the locative. A former settlement on Cartoogaja creek near the present Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.Gatugiʻyi—“Town building place,” or “Settlement place,” from gatuʻgi, a settlement, and yi, locative. A place on Santeetla creek, near Robbinsville, in Graham Co., N. C.Gatunʻitiʻyi—“Hemp place,” from Gatunʻlati, “wild hemp” (Apocynum cannabinum), and yi, locative. A former Cherokee settlement, commonly known as Hemptown, on the creek of the same name, near Morgantown, in Fannin Co., Ga.Gatunʻwaʻli—a noted western Cherokee, about 1842, known to the whites as Hardmush or Big-Mush.Gatunʻwaʻli, from gaʻtuʻ, “bread,” and unwaʻli, “made into balls or lumps,” is a sort of mush or parched corn meal, made very thick, so that it can be dipped out in lumps almost of the consistency of bread.geʻi—down stream, down the road, with the current; tsaʻgi, up stream.geseʻi—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 hiʻgeseʻi it usually accompanies an emphatic repetition.Geʻyaguʻga (for Ageʻhyaʻ-guga?)—a formulistic name for the moon (nunʻdaʻ); it cannot be analyzed, but seems to contain the word ageʻhya, “woman.” See also nunʻdaʻ.giʻga—blood; cf. giʻgageʻi, red.giʻga-danegiʻski—“blood taker,” from giʻga, blood, and adaʻnegiʻski, “one who takes liquids,” from tsiʻnegiaʻ (liquid). Another name for the tsaneʻni or scorpion lizard.giʻgageʻi—red, bright red, scarlet; the brown-red of certain animals and clays is distinguished as waʻdigeʻi.giʻga-tsuhaʻli—“bloody-mouth,” literally “having blood on the corners of his mouth”; from giʻga, blood, and tsuhanunsiʻyi, the corners of the mouth (ahaʻli, his mouth). A large lizard, probably the pleistodon.gili—dog; the Lower dialect, giʻri.Gili-dinehunʻyi—“where the dogs live,” from gili, dog, dinehuʻ, “they dwell” (ehu, “I dwell”), and yi, locative. A place on Oconaluftee river, a short distance above the present Cherokee in Swain Co., N. C.Giʻliʻ-utsunʻstanunʻyi—“where the dog ran,” from giliʻ, dog, and Utsunʻstanunʻyi, “footprints made by an animal running”; the Milky way.ginunti—a song form for gunuʻtiiʻ, “to lay him (animate object) upon the ground.”giri—see giʻliʻ.Gisehunʻyi—“where the female lives,” from agiʻsi, female, and yi, locative. A place on Tuckasegee river a short distance above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N. C.gitʻlu—hair. (Upper dialect); in Lower and Middle dialects gitsu.Glass, The—see Taʻgwadihiʻ.Gohoma—A Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be identified.Going-snake—see Iʻnadunaʻi.Gorhaleka—a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be identified.Great Island—see Amayel-eʻgwa.Gregory Bald—seeTsistuʻyi.Guachoula—see Guaxule.Guaquila (Waki la)—a town in the Cherokee country, visited by De Soto in 1540, and again in 1567 by Pardo, who calls it Aguaquiri, and the name may have a connection with waguli, “Whippoorwill,” or with uʻwaʻgiʻli, “foam.”Guasula—see Guaxule.Gusila—see Guaxule.Guaxule—a town in Cherokee county, visited in 1540 by De Soto. It was probably about at Nacoochee mound in White Co., Ga.guʻdayʻwu—“I have sewed myself together”; “I am sewing,” tsiyeʻwiaʻ; “I am sewing myself together.”gugweʻ—the quail or partridge.gugweʻulasuʻla—“partridge moccasin,” from guewe, partridge, and ulasula, moccasin or shoe; the lady slipper.Gulahiʻyi (abbreviated Gulahiʻ, or Gurahiʻ, in the Lower dialect)—“Gulaʻhi place,” so-called from the 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 Co., Ga., the other on Cullowhee river, an upper branch of Tuckasegee, in Jackson Co., N. C. Currahee Dick was a noted chief about the year 1820.Guʻlaniʻyi—a Cherokee and Natchez settlement, formerly about the junction of Brasstown creek with Hiwassee river, a short distance above Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C. The etymology of the word is doubtful.guleʻ—acorn.guleʻdiskaʻnihi—the turtle-dove; literally “it cries, or mourns, for acorns,” from gule, acorn, and diskaʻnihiʻ, “it cries for them,” (di-. plural prefix, hi, habitual suffix). The turtle-dove feeds upon acorns and its cry somewhat resembles the name, gule.guleʻgi—“climber,” from tsilahi, “I climb” (second person, hiʻlahi; third person, gulahi); the blacksnake.Gulʻkalaʻski—an earlier name for Tsunuʻlahunʻski, q. v.gulʻkwaʻgi—seven; also the mole-cricket.gulʻkwaʻgine(-i)—seventh; from gulʻkwagi, seven.Gulsadihi (or Gultsadihiʻ?) a masculine name of uncertain etymology.gunahiʻti—long.Guʻnahitunʻyi—Long place (i. e., Long valley), from gunahiʻti, 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 Co., N. C. The various settlements on Valley river and the adjacent part of Hiwassee were known collectively as “Valley towns.”Gunʻdiʻgaduhunʻyi (abbreviated Gunʻ-digaduʻhun)—“Turkey settlement” (guʻna, 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, Co., Ala.guʻni—arrow. Cf. Senica, gaʻna.gunʻnageʻi (or gunʻnage) black.Gunneʻhi—see Nunneʻhi.Gunskaliʻski—a masculine personal name of uncertain etymology.Gunters Landing, Guntersville—see Kuʻsa-Nunnaʻhi.Gun-tuskwaʻli—“short arrows,” from guni, arrow, and tsuskwaʻli, plural of uskaʻli, short; a traditional western tribe.Gununʻdaʻleʻgi—see Nunna-hiʻdihi.Gustiʻ—a traditional Cherokee settlement on Tennessee river, near Kingston, Roane Co., Tenn. The name cannot be analyzed.Guʻwisguwiʻ—The Cherokee name of 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 Tsanʻusdi, “Little John.”Gwalʻgaʻhi—“Frog-place,” from gwalʻgu, a variety of frog, and hi, locative. A place on Hiwassee river, just above the junction of Peachtree creek, near Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C.; about 1755 the site of a village of refugee Natchez, and later of a Baptist mission.gweheʻ—a cricket’s cry.Ha!—an introductory exclamation intended to attract attention or add emphasis; about equivalent to Here! Now!Haʻ-maʻmaʻ—a song term compounded of ha! an introductory exclamation, and mamaʻ, a word which has no analysis, but is used in speaking to young children to mean “let me carry you on my back.”Hanging-maw—see Uskwaʻli-guʻta.haʻnia-lilʻ-lilʻ—an unmeaning dance refrain.Hard-mush—see Gatunʻwali.haʻtlu—dialectic form, gaʻtsu, “where?” (interrogative).haʻwiyeʻehiʻ, haʻwiyeʻhyuweʻ—unmeaning dance refrains.hayuʻ—an emphatic affirmative, about equivalent to “Yes, sir.”hayuyaʻhaniwaʻ—an unmeaning refrain in one of the bear songs.he-e!—an unmeaning song introduction.Hemp-carrier—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.Hemptown—see Gatunltiʻyi.hi!—unmeaning dance exclamation.Hickory-log—see Waneʻ-asunʻtlunyi.hiʻginaʻlii—“(you are) my friend”; afinaʻlii, “(he is) my friend.” In white man’s jargon, canaly.Hightower—see Iʻtawaʻ.hilaʻgu?—how many? how much? (Upper dialect); the Middle dialect form is hunguʻ.hilahiʻyu—long ago; the final yu makes it more emphatic.hiʻlunnu—“(thou) go to sleep”; from tsiʻlihuʻ, “I am asleep.”hiʻski—five; cf. Mohawk wisk. The Cherokee numerals including 10 are as follows: saʻgwu, taʻli, tsaʻi, nunʻgi, hiʻski, suʻtali, gul kwaʻgi, tsuneʻla, askaʻhiHiwassee—Ayuhwaʻsi.hiʻyaguʻwe—an unmeaning dance refrain.Houston, Samuel—see Kaʻlanu.huhu—the yellow-breasted chat, or yellow mocking bird (Icteria virens); the name is an onomatope.hunyahuʻska—“he will die.”hwiʻlahiʻ—“thou (must) go.”Iauʻnigu—an important Cherokee settlement, commonly known to the whites as Seneca, formerly on Keowee river, about the mouth of Conneross creek, in Oconee county, S. C. 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.igaguʻti—daylight. The name is sometimes applied to the ulunsuʻti (q. v.) and also to the clematis vine.iʻhya—the cane reed (Arundinaria) of the Gulf states, used by the Indians for blow-guns, fishing rods and basketry.ihyaʻga—see atsilʻsunti.inaduʻ—snake.Iʻnadu-naʻi—“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 astaʻi, “I am going along with him.”The name has been given to a district of the present Cherokee Nation.iʻnageʻhi—dwelling in the wilderness, an inhabitant of the wilderness; from iʻnageʻi “wilderness,” and ehi, habitual present form of ehu, “he is dwelling”; geʻu, “I am dwelling.”
The Cherokee language has the continental vowel sounds a, e, i, and u, but lacks o, which is replaced by a deep a. The obscure or short u 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 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.aas in far.ăas in what, or obscure as in showman.àas in law, all.dmedial (semisonant), approximating t.eas in they.ĕas in net.gmedial (semisonant), approximating k.has in hat.ias in pique.ĭas in pick.kas in kick.las in lull.ʻlsurd l (sometimes written hl), nearly the Welsh ll.mas in man.nas in not.rtakes place of 1 in Lower dialect.sas in sin.tas in top.uas in rule.ûas in cut.ûñû nasalized.was in wit.yas 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.Chimney Rock.Chimney Rock.“Like a monolith it risesTo a grand majestic height.”adaʻlanunʻsti—a staff or cane.adanʻta—soul.adaʻwehi—a magician or supernatural being.adaʻwehiʻyu—a very great magician; intensive form of adaʻwehi.aʻgana—groundhog.Aʻganstaʻta—“groundhog-sausage,” from aʻgana, ground-hog, and tsistaʻu, “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.Aʻgan-uniʻtsi—“Ground-hog’s mother,” from aʻgana and uniʻtsi, their mother, plural of utsiʻ, his mother (etsiʻ, agitsiʻ, my mother). The Cherokee name of the Shawano captive, who, according to tradition, killed the great Uktena serpent and procured the Ulunsuʻti.Agaweʻla—“Old Woman,” a formulistic name for corn or the spirit corn.agayunʻli—for agayunlige, old, ancient.agidaʻta—see edaʻta.agidutu—see eduʻtu.Agi′li—“He is rising,” possibly a contraction of an old personal name. Aginʻ-agi′li, “Rising-fawn.” Major George Lawrey, cousin of Sequoya, and assistant chief of the Cherokee Nation about 1840. Stanley incorrectly makes it “Keeth-la, or Dog” for gi′liʻ.aginʻsi—see eniʻsi.agiʻsi—female, applied usually to quadrupeds.Agisʻ-eʻgwa—“Great Female,” possibly “Great Doe.” A being, probably an animal god invoked in the sacred formulas.agitsiʻ—see etsiʻ.Agitsta′tiʻyi—“where they stayed up all night,” from tsigitsunʻtihu, “I stay up all night.” A place in the Great Smoky range about the head of Noland creek, in Swain County, N. C.Aguaquiri—see Guaquili.Ahaluʻna—“Ambush,” Ahalununʻyi, “Ambush place,” or Uniʻhaluʻna, “where they ambushed,” from akaluʻga, “I am watching.” Soco gap, at the head of Soco creek, on the line between Swain and Haywood counties, N. C. The name is also applied to the lookout station for deer hunters.ahanuʻlahi—“he is bearded,” from ahanuʻlahu, a beard.Ahuʻludeʻgi—“He throws away the drum” (habitual), from ahuʻli, drum, and akwadeʻgu, “I am throwing it away” (round object). The Cherokee name of John Jolly, a noted chief and adopted father of Samuel Houston, about 1800.ahyeliʻski—a mocker or mimic.aktaʻ—eye; plural, diktaʻ.aktaʻti—a telescope or field glass. The name denotes something with which to examine or look into closely, from aktaʻ, eye.akwanduʻli—a song form for akwiduʻli (-hu,) “I want it.”Akwan′ki—see Anakwanʻki.Akwe′tiʻyi—a location on Tuckasegee river, in Jackson county, North Carolina; the meaning of the name is lost.Alarka—see Yalagi.aligaʻ—the red-horse fish (Moxostoma).Alkiniʻ—the last woman known to be of Natchez decent and peculiarity among the East Cherokee; died about 1890. The name has no apparent meaning.amaʻ—water; in the Lower dialect, awaʻ; cf. aʻma salt.amayeʻhi—“dwelling in the water,” from amaʻ (amaʻyi, “in the water”) and ehuʻ, “I dwell,” “I live.”Amaye′l-eʻgwa—“Great island,” from amaye′li, island (from amaʻ, water, and aye′li, “in the middle”) and eʻgwa, great. A former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, at Big island, a short distance below the mouth of Tellico, in Monroe county, Tenn. Timberlake writes it Mialaquo, while Bartram spells it Nilaque. Not to be confounded with Long-Island town below Chattanooga.Amaye′li-gunahiʻta—“Long-island,” from amaye′li, island, and gunahiʻta, 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 Tsikamaʻgi).amaʻyineʻhi—“dwellers in the water,” plural of amayeʻhi.Anadaʻduntaski—“roasters,” i. e., cannibals; from gunʻtaskuʻ. “I am putting it (round) into the fire to roast.” The regular word for cannibals is Yunʻwiniʻgiski, q. v.anagahunʻunskuʻ—the green-corn dance; literally, “they are having a 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 AniʻNunʻdaweʻgi.a′neʻtsa, oranetsaʻgi—the ball-play.a′netsaʻunski—a ball-player; literally, “a lover of the ball-play.”aniʻ—a tribal and animate prefix.aniʻdaʻwehi—plural of adaʻwehi.aʻnigantiʻski—see dagan′tu.AniʻGatageʻwi—one of the seven Cherokee clans. The name has now no meaning, but has been absurdly rendered “Blind savana,” from an incorrect idea that it is derived from Igaʻti, a swamp or savanna, and digeʻwi, blind.Ani-Gilaʻhi—“Long-haired people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; singular, Agilaʻhi. The word comes from agilaʻhi (perhaps connected with afi′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.Aniʻ-Giliʻ—a problematic tribe, possibly the Congaree. The name is not connected with giʻliʻ, dog.Aniʻ-Gusa—see AniʻKuʻsa.aʻnigwa—soon after; dineʻtlana aʻnigwa, “soon after the creation.”Aniʻ-Hyunʻtikwalaʻski—“The Thunders,” 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. tikwaleʻlu, a wheel, hence a wagon; amaʻ-tikwalelunyi, “rolling water place,” applied to a cascade where the water falls along the surface of the rock; ahyunʻtikwalaʻstihuʻ, “it is thundering,” applied to the roar of a railroad train or waterfall.Aniʻ-Kawiʻ—“Deer people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; the regular form for deer is a′wiʻ.Aniʻ-Kawiʻta—the Lower Creeks, from Kawiʻta or Coweta, their former principal town on Chattahoochee river near the present Columbus, Ga.; the Upper Creeks on the head streams of Alabama river were distinguished as Aniʻ-Kuʻsa (q. v.) A small creek of Little Tennessee river above Franklin, in Macon county, N. C., is now known as Coweeta creek.Aniʻ-Kituʻhwagi—“Kituʻhwa people,” from Kituʻhwa (q. v.), an ancient Cherokee settlement.Aniʻ-Kuʻsa or Aniʻ-Guʻsa—the Creek Indians, particularly the Upper Creeks on the waters of Alabama river; singular AʻKuʻsa or Coosa (Spanish, Coca, Cossa) their principal ancient town.Aniʻ-Kutaʻni (also Aniʻ-Kwataʻni, or incorrectly, Nicotani)—traditional Cherokee priestly society or clan exterminated in a popular uprising.aninaʻhilidahi—“creatures that fly about,” from tsinaiʻli, “I am flying,”tsinaʻilidaʻhu, “I am flying about.” The generic term for birds and flying insects.Aniʻ-Na′tsi—abbreviated Anintsi, singular A-Na′tsi. The Natchez Indians. From coincidence with naʻtsi, pine, the name has been incorrectly rendered “Pine Indians,” whereas it is really a Cherokee plural name of the Natchez.Aninʻtsi—see AniʻNa′tsi.AniʻNundaweʻgi—singular, Nunʻdaweʻgi; the Iroquois, more particularly the Seneca, from Nundawao, the name by which the Seneca call themselves. Adair spells it Anantooeah. The tribe was also known as Aniʻ-Seʻnika.Aniʻ-Sahaʻni—one of the seven Cherokee clans; possibly an archaic form for “Blue people,” from sa′kaʻni, saʻkaʻnigeʻi, blue.Aniʻ-Saʻni, Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni—see Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi.Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi (singular Sawanuʻgi)—the Shawano Indians. Aniʻ-saʻni and Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni may be the same.Aniʻ-Seʻnika—see AniʻNundaweʻgi.Anisgaʻya Tsunsdiʻ (ga)—“The Little Men”; the Thunder Boys in Cherokee mythology.Aniʻ-sgayaiyi—“Men town” (?), a traditional Cherokee settlement on Valley river, in Cherokee county, North Carolina.Aniʻsgiʻna—plural of asgiʻna, q. v.Aniʻ-Skalaʻli—the Tuscarora Indian; singular, Skalaʻli or A-Skalaʻli.Aniʻskwaʻni—Spaniards; singular, Askwaʻni.Aniʻ-Suwaʻli—or Aniʻ-Swqaʻla—the Suala, Sara or Cheraw Indians, formerly about the headwatersof Broad river, North Carolina, the Xuala province of the De Soto chronicle, and Joara or Juada of the later Pardo narrative.Aniʻtaʻgwa—the Catawba Indians; singular, Ataʻgwa or Tagwa.Aniʻ-Tsaʻguhi—the Cherokee clan, transformed to bears according to tradition. Swimmer’s daughter bears the name Tsaguhi, which is not recognized as distinctively belonging to either sex.Aniʻ-Tsaʻlagiʻ—the Cherokee.Aniʻ-Tsa′ta—the Choctaw Indians; singular, Tsa′ta.Aniʻ-Tsiʻksu—the Chickasaw Indians; singular, Tsiʻksu.Aniʻ-Tsiʻskwa—“Bird people”; one of the seven Cherokee clans.Aniʻ-Tsuʻtsa—“The Boys,” from atsuʻtsa, boy; the Pleiades.Aniʻ-Waʻdi—“Paint people”; one of the seven Cherokee clans.Aniʻ-Wa′dihiʻ—“Place of 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 Aniʻ-Waʻdi or Paint clan.aniʻwaniʻski—the bugle weed,Lycopus virginicus; literally, “the talk” or “talkers,” from tsiwaʻnihu, “I am talking,” awaniski, “he talks habitually.”Aniʻ-Wasaʻsi—the Osage Indians; singular, Wasaʻsi.Aniʻ-Waʻya—“Wolf people”; the most important of the seven clans of the Cherokee.Aniʻ-Yunʻwiyaʻ—Indians, particularly Cherokee Indians; literally “principal or real people,” from yunwi, person, ya, a suffix implying principal or real, and aniʻ, the tribal prefix.Aniʻ-Yuʻtsi—the Yuchi or Uchee Indians; singular, Yuʻtsi.Annie Ax—see Sadayiʻ.Aquone—a post-office on Nantahala river, in Mason county, North Carolina, site of the former Fort Scott. Probably a corruption of egwani, river.Arch, John—see Atsi.Asaʻgwalihuʻ—a pack or burden; asaʻgwal luʻ, or asaʻgwi liʻ, “there is a pack on him.”asehiʻ—surely.Aseʻnika—singular of Aniʻ-Seʻnika.asgaʻya—man.asgaʻya Giʻgagei—the “Red Man”; the Lightning spirit.asgiʻna—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 Kasduʻyi and Untaʻkiyastiʻyi.asi—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.”asiyuʻ (abbreviated siyuʻ)—good; the common Cherokee salute; gaʻsiyuʻ, “I am good”; hasiyuʻ, “thou art good”; aʻsiyu, “he (it) is good”; astu, “very good.”Askwaʻni—a Spaniard. See Aniʻskwaʻni.astuʻ—very good; astu tsikiʻ, very good, best of all.Astuʻgataʻga—A Cherokee lieutenant in the Confederate service killed in 1862. 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; gataʻga, “he is standing”; stuti, a door or shutter; stuhu, a closed door or passage; stugiʻsti, a key, i. e., something with which to open the door.asunʻtli, asuntlunʻyu—a footlog or bridge; literally, “log lying across,” from asiʻta, log.ataʻ—wood; ataʻya, “principal wood,” i. e., oak; cf. Muscogee iti, wood.Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ—a noted Cherokee chief, recognized by the British government as the head chief or “emperor” of the Nation, about 1760 and later, and 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 ataʻ, “Wood” and gul kalu, 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.”Ataʻgwa—a Catawba Indian.Atahiʻta—abbreviated from Atahitunʻyi, “Place where they shouted,” from gataʻhiuʻ, “I shout,” and yi, locative. Waya gap, on the ridge west of Franklin, Macon county, North Carolina. The map name is probably from the Cherokee wa ya, wolf.Ata-Kullakulla—see Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ.aʻtali—mountain; in the Lower dialect aʻtari, whence the “Ottare” or Upper Cherokee of Adair. The form aʻtali is used only in composition; and mountain in situ is atalunyi or gatuʻsi.aʻtali-guliʻ—“it climbs the mountain,” i. e., “mountain-climber”; the ginseng plant,Ginseng quinquefolium; from aʻtali, mountain, and guliʻ, “it climbs” (habitually); tsilahiʻ or tsiliʻ, “I amclimbing.” Also called in the sacred formulas, Yunʻwi Usdiʻ, “Little man.”Atalaʻnuwaʻ—“Tlaʻnuwa hole”; the Cherokee name of Chattanooga, Tennessee (see tsatanuʻgi); originally applied to a bluff on the south side of the Tennessee river, at the foot of the present Market street.aʻtaluluʻ—unfinished, premature, unsuccessful; whence utaluʻli, “it is not yet time.”Ataʻluntiʻski—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.Aʻtari—see aʻtali.atasiʻ (or atasaʻ, in a dialectic form)—a war-club.atatsunʻski—stinging; literally, “he stings” (habitually).Aʻtsi—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.atsiʻla—fire; in the Lower dialect, atsiʻra.Atsiʻla-waʻi—“Fire—”; a mountain sometimes known as Rattlesnake knob, about two miles northeast of Cherokee, Swain county, N. C.Atsilʻ-dihyeʻgi—“Fire-Carrier”; apparently the Cherokee name for the will-of-the-wisp. As is usually the case in the Cherokee compounds, the verbal form is plural (“it carries fire”); the singular form is ahyeʻgi.Atsilʻ-sunti (abbreviated tsilʻ-sunti)—fleabane (Erigeron canadense); the name signifies “material with which to make fire,” from atsiʻla, fire, and gasunti,gatsunti or gatlunti, material with which to make something, from fasunʻsku (or gatlunʻsku), “I make it.” The plant is also called ihyaʻga.atsilʻ-tluntuʻtsi—“fire-panther.” A meteor or comet.Aʻtsinaʻ—cedar.Aʻtsinaʻ-k taʻum—“Hanging cedar place”; from aʻtsinaʻ, cedar, and k taʻun, “where it (long) hangs down”; a Cherokee name for the old Taskigi town on the Little Tennessee river in Monroe county, Tenn.Atsiʻra—see atsiʻla.Atsunʻsta tiʻyi (abbreviated Atsunʻsta ti)—“Fire-light place,” 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, Ga.Attakullakulla—see Ata-gul kaluʻ.awaʻ—see amaʻ.awaʻhili—eagle; particularlyAquila Chrysaetus, distinguished as the “pretty-feathered eagle.”awiʻ—deer; also sometimes written and pronounced ahawiʻ; the name is sometimes applied to the large horned beetle, the flying stag of early writers.awiʻ-ahanuʻlahi—goat; literally “bearded deer.”awiʻ-ahyeliʻski—“deer mocker”; the deer bleat, a sort of whistle used by hunters to call the doe by imitating the cry of the fawn.awiʻ-aktaʻ—“deer eye”; theRudbeckiaor black-eyed Susan.awiʻ-eʻgwa (abbreviated aw-eʻgwa)—the elk, literally “great deer.”awiʻ-unadeʻna—sheep; literally “woolly deer.”AwiʻUsdiʻ—“Little Deer,” the mythic chief of the Deer tribe.Ax, Annie—see Sadayiʻ.Ax, John—see Itaguʻnahi.awe li—half, middle, in the middle.Ayphwaʻsi—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 Ayuhwaʻsi Egwaʻhi or Great Hiwassee, was on the north bank of Hiwassee river at the present Savannah ford above Columbus, in Polk county, Tenn. The other was farther up the same river, at the junction of Peachtree creek, above Murphy, in Cherokee county, N. C. Lanman writes it Owassa.Ayrate—see eʻladiʻ.Aysʻsta—“The Spoiler,” from tsiyaʻstihu, “I spoil it”; cf. uyaʻi, bad. A prominent woman and informant on the East Cherokee reservation.Ayunʻini—“Swimmer”; literally, “he is swimming,” from gayuniniʻ, “I am swimming.” A principal priest and informant of the East Cherokee, died in 1899.Ayulsuʻ—see Dayulsunʻyi.Beaverdam—see Uy′gilaʻgi.Big-Cove—see Kaʻlanunʻyi.Big-Island—see Amaye′l-eʻgwa.Big-Witch—see Tskil-eʻgwa.Bird-Town—see Tsiskwaʻhi.Bloody-Fellow—see Iskagua.Blythe—see Diskwani.Black-fox—see Inaʻli.Boudinot, Elias—see Galagiʻna.Bowl, The; Bowles, Colonel—see Diwali.Brass—see Untsaiyiʻ.Brasstown—see Itseʻyi.Breadth, The—see Unliʻta.Briertown—see Kanuʻgulaʻyi.Buffalo (creek)—see Yunsaʻi.Bull-Head—see Sukwaleʻna.Butler, John—see Tsanʻ-ugaʻsita.Cade’s Cove—see Tsiyaʻhi.Canacaught—“Canacaught, the great Conjurer,” mentioned as a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; possibly kanegwaʻti, the water-moccasin snake.Canaly—see hiʻginaʻlii.Canasagua—see Gansaʻgi.Cannastion, Cannostee—see Kanaʻsta.Canuga—see Kanuʻga.Cartoogaja—see Gatuʻgitseʻyi.Cataluchee—see Gadaluʻtsi.Cauchi—a place, apparently in the Cherokee county, visited by Pardo in 1567.Caunasaita—given as the name of a Lower Chief in 1684; possibly for Kanunsiʻta, “dogwood.”Chalaque—see Tsaʻlagi.Chattanooga—see Tsatanuʻgi.Chattooga, Chatuga—see Tsatuʻgi.Cheeowhee—see Tsiyaʻhi.Cheerake—see Tsaʻlagi.Cheraw—see Aniʻ-Suwaʻli.Cheowa—see Tsiyaʻhi.Cheowa Maximum—see Schwateʻyi.Cheraqui—see Tsaʻlagi.Cherokee—see Tsaʻlagi.Chestatee—see Atsunʻsta tiʻyi.Chestua—see Tsistuʻyi.Cheucunsene—see Tsiʻkamaʻgi.Chilhowee—see Tsu lunʻwe.Chimney Tops—see Duniʻskwa lgunʻi.Chisca—mentioned in the De Soto narratives as a mining region in the Cherokee country. The name may have a connection with Tsiʻskwa, “bird,” possibly Tsiskwaʻhi, “Bird place.”Choastea—see Tsistuʻyi.Chopped Oak—see Digaluʻyatunʻyi.Choquata—see Itsaʻti.Citico—see Siʻtikuʻ.Clear-sky—see Iskagua.Clennuse—see Tlanusiʻyi.Cleveland—see Tsistetsiʻyi.Coca—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa.Coco—see Kukuʻ.Cohutta—see Gahuʻti.Colanneh, Colona—see Kaʻlanu.Conasauga—see Gansaʻgi.Conneross—see Kawanʻ-uraʻsunyi.Coosawatee—see Kuʻsawetiʻyi.Cooweescoowee—see Guʻwisguwiʻ.Coosa—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa, Kusa.Corani—see Kaʻlanu.Coweeʻ—see Kawiʻyi.Coweeta, Coweta—see Aniʻ-Kawiʻta.Coyatee (variously spelled Cawatie, Coiatee, Coytee, Coytoy, Kai-a-tee)—a former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, some ten miles below the junction of Tellico, about the present Coytee post-office in Loudon county, Tennessee.Creek-path—see Kuʻsa-nunnaʻhi.Crow-town—see Kagunʻyi.Cuhtahlatah—a Cherokee woman noted in the Wahnenauhi manuscript as having distinguished herself by bravery in battle. The proper form mayhave some connection with gatunʻlati, “wild hemp.”Cullasagee—see Kulseʻtsiʻyi.Cullowhee, Currahee—see Gulahiʻyi.Cuttawa—see Kituʻhwa.Dagan tu—“he makes it rain”; from agaʻska, “it is raining,” agaʻna, “it has begun to rain”; a small variety of lizard whose cry is said to presage rain. It is also called aʻnigantiʻski, “they make it rain” (plural form), or rain-maker.dagul ku—the American white-fronted goose. The name may be an onomatope.daguʻna—the fresh-water mussel; also a variety of face pimples.Dagunʻhi—“Mussel place,” from daguʻna, mussel, and hi, locative. The Mussel shoals on Tennessee river, in northwestern Alabama. It was sometimes called also simply Tsu stanalunʻyi, “Shoal’s place.”Daguʻnawaʻlahi—“Mussel-liver place,” from daguʻna, mussel, uweʻla, liver, and hi, locative; the Cherokee name for the site of Nashville, Tenn. No reason can now be given for the name.Dahlonega—A town in Lumpkin county, Ga., near which the first gold was mined. A mint was established there in 1838. The name is from the Cherokee dalaʻnigeʻi, yellow, whence ateʻla-dalaʻ-nigeʻi, “yellow money,” i. e., gold.daksawaʻihu—“he is shedding tears.”dakwaʻ—a mythic great fish; also the whale.Dakwaʻi—“dakwa place,” from a tradition of a dakwaʻ in the river at that point. A former Cherokee settlement, known to the traders as Toqua or Toco, on Little Tennessee river, about the mouthof Toco creek in Monroe county, Tenn. A similar name and tradition attaches to a spot on the French Broad river, about six miles above the Warm springs, in Buncombe county, N. C.dakwaʻnitlastesti—“I shall have them on my legs for garters”; from anitlaʻsti (plural dinitlaʻsti), garter; d-, initial plural; akwa, first person particle; and esti, future suffix.daʻlikstaʻ—“vomiter,” from dagikʻstihuʻ, “I am vomiting,” dalikstaʻ, “he vomits” (habitually); the form is plural. The spreading adder (Heterodon), also sometimes called kwandayaʻhu, a word of uncertain etymology.Daʻnagasta—for Daʻ nawa-gastaʻya, “Sharp-war,” i. e., “Eager-warrior;”a Cherokee woman’s name.Daʻ nawa-(a)sa tsunʻyi, “War-ford,” from daʻ nawa, war, and asa tsunʻyi, “a crossing-place or ford.”A ford on Cheowa river about three miles below Robbinsville, in Graham county, N. C.Dandaʻganuʻ—“Two looking at each other,” from detsiʻganuʻ, “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, Ga. One of the Chickamauga towns (see Tsiʻkamaʻgi), so-called on account of the appearance of the mountains facing each other across the Tennessee river at Chattanooga.Daʻsi giyaʻgi—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 Daʻsi giyaʻgi, and the same name is now used by the East Cherokee as the equivalent of the name Lloyd.Daʻskwitunʻyi—“Rafter’s Place,” from daskwitunʻi, rafters, and yi, locative. A former settlement on Tusquittee creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, North Carolina.dasunʻtali—ant; dasunʻtali, “stinging ant,” the large red cowant (Myrmica?), also called sometimes, on account of its hard body-case, nunʻyunuʻwi, “stone-clad,” after the fabulous monster.Datleʻyastaʻi—“where they fell down,” a point on Tuckasegee river, a short distance above Webster, in Jackson county, North Carolina.datsi—a traditional water-monster.Datsiʻyi—“Datsi place”; a place on Little Tennessee river, near junction of Eagle creek, in Swain county, North Carolina.Datsuʻnalagunʻyi—“where there are tracks or footprints,” from utaʻsinunʻyi or ulasgunʻyi, footprint. Track Rock gap, near Blairsville, Georgia. Also sometimes called Deʻgayelunʻha, “place of branded marks.”daʻyi—beaver.Dayulsunʻyi—“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.daʻyuniʻsi—“beaver’s grandchild,” from dayi, beaver, and uniʻsi, son’s child of either sex. The water beetle or mellow bug.Degal gunʻyi—a cairn, literally “where they are piled up”; a series of cairns on the south side of Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.Deʻgataʻga—The Cherokee name of General Stamd Watie and of a prominent early western chief known to the whites as Takatoka. The word is derived from tsitaʻga, “I am standing,” da nitaʻga “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.Deʻgayelunʻha—see Datsuʻnalagunʻyi.detsanunʻli—an enclosure 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 cannot be certainly analyzed.Deʻtsata—a Cherokee sprite.detsinuʻlahunguʻ—“I tried, but failed.”Didalaskiʻyi—“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 (atsiʻla) or rain (afaska, “it is raining”); degalaskuʻ, “they are showering down and lodging upon him.”Didaʻskastiʻyi—“where they were afraid of each other,” a spot on Little Tennessee river, near the mouth of Alarka creek, in Swain county, N. C.digaʻgwaniʻ—the mud-hen or didapper. The name is plural form and implies “lame,” or “crippled in the legs” (cf. detsiʻnigwaʻna, “I am kneeling”),probably from the bouncing motion of the bird when in the water. It is also the name of a dance.Digaʻkatiʻyi—see Gakatiʻyi.diʻgalungunʻyi—“where it rises, or comes up”; the east. The sacred term is Nundaʻyi, q. v.digalunʻlatiyun—a height, one of a series, from galunʻlati, “above.”Digaluʻyatunʻyi—“where it is gashed (with hatchets)”; from tsiluʻyu, “I am cutting (with a chopping stroke),” di, plural prefix, and yi, locative. The Chopped Oak, formerly east of Clarkesville, Ga.Diganeʻski—“he picks them up” (habitually), from tsineʻu, “I am picking it up.” A Cherokee Union soldier in the Civil War.digiʻgageʻi—the plural of giʻgageʻi, red.diguʻlanahiʻta—for diguʻli-anahiʻta, “having long ears,” “long-eared”; from gule, “ear” and gunahiʻta, “long.”Dihyunʻdulaʻ—“sheaths,” or “scabbards”; singular ahyunʻdulaʻ, “a gun-sheath,” or other scabbard. The probable correct form of a name which appears in Revolutionary documents as “Untoola, or Gum Rod.”Diktaʻ—plural of Aktaʻ, eye.dilaʻ—skunk.dilstaʻyati—“scissors”; the water-spider (Dolomedes).dindaʻskwateʻski—the violet; the name signifies, “they pull each others' heads off.”dineʻtlana—the creation.di nuski—“the breeder”; a variety of smilax brier.Disgaʻgistiʻyi—“where they gnaw”; a place on Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.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.Distaiʻyi—“they are strong,” plural of astaiʻyi, “strong or tough.” The Tephrosia or devil’s shoestring.distaʻsti—a mill (generic).ditaʻstayeski—“a barber,” literally “one who cuts things (as with scissors), from tsistaʻyu, “I cut.” The cricket (talaʻtu) is sometimes so-called.Diwaʻli—“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 may have been another of the same name.diyaʻhali (or duyaʻhali)—the alligator lizard (Sceloporue undulatus).Diyaʻhaliʻyi—“Lizard’s place,” from diyaʻhali, lizard, and yi, locative. Joanna Bald, a mountain at the head of Valley river on the line between Cherokee and Graham counties, North Carolina.Double-Head—see Tal-tsuʻskaʻ.Dragging-Canoe—see Tsiʻyu-gunsiʻni.Dudunʻleksunʻyi—“where its legs were broken off”; a place on Tuckasegee river, a few miles above Webster, in Jackson county, N. C.Dugiluʻyi (abbreviated Dugiluʻ, 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, Ga. The word is of uncertain etymology; but seems to refer to a place at the forks of a stream.Dukasʻi, Dukwasʻi—The correct form of the name commonly written Toxaway, applied to a former Cherokee settlement in S. C., and the creek upon which it stood, and extreme headstream of Keowee river having its source in Jackson county, N. C. The meaning of the name is lost, although it hasbeen wrongly interpreted to mean “place of shedding tears.”Dulastunʻyi—“Potsherd place.” A former Cherokee settlement on Nottely river in Cherokee county, North Carolina.duleʻtsi—“kernels,” a goitrous swelling upon the throat.duluʻsi—a variety of frog found upon the headwaters of Savannah river.Duniya ta lunʻyi—“where there are shelves, or flat places,” from aya teʻni, flat, whence daʻya tana lunʻi, a shelf, and yi, locative. A gap on the Great Smoky range, near Clingman’s dome, Swain county, N. C.Duniduʻlalunʻyi—“where they made arrows”; a place on Straight creek, a headstream of Oconaluftee river, in Swain county, N. C.Duniʻskwa lgunʻi—the double peak known as the Chimney Tops, in Great Smoky Mountains about the head of Deep creek, in Swain county, N. C. On the north side is the pass known as Indian gap. The name signifies a “forked antler,” from uskwa lgu, antler, but indicates that the antler is attached in place, as though the deer itself were concealed below.Duʻstayalunʻyi—“where it made a noise as of thunder or shooting,” apparently referring to a lightningstrike(detsistayaʻhihu, “I make a shooting or thundering noise,” might be a first person form used by thepersonifiedThundergod); a spot on Hiwassee river, about the junction of Shooting creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, N. C. A former settlement along the creek bore the same name.duʻstuʻ—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 Tatsiʻ.duwe ga—a spring lizard.Eagle Dance—see Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti.Eastinaulee—see Uʻstanaʻli.Echota, New—see Gansaʻgi.edata—my father (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agidaʻta.Ediʻhi—“He goes about” (habitually); a masculine name.edutu—my maternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agidu tu; cf. enisi.egwa—great; cf. utanu.egwani—river.Egwanulti—“By the river,” from egwa ni, river, and nulati or nulti, near, beside. The proper form of Oconaluftee, the name of the river flowing thru the East Cherokee reservation in Swain and Jackson Counties, N. C. The town, Oconaluftee, 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.eladi—low, below; in the Lower dialect eradi, whence the Ayrata or Lower Cherokee of Adair, as distinguished from the Ottara (atari, atali) or Upper Cherokee.elanti—a song form for eladi, q. v.Elatseʻyi, (abbreviated Elatse)—“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 S. C.; another was on Ellijay creek of Little Tennessee river, near the present Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.; another was about the present Ellijay in Gilmer Co., Ga.; and still another was on Ellijay creek of Little river, near the present Maryville, in Blount Co., Tenn.Elawa diyi (abbreviated Elawa di)—“Red-earth place,” from ela, earth, wadi, brown-red or red paint, and yi, the locative. 1. The Cherokee name ofYellow-Hillsettlement, now officially known as Cherokee, the post office and agency headquarters for the East Cherokee, on Oconaluftee river, in Swain Co., N. C. 2. A former council ground known in history as Red Clay; at the site of the present village of that name in Whitfield Co., Ga., adjoining the Tennessee line.Ellijay—see Elatseʻyi.eni si—my paternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agani si, cf. edutu.Eskaqua—see Iskagua.Estanaula, Estinaula—see Uʻstanaʻli.Etawa ha tsistatlaʻski—“Deadwood-lighter,” a traditional Cherokee conjurer.eti—old, long ago.Etowah—see Iʻtawaʻ.Etsaiyi—see Untsaiyi.etsi—my mother (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agitsi.Euharlee—see Yuhaʻli.Feather dance—see Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti.Fightingtown—see Walasʻ-unulsti yi.Flax-toter—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.Flying-squirrel—see Kaʻlahuʻ.Frogtown—see Walasiʻyi.Gadaluʻla—the proper name of the mountain known to the whites as Yonah (from yanu, bear); or upper Chattahoochee river, in White Co., Ga. The name has no connection with Tallulah (see Talulu) and cannot be translated.Gadaluʻtsi—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, N. C., 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 wadaluʻyata, fringe, gaduʻta, “standing up in a row or series.”gahawiʻsiti—parched corn.Gahuti (Gahuʻta and Gwahuʻti in dialect forms)—Cohutta mountains in Murray Co., Ga. The name comes from gahutaʻyi, “ashed roof supported on poles”, and refers to a fancied resemblance in the summit.Gakatiʻyi—“place of setting fire”; something spoken in the plural form, Digaʻkatiʻyi, “place of the setting free.” A point on Tuckasegee river, about three miles above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N. C.gaktunʻta—an injunction, command or rule, more particularly a prohibition or ceremonial tabu. Tsigaʻteʻgu. “I am observing an injunction or tabu”; adakteʻgi, “he is under tabu regulations.”Galagiʻna—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.galiʻsgisidaʻhu—“I am dancing about”; from galiʻsgia, “I am dancing,” and edahu, “I am going about.”galunkwʻtiʻyo—honored; sacred; used in the bible to mean holy, hallowed.galunʻlati—above, on high.ganeʻga—skin.ganidawaʻski—“the champion catchfly” or “rattlesnake’s master” (Silene stellata); the name signifies “it disjoints itself,” from ganidawskuʻ, “it is unjointing itself,” on account of the peculiar manner in which the dried stalk breaks off at the joints.Gansagi (or Gansagiyi)—the name of several former settlements in the old Cherokee country; it cannot be analyzed. One of this name was upon Tuckasegee river, a short distance above the present Webster, in Jackson Co., N. C.; another was on the lower part of Canasauga creek, in McMinn Co., Tenn.; a third was at the junction of Conasauga and Coosawatee rivers, where afterwards was located the Cherokee capital, New Echota, in Gordon Co., Ga.; 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 Kennesaw mountain, Ga.Gansaʻtiʻyi—“robbing place,” from tsinaʻsahunsku, “I am robbing him.” Vengeance creek of Valley river in Cherokee Co., N. C. The name vengeance was originally a white man’s nickname for an old Cherokee woman, of forbidding aspect, who lived there before the Removal.Ganseʻti—a rattle; as the Cherokee dance rattle is made from the gourd, the masculine name, Ganseʻti, is usually rendered by the whites, “rattling-gourd.”gatausti—the wheel and stick of the Southern tribes, incorrectly called nettecwaw by Timberlake.Gategwaʻ—for Gategwaʻhi, possibly a contraction of Igat(I)-egwaʻhi, “Great-swamp, “thicket place.” A high peak southeast from Franklin, Macon Co., N. C., and perhaps identical with Fodderstack mountain.gaʻtsu—see hatluʻ.Gatuʻgitseʻyi (abbreviated Gatuʻgitseʻ)—“New-settlement place,” from gatuʻgi or agatuʻgi, town, settlement, itsehi, new, especially applied to new vegetation, and yi, the locative. A former settlement on Cartoogaja creek near the present Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.Gatugiʻyi—“Town building place,” or “Settlement place,” from gatuʻgi, a settlement, and yi, locative. A place on Santeetla creek, near Robbinsville, in Graham Co., N. C.Gatunʻitiʻyi—“Hemp place,” from Gatunʻlati, “wild hemp” (Apocynum cannabinum), and yi, locative. A former Cherokee settlement, commonly known as Hemptown, on the creek of the same name, near Morgantown, in Fannin Co., Ga.Gatunʻwaʻli—a noted western Cherokee, about 1842, known to the whites as Hardmush or Big-Mush.Gatunʻwaʻli, from gaʻtuʻ, “bread,” and unwaʻli, “made into balls or lumps,” is a sort of mush or parched corn meal, made very thick, so that it can be dipped out in lumps almost of the consistency of bread.geʻi—down stream, down the road, with the current; tsaʻgi, up stream.geseʻi—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 hiʻgeseʻi it usually accompanies an emphatic repetition.Geʻyaguʻga (for Ageʻhyaʻ-guga?)—a formulistic name for the moon (nunʻdaʻ); it cannot be analyzed, but seems to contain the word ageʻhya, “woman.” See also nunʻdaʻ.giʻga—blood; cf. giʻgageʻi, red.giʻga-danegiʻski—“blood taker,” from giʻga, blood, and adaʻnegiʻski, “one who takes liquids,” from tsiʻnegiaʻ (liquid). Another name for the tsaneʻni or scorpion lizard.giʻgageʻi—red, bright red, scarlet; the brown-red of certain animals and clays is distinguished as waʻdigeʻi.giʻga-tsuhaʻli—“bloody-mouth,” literally “having blood on the corners of his mouth”; from giʻga, blood, and tsuhanunsiʻyi, the corners of the mouth (ahaʻli, his mouth). A large lizard, probably the pleistodon.gili—dog; the Lower dialect, giʻri.Gili-dinehunʻyi—“where the dogs live,” from gili, dog, dinehuʻ, “they dwell” (ehu, “I dwell”), and yi, locative. A place on Oconaluftee river, a short distance above the present Cherokee in Swain Co., N. C.Giʻliʻ-utsunʻstanunʻyi—“where the dog ran,” from giliʻ, dog, and Utsunʻstanunʻyi, “footprints made by an animal running”; the Milky way.ginunti—a song form for gunuʻtiiʻ, “to lay him (animate object) upon the ground.”giri—see giʻliʻ.Gisehunʻyi—“where the female lives,” from agiʻsi, female, and yi, locative. A place on Tuckasegee river a short distance above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N. C.gitʻlu—hair. (Upper dialect); in Lower and Middle dialects gitsu.Glass, The—see Taʻgwadihiʻ.Gohoma—A Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be identified.Going-snake—see Iʻnadunaʻi.Gorhaleka—a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be identified.Great Island—see Amayel-eʻgwa.Gregory Bald—seeTsistuʻyi.Guachoula—see Guaxule.Guaquila (Waki la)—a town in the Cherokee country, visited by De Soto in 1540, and again in 1567 by Pardo, who calls it Aguaquiri, and the name may have a connection with waguli, “Whippoorwill,” or with uʻwaʻgiʻli, “foam.”Guasula—see Guaxule.Gusila—see Guaxule.Guaxule—a town in Cherokee county, visited in 1540 by De Soto. It was probably about at Nacoochee mound in White Co., Ga.guʻdayʻwu—“I have sewed myself together”; “I am sewing,” tsiyeʻwiaʻ; “I am sewing myself together.”gugweʻ—the quail or partridge.gugweʻulasuʻla—“partridge moccasin,” from guewe, partridge, and ulasula, moccasin or shoe; the lady slipper.Gulahiʻyi (abbreviated Gulahiʻ, or Gurahiʻ, in the Lower dialect)—“Gulaʻhi place,” so-called from the 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 Co., Ga., the other on Cullowhee river, an upper branch of Tuckasegee, in Jackson Co., N. C. Currahee Dick was a noted chief about the year 1820.Guʻlaniʻyi—a Cherokee and Natchez settlement, formerly about the junction of Brasstown creek with Hiwassee river, a short distance above Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C. The etymology of the word is doubtful.guleʻ—acorn.guleʻdiskaʻnihi—the turtle-dove; literally “it cries, or mourns, for acorns,” from gule, acorn, and diskaʻnihiʻ, “it cries for them,” (di-. plural prefix, hi, habitual suffix). The turtle-dove feeds upon acorns and its cry somewhat resembles the name, gule.guleʻgi—“climber,” from tsilahi, “I climb” (second person, hiʻlahi; third person, gulahi); the blacksnake.Gulʻkalaʻski—an earlier name for Tsunuʻlahunʻski, q. v.gulʻkwaʻgi—seven; also the mole-cricket.gulʻkwaʻgine(-i)—seventh; from gulʻkwagi, seven.Gulsadihi (or Gultsadihiʻ?) a masculine name of uncertain etymology.gunahiʻti—long.Guʻnahitunʻyi—Long place (i. e., Long valley), from gunahiʻti, 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 Co., N. C. The various settlements on Valley river and the adjacent part of Hiwassee were known collectively as “Valley towns.”Gunʻdiʻgaduhunʻyi (abbreviated Gunʻ-digaduʻhun)—“Turkey settlement” (guʻna, 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, Co., Ala.guʻni—arrow. Cf. Senica, gaʻna.gunʻnageʻi (or gunʻnage) black.Gunneʻhi—see Nunneʻhi.Gunskaliʻski—a masculine personal name of uncertain etymology.Gunters Landing, Guntersville—see Kuʻsa-Nunnaʻhi.Gun-tuskwaʻli—“short arrows,” from guni, arrow, and tsuskwaʻli, plural of uskaʻli, short; a traditional western tribe.Gununʻdaʻleʻgi—see Nunna-hiʻdihi.Gustiʻ—a traditional Cherokee settlement on Tennessee river, near Kingston, Roane Co., Tenn. The name cannot be analyzed.Guʻwisguwiʻ—The Cherokee name of 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 Tsanʻusdi, “Little John.”Gwalʻgaʻhi—“Frog-place,” from gwalʻgu, a variety of frog, and hi, locative. A place on Hiwassee river, just above the junction of Peachtree creek, near Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C.; about 1755 the site of a village of refugee Natchez, and later of a Baptist mission.gweheʻ—a cricket’s cry.Ha!—an introductory exclamation intended to attract attention or add emphasis; about equivalent to Here! Now!Haʻ-maʻmaʻ—a song term compounded of ha! an introductory exclamation, and mamaʻ, a word which has no analysis, but is used in speaking to young children to mean “let me carry you on my back.”Hanging-maw—see Uskwaʻli-guʻta.haʻnia-lilʻ-lilʻ—an unmeaning dance refrain.Hard-mush—see Gatunʻwali.haʻtlu—dialectic form, gaʻtsu, “where?” (interrogative).haʻwiyeʻehiʻ, haʻwiyeʻhyuweʻ—unmeaning dance refrains.hayuʻ—an emphatic affirmative, about equivalent to “Yes, sir.”hayuyaʻhaniwaʻ—an unmeaning refrain in one of the bear songs.he-e!—an unmeaning song introduction.Hemp-carrier—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.Hemptown—see Gatunltiʻyi.hi!—unmeaning dance exclamation.Hickory-log—see Waneʻ-asunʻtlunyi.hiʻginaʻlii—“(you are) my friend”; afinaʻlii, “(he is) my friend.” In white man’s jargon, canaly.Hightower—see Iʻtawaʻ.hilaʻgu?—how many? how much? (Upper dialect); the Middle dialect form is hunguʻ.hilahiʻyu—long ago; the final yu makes it more emphatic.hiʻlunnu—“(thou) go to sleep”; from tsiʻlihuʻ, “I am asleep.”hiʻski—five; cf. Mohawk wisk. The Cherokee numerals including 10 are as follows: saʻgwu, taʻli, tsaʻi, nunʻgi, hiʻski, suʻtali, gul kwaʻgi, tsuneʻla, askaʻhiHiwassee—Ayuhwaʻsi.hiʻyaguʻwe—an unmeaning dance refrain.Houston, Samuel—see Kaʻlanu.huhu—the yellow-breasted chat, or yellow mocking bird (Icteria virens); the name is an onomatope.hunyahuʻska—“he will die.”hwiʻlahiʻ—“thou (must) go.”Iauʻnigu—an important Cherokee settlement, commonly known to the whites as Seneca, formerly on Keowee river, about the mouth of Conneross creek, in Oconee county, S. C. 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.igaguʻti—daylight. The name is sometimes applied to the ulunsuʻti (q. v.) and also to the clematis vine.iʻhya—the cane reed (Arundinaria) of the Gulf states, used by the Indians for blow-guns, fishing rods and basketry.ihyaʻga—see atsilʻsunti.inaduʻ—snake.Iʻnadu-naʻi—“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 astaʻi, “I am going along with him.”The name has been given to a district of the present Cherokee Nation.iʻnageʻhi—dwelling in the wilderness, an inhabitant of the wilderness; from iʻnageʻi “wilderness,” and ehi, habitual present form of ehu, “he is dwelling”; geʻu, “I am dwelling.”
The Cherokee language has the continental vowel sounds a, e, i, and u, but lacks o, which is replaced by a deep a. The obscure or short u 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 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.
aas in far.ăas in what, or obscure as in showman.àas in law, all.dmedial (semisonant), approximating t.eas in they.ĕas in net.gmedial (semisonant), approximating k.has in hat.ias in pique.ĭas in pick.kas in kick.las in lull.ʻlsurd l (sometimes written hl), nearly the Welsh ll.mas in man.nas in not.rtakes place of 1 in Lower dialect.sas in sin.tas in top.uas in rule.ûas in cut.ûñû nasalized.was in wit.yas 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.
Chimney Rock.Chimney Rock.“Like a monolith it risesTo a grand majestic height.”
Chimney Rock.
“Like a monolith it risesTo a grand majestic height.”
“Like a monolith it risesTo a grand majestic height.”
“Like a monolith it risesTo a grand majestic height.”
“Like a monolith it rises
To a grand majestic height.”
adaʻlanunʻsti—a staff or cane.
adanʻta—soul.
adaʻwehi—a magician or supernatural being.
adaʻwehiʻyu—a very great magician; intensive form of adaʻwehi.
aʻgana—groundhog.
Aʻganstaʻta—“groundhog-sausage,” from aʻgana, ground-hog, and tsistaʻu, “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.
Aʻgan-uniʻtsi—“Ground-hog’s mother,” from aʻgana and uniʻtsi, their mother, plural of utsiʻ, his mother (etsiʻ, agitsiʻ, my mother). The Cherokee name of the Shawano captive, who, according to tradition, killed the great Uktena serpent and procured the Ulunsuʻti.
Agaweʻla—“Old Woman,” a formulistic name for corn or the spirit corn.
agayunʻli—for agayunlige, old, ancient.
agidaʻta—see edaʻta.
agidutu—see eduʻtu.
Agi′li—“He is rising,” possibly a contraction of an old personal name. Aginʻ-agi′li, “Rising-fawn.” Major George Lawrey, cousin of Sequoya, and assistant chief of the Cherokee Nation about 1840. Stanley incorrectly makes it “Keeth-la, or Dog” for gi′liʻ.
aginʻsi—see eniʻsi.
agiʻsi—female, applied usually to quadrupeds.
Agisʻ-eʻgwa—“Great Female,” possibly “Great Doe.” A being, probably an animal god invoked in the sacred formulas.
agitsiʻ—see etsiʻ.
Agitsta′tiʻyi—“where they stayed up all night,” from tsigitsunʻtihu, “I stay up all night.” A place in the Great Smoky range about the head of Noland creek, in Swain County, N. C.
Aguaquiri—see Guaquili.
Ahaluʻna—“Ambush,” Ahalununʻyi, “Ambush place,” or Uniʻhaluʻna, “where they ambushed,” from akaluʻga, “I am watching.” Soco gap, at the head of Soco creek, on the line between Swain and Haywood counties, N. C. The name is also applied to the lookout station for deer hunters.
ahanuʻlahi—“he is bearded,” from ahanuʻlahu, a beard.
Ahuʻludeʻgi—“He throws away the drum” (habitual), from ahuʻli, drum, and akwadeʻgu, “I am throwing it away” (round object). The Cherokee name of John Jolly, a noted chief and adopted father of Samuel Houston, about 1800.
ahyeliʻski—a mocker or mimic.
aktaʻ—eye; plural, diktaʻ.
aktaʻti—a telescope or field glass. The name denotes something with which to examine or look into closely, from aktaʻ, eye.
akwanduʻli—a song form for akwiduʻli (-hu,) “I want it.”
Akwan′ki—see Anakwanʻki.
Akwe′tiʻyi—a location on Tuckasegee river, in Jackson county, North Carolina; the meaning of the name is lost.
Alarka—see Yalagi.
aligaʻ—the red-horse fish (Moxostoma).
Alkiniʻ—the last woman known to be of Natchez decent and peculiarity among the East Cherokee; died about 1890. The name has no apparent meaning.
amaʻ—water; in the Lower dialect, awaʻ; cf. aʻma salt.
amayeʻhi—“dwelling in the water,” from amaʻ (amaʻyi, “in the water”) and ehuʻ, “I dwell,” “I live.”
Amaye′l-eʻgwa—“Great island,” from amaye′li, island (from amaʻ, water, and aye′li, “in the middle”) and eʻgwa, great. A former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, at Big island, a short distance below the mouth of Tellico, in Monroe county, Tenn. Timberlake writes it Mialaquo, while Bartram spells it Nilaque. Not to be confounded with Long-Island town below Chattanooga.
Amaye′li-gunahiʻta—“Long-island,” from amaye′li, island, and gunahiʻta, 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 Tsikamaʻgi).
amaʻyineʻhi—“dwellers in the water,” plural of amayeʻhi.
Anadaʻduntaski—“roasters,” i. e., cannibals; from gunʻtaskuʻ. “I am putting it (round) into the fire to roast.” The regular word for cannibals is Yunʻwiniʻgiski, q. v.
anagahunʻunskuʻ—the green-corn dance; literally, “they are having a 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 AniʻNunʻdaweʻgi.
a′neʻtsa, oranetsaʻgi—the ball-play.
a′netsaʻunski—a ball-player; literally, “a lover of the ball-play.”
aniʻ—a tribal and animate prefix.
aniʻdaʻwehi—plural of adaʻwehi.
aʻnigantiʻski—see dagan′tu.
AniʻGatageʻwi—one of the seven Cherokee clans. The name has now no meaning, but has been absurdly rendered “Blind savana,” from an incorrect idea that it is derived from Igaʻti, a swamp or savanna, and digeʻwi, blind.
Ani-Gilaʻhi—“Long-haired people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; singular, Agilaʻhi. The word comes from agilaʻhi (perhaps connected with afi′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.
Aniʻ-Giliʻ—a problematic tribe, possibly the Congaree. The name is not connected with giʻliʻ, dog.
Aniʻ-Gusa—see AniʻKuʻsa.
aʻnigwa—soon after; dineʻtlana aʻnigwa, “soon after the creation.”
Aniʻ-Hyunʻtikwalaʻski—“The Thunders,” 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. tikwaleʻlu, a wheel, hence a wagon; amaʻ-tikwalelunyi, “rolling water place,” applied to a cascade where the water falls along the surface of the rock; ahyunʻtikwalaʻstihuʻ, “it is thundering,” applied to the roar of a railroad train or waterfall.
Aniʻ-Kawiʻ—“Deer people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; the regular form for deer is a′wiʻ.
Aniʻ-Kawiʻta—the Lower Creeks, from Kawiʻta or Coweta, their former principal town on Chattahoochee river near the present Columbus, Ga.; the Upper Creeks on the head streams of Alabama river were distinguished as Aniʻ-Kuʻsa (q. v.) A small creek of Little Tennessee river above Franklin, in Macon county, N. C., is now known as Coweeta creek.
Aniʻ-Kituʻhwagi—“Kituʻhwa people,” from Kituʻhwa (q. v.), an ancient Cherokee settlement.
Aniʻ-Kuʻsa or Aniʻ-Guʻsa—the Creek Indians, particularly the Upper Creeks on the waters of Alabama river; singular AʻKuʻsa or Coosa (Spanish, Coca, Cossa) their principal ancient town.
Aniʻ-Kutaʻni (also Aniʻ-Kwataʻni, or incorrectly, Nicotani)—traditional Cherokee priestly society or clan exterminated in a popular uprising.
aninaʻhilidahi—“creatures that fly about,” from tsinaiʻli, “I am flying,”tsinaʻilidaʻhu, “I am flying about.” The generic term for birds and flying insects.
Aniʻ-Na′tsi—abbreviated Anintsi, singular A-Na′tsi. The Natchez Indians. From coincidence with naʻtsi, pine, the name has been incorrectly rendered “Pine Indians,” whereas it is really a Cherokee plural name of the Natchez.
Aninʻtsi—see AniʻNa′tsi.
AniʻNundaweʻgi—singular, Nunʻdaweʻgi; the Iroquois, more particularly the Seneca, from Nundawao, the name by which the Seneca call themselves. Adair spells it Anantooeah. The tribe was also known as Aniʻ-Seʻnika.
Aniʻ-Sahaʻni—one of the seven Cherokee clans; possibly an archaic form for “Blue people,” from sa′kaʻni, saʻkaʻnigeʻi, blue.
Aniʻ-Saʻni, Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni—see Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi.
Aniʻ-Sawanuʻgi (singular Sawanuʻgi)—the Shawano Indians. Aniʻ-saʻni and Aniʻ-Sawahaʻni may be the same.
Aniʻ-Seʻnika—see AniʻNundaweʻgi.
Anisgaʻya Tsunsdiʻ (ga)—“The Little Men”; the Thunder Boys in Cherokee mythology.
Aniʻ-sgayaiyi—“Men town” (?), a traditional Cherokee settlement on Valley river, in Cherokee county, North Carolina.
Aniʻsgiʻna—plural of asgiʻna, q. v.
Aniʻ-Skalaʻli—the Tuscarora Indian; singular, Skalaʻli or A-Skalaʻli.
Aniʻskwaʻni—Spaniards; singular, Askwaʻni.
Aniʻ-Suwaʻli—or Aniʻ-Swqaʻla—the Suala, Sara or Cheraw Indians, formerly about the headwatersof Broad river, North Carolina, the Xuala province of the De Soto chronicle, and Joara or Juada of the later Pardo narrative.
Aniʻtaʻgwa—the Catawba Indians; singular, Ataʻgwa or Tagwa.
Aniʻ-Tsaʻguhi—the Cherokee clan, transformed to bears according to tradition. Swimmer’s daughter bears the name Tsaguhi, which is not recognized as distinctively belonging to either sex.
Aniʻ-Tsaʻlagiʻ—the Cherokee.
Aniʻ-Tsa′ta—the Choctaw Indians; singular, Tsa′ta.
Aniʻ-Tsiʻksu—the Chickasaw Indians; singular, Tsiʻksu.
Aniʻ-Tsiʻskwa—“Bird people”; one of the seven Cherokee clans.
Aniʻ-Tsuʻtsa—“The Boys,” from atsuʻtsa, boy; the Pleiades.
Aniʻ-Waʻdi—“Paint people”; one of the seven Cherokee clans.
Aniʻ-Wa′dihiʻ—“Place of 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 Aniʻ-Waʻdi or Paint clan.
aniʻwaniʻski—the bugle weed,Lycopus virginicus; literally, “the talk” or “talkers,” from tsiwaʻnihu, “I am talking,” awaniski, “he talks habitually.”
Aniʻ-Wasaʻsi—the Osage Indians; singular, Wasaʻsi.
Aniʻ-Waʻya—“Wolf people”; the most important of the seven clans of the Cherokee.
Aniʻ-Yunʻwiyaʻ—Indians, particularly Cherokee Indians; literally “principal or real people,” from yunwi, person, ya, a suffix implying principal or real, and aniʻ, the tribal prefix.
Aniʻ-Yuʻtsi—the Yuchi or Uchee Indians; singular, Yuʻtsi.
Annie Ax—see Sadayiʻ.
Aquone—a post-office on Nantahala river, in Mason county, North Carolina, site of the former Fort Scott. Probably a corruption of egwani, river.
Arch, John—see Atsi.
Asaʻgwalihuʻ—a pack or burden; asaʻgwal luʻ, or asaʻgwi liʻ, “there is a pack on him.”
asehiʻ—surely.
Aseʻnika—singular of Aniʻ-Seʻnika.
asgaʻya—man.
asgaʻya Giʻgagei—the “Red Man”; the Lightning spirit.
asgiʻna—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 Kasduʻyi and Untaʻkiyastiʻyi.
asi—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.”
asiyuʻ (abbreviated siyuʻ)—good; the common Cherokee salute; gaʻsiyuʻ, “I am good”; hasiyuʻ, “thou art good”; aʻsiyu, “he (it) is good”; astu, “very good.”
Askwaʻni—a Spaniard. See Aniʻskwaʻni.
astuʻ—very good; astu tsikiʻ, very good, best of all.
Astuʻgataʻga—A Cherokee lieutenant in the Confederate service killed in 1862. 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; gataʻga, “he is standing”; stuti, a door or shutter; stuhu, a closed door or passage; stugiʻsti, a key, i. e., something with which to open the door.
asunʻtli, asuntlunʻyu—a footlog or bridge; literally, “log lying across,” from asiʻta, log.
ataʻ—wood; ataʻya, “principal wood,” i. e., oak; cf. Muscogee iti, wood.
Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ—a noted Cherokee chief, recognized by the British government as the head chief or “emperor” of the Nation, about 1760 and later, and 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 ataʻ, “Wood” and gul kalu, 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.”
Ataʻgwa—a Catawba Indian.
Atahiʻta—abbreviated from Atahitunʻyi, “Place where they shouted,” from gataʻhiuʻ, “I shout,” and yi, locative. Waya gap, on the ridge west of Franklin, Macon county, North Carolina. The map name is probably from the Cherokee wa ya, wolf.
Ata-Kullakulla—see Ataʻ-gul kaluʻ.
aʻtali—mountain; in the Lower dialect aʻtari, whence the “Ottare” or Upper Cherokee of Adair. The form aʻtali is used only in composition; and mountain in situ is atalunyi or gatuʻsi.
aʻtali-guliʻ—“it climbs the mountain,” i. e., “mountain-climber”; the ginseng plant,Ginseng quinquefolium; from aʻtali, mountain, and guliʻ, “it climbs” (habitually); tsilahiʻ or tsiliʻ, “I amclimbing.” Also called in the sacred formulas, Yunʻwi Usdiʻ, “Little man.”
Atalaʻnuwaʻ—“Tlaʻnuwa hole”; the Cherokee name of Chattanooga, Tennessee (see tsatanuʻgi); originally applied to a bluff on the south side of the Tennessee river, at the foot of the present Market street.
aʻtaluluʻ—unfinished, premature, unsuccessful; whence utaluʻli, “it is not yet time.”
Ataʻluntiʻski—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.
Aʻtari—see aʻtali.
atasiʻ (or atasaʻ, in a dialectic form)—a war-club.
atatsunʻski—stinging; literally, “he stings” (habitually).
Aʻtsi—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.
atsiʻla—fire; in the Lower dialect, atsiʻra.
Atsiʻla-waʻi—“Fire—”; a mountain sometimes known as Rattlesnake knob, about two miles northeast of Cherokee, Swain county, N. C.
Atsilʻ-dihyeʻgi—“Fire-Carrier”; apparently the Cherokee name for the will-of-the-wisp. As is usually the case in the Cherokee compounds, the verbal form is plural (“it carries fire”); the singular form is ahyeʻgi.
Atsilʻ-sunti (abbreviated tsilʻ-sunti)—fleabane (Erigeron canadense); the name signifies “material with which to make fire,” from atsiʻla, fire, and gasunti,gatsunti or gatlunti, material with which to make something, from fasunʻsku (or gatlunʻsku), “I make it.” The plant is also called ihyaʻga.
atsilʻ-tluntuʻtsi—“fire-panther.” A meteor or comet.
Aʻtsinaʻ—cedar.
Aʻtsinaʻ-k taʻum—“Hanging cedar place”; from aʻtsinaʻ, cedar, and k taʻun, “where it (long) hangs down”; a Cherokee name for the old Taskigi town on the Little Tennessee river in Monroe county, Tenn.
Atsiʻra—see atsiʻla.
Atsunʻsta tiʻyi (abbreviated Atsunʻsta ti)—“Fire-light place,” 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, Ga.
Attakullakulla—see Ata-gul kaluʻ.
awaʻ—see amaʻ.
awaʻhili—eagle; particularlyAquila Chrysaetus, distinguished as the “pretty-feathered eagle.”
awiʻ—deer; also sometimes written and pronounced ahawiʻ; the name is sometimes applied to the large horned beetle, the flying stag of early writers.
awiʻ-ahanuʻlahi—goat; literally “bearded deer.”
awiʻ-ahyeliʻski—“deer mocker”; the deer bleat, a sort of whistle used by hunters to call the doe by imitating the cry of the fawn.
awiʻ-aktaʻ—“deer eye”; theRudbeckiaor black-eyed Susan.
awiʻ-eʻgwa (abbreviated aw-eʻgwa)—the elk, literally “great deer.”
awiʻ-unadeʻna—sheep; literally “woolly deer.”
AwiʻUsdiʻ—“Little Deer,” the mythic chief of the Deer tribe.
Ax, Annie—see Sadayiʻ.
Ax, John—see Itaguʻnahi.
awe li—half, middle, in the middle.
Ayphwaʻsi—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 Ayuhwaʻsi Egwaʻhi or Great Hiwassee, was on the north bank of Hiwassee river at the present Savannah ford above Columbus, in Polk county, Tenn. The other was farther up the same river, at the junction of Peachtree creek, above Murphy, in Cherokee county, N. C. Lanman writes it Owassa.
Ayrate—see eʻladiʻ.
Aysʻsta—“The Spoiler,” from tsiyaʻstihu, “I spoil it”; cf. uyaʻi, bad. A prominent woman and informant on the East Cherokee reservation.
Ayunʻini—“Swimmer”; literally, “he is swimming,” from gayuniniʻ, “I am swimming.” A principal priest and informant of the East Cherokee, died in 1899.
Ayulsuʻ—see Dayulsunʻyi.
Beaverdam—see Uy′gilaʻgi.
Big-Cove—see Kaʻlanunʻyi.
Big-Island—see Amaye′l-eʻgwa.
Big-Witch—see Tskil-eʻgwa.
Bird-Town—see Tsiskwaʻhi.
Bloody-Fellow—see Iskagua.
Blythe—see Diskwani.
Black-fox—see Inaʻli.
Boudinot, Elias—see Galagiʻna.
Bowl, The; Bowles, Colonel—see Diwali.
Brass—see Untsaiyiʻ.
Brasstown—see Itseʻyi.
Breadth, The—see Unliʻta.
Briertown—see Kanuʻgulaʻyi.
Buffalo (creek)—see Yunsaʻi.
Bull-Head—see Sukwaleʻna.
Butler, John—see Tsanʻ-ugaʻsita.
Cade’s Cove—see Tsiyaʻhi.
Canacaught—“Canacaught, the great Conjurer,” mentioned as a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; possibly kanegwaʻti, the water-moccasin snake.
Canaly—see hiʻginaʻlii.
Canasagua—see Gansaʻgi.
Cannastion, Cannostee—see Kanaʻsta.
Canuga—see Kanuʻga.
Cartoogaja—see Gatuʻgitseʻyi.
Cataluchee—see Gadaluʻtsi.
Cauchi—a place, apparently in the Cherokee county, visited by Pardo in 1567.
Caunasaita—given as the name of a Lower Chief in 1684; possibly for Kanunsiʻta, “dogwood.”
Chalaque—see Tsaʻlagi.
Chattanooga—see Tsatanuʻgi.
Chattooga, Chatuga—see Tsatuʻgi.
Cheeowhee—see Tsiyaʻhi.
Cheerake—see Tsaʻlagi.
Cheraw—see Aniʻ-Suwaʻli.
Cheowa—see Tsiyaʻhi.
Cheowa Maximum—see Schwateʻyi.
Cheraqui—see Tsaʻlagi.
Cherokee—see Tsaʻlagi.
Chestatee—see Atsunʻsta tiʻyi.
Chestua—see Tsistuʻyi.
Cheucunsene—see Tsiʻkamaʻgi.
Chilhowee—see Tsu lunʻwe.
Chimney Tops—see Duniʻskwa lgunʻi.
Chisca—mentioned in the De Soto narratives as a mining region in the Cherokee country. The name may have a connection with Tsiʻskwa, “bird,” possibly Tsiskwaʻhi, “Bird place.”
Choastea—see Tsistuʻyi.
Chopped Oak—see Digaluʻyatunʻyi.
Choquata—see Itsaʻti.
Citico—see Siʻtikuʻ.
Clear-sky—see Iskagua.
Clennuse—see Tlanusiʻyi.
Cleveland—see Tsistetsiʻyi.
Coca—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa.
Coco—see Kukuʻ.
Cohutta—see Gahuʻti.
Colanneh, Colona—see Kaʻlanu.
Conasauga—see Gansaʻgi.
Conneross—see Kawanʻ-uraʻsunyi.
Coosawatee—see Kuʻsawetiʻyi.
Cooweescoowee—see Guʻwisguwiʻ.
Coosa—see Aniʻ-Kuʻsa, Kusa.
Corani—see Kaʻlanu.
Coweeʻ—see Kawiʻyi.
Coweeta, Coweta—see Aniʻ-Kawiʻta.
Coyatee (variously spelled Cawatie, Coiatee, Coytee, Coytoy, Kai-a-tee)—a former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, some ten miles below the junction of Tellico, about the present Coytee post-office in Loudon county, Tennessee.
Creek-path—see Kuʻsa-nunnaʻhi.
Crow-town—see Kagunʻyi.
Cuhtahlatah—a Cherokee woman noted in the Wahnenauhi manuscript as having distinguished herself by bravery in battle. The proper form mayhave some connection with gatunʻlati, “wild hemp.”
Cullasagee—see Kulseʻtsiʻyi.
Cullowhee, Currahee—see Gulahiʻyi.
Cuttawa—see Kituʻhwa.
Dagan tu—“he makes it rain”; from agaʻska, “it is raining,” agaʻna, “it has begun to rain”; a small variety of lizard whose cry is said to presage rain. It is also called aʻnigantiʻski, “they make it rain” (plural form), or rain-maker.
dagul ku—the American white-fronted goose. The name may be an onomatope.
daguʻna—the fresh-water mussel; also a variety of face pimples.
Dagunʻhi—“Mussel place,” from daguʻna, mussel, and hi, locative. The Mussel shoals on Tennessee river, in northwestern Alabama. It was sometimes called also simply Tsu stanalunʻyi, “Shoal’s place.”
Daguʻnawaʻlahi—“Mussel-liver place,” from daguʻna, mussel, uweʻla, liver, and hi, locative; the Cherokee name for the site of Nashville, Tenn. No reason can now be given for the name.
Dahlonega—A town in Lumpkin county, Ga., near which the first gold was mined. A mint was established there in 1838. The name is from the Cherokee dalaʻnigeʻi, yellow, whence ateʻla-dalaʻ-nigeʻi, “yellow money,” i. e., gold.
daksawaʻihu—“he is shedding tears.”
dakwaʻ—a mythic great fish; also the whale.
Dakwaʻi—“dakwa place,” from a tradition of a dakwaʻ in the river at that point. A former Cherokee settlement, known to the traders as Toqua or Toco, on Little Tennessee river, about the mouthof Toco creek in Monroe county, Tenn. A similar name and tradition attaches to a spot on the French Broad river, about six miles above the Warm springs, in Buncombe county, N. C.
dakwaʻnitlastesti—“I shall have them on my legs for garters”; from anitlaʻsti (plural dinitlaʻsti), garter; d-, initial plural; akwa, first person particle; and esti, future suffix.
daʻlikstaʻ—“vomiter,” from dagikʻstihuʻ, “I am vomiting,” dalikstaʻ, “he vomits” (habitually); the form is plural. The spreading adder (Heterodon), also sometimes called kwandayaʻhu, a word of uncertain etymology.
Daʻnagasta—for Daʻ nawa-gastaʻya, “Sharp-war,” i. e., “Eager-warrior;”a Cherokee woman’s name.
Daʻ nawa-(a)sa tsunʻyi, “War-ford,” from daʻ nawa, war, and asa tsunʻyi, “a crossing-place or ford.”A ford on Cheowa river about three miles below Robbinsville, in Graham county, N. C.
Dandaʻganuʻ—“Two looking at each other,” from detsiʻganuʻ, “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, Ga. One of the Chickamauga towns (see Tsiʻkamaʻgi), so-called on account of the appearance of the mountains facing each other across the Tennessee river at Chattanooga.
Daʻsi giyaʻgi—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 Daʻsi giyaʻgi, and the same name is now used by the East Cherokee as the equivalent of the name Lloyd.
Daʻskwitunʻyi—“Rafter’s Place,” from daskwitunʻi, rafters, and yi, locative. A former settlement on Tusquittee creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, North Carolina.
dasunʻtali—ant; dasunʻtali, “stinging ant,” the large red cowant (Myrmica?), also called sometimes, on account of its hard body-case, nunʻyunuʻwi, “stone-clad,” after the fabulous monster.
Datleʻyastaʻi—“where they fell down,” a point on Tuckasegee river, a short distance above Webster, in Jackson county, North Carolina.
datsi—a traditional water-monster.
Datsiʻyi—“Datsi place”; a place on Little Tennessee river, near junction of Eagle creek, in Swain county, North Carolina.
Datsuʻnalagunʻyi—“where there are tracks or footprints,” from utaʻsinunʻyi or ulasgunʻyi, footprint. Track Rock gap, near Blairsville, Georgia. Also sometimes called Deʻgayelunʻha, “place of branded marks.”
daʻyi—beaver.
Dayulsunʻyi—“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.
daʻyuniʻsi—“beaver’s grandchild,” from dayi, beaver, and uniʻsi, son’s child of either sex. The water beetle or mellow bug.
Degal gunʻyi—a cairn, literally “where they are piled up”; a series of cairns on the south side of Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.
Deʻgataʻga—The Cherokee name of General Stamd Watie and of a prominent early western chief known to the whites as Takatoka. The word is derived from tsitaʻga, “I am standing,” da nitaʻga “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.
Deʻgayelunʻha—see Datsuʻnalagunʻyi.
detsanunʻli—an enclosure 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 cannot be certainly analyzed.
Deʻtsata—a Cherokee sprite.
detsinuʻlahunguʻ—“I tried, but failed.”
Didalaskiʻyi—“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 (atsiʻla) or rain (afaska, “it is raining”); degalaskuʻ, “they are showering down and lodging upon him.”
Didaʻskastiʻyi—“where they were afraid of each other,” a spot on Little Tennessee river, near the mouth of Alarka creek, in Swain county, N. C.
digaʻgwaniʻ—the mud-hen or didapper. The name is plural form and implies “lame,” or “crippled in the legs” (cf. detsiʻnigwaʻna, “I am kneeling”),probably from the bouncing motion of the bird when in the water. It is also the name of a dance.
Digaʻkatiʻyi—see Gakatiʻyi.
diʻgalungunʻyi—“where it rises, or comes up”; the east. The sacred term is Nundaʻyi, q. v.
digalunʻlatiyun—a height, one of a series, from galunʻlati, “above.”
Digaluʻyatunʻyi—“where it is gashed (with hatchets)”; from tsiluʻyu, “I am cutting (with a chopping stroke),” di, plural prefix, and yi, locative. The Chopped Oak, formerly east of Clarkesville, Ga.
Diganeʻski—“he picks them up” (habitually), from tsineʻu, “I am picking it up.” A Cherokee Union soldier in the Civil War.
digiʻgageʻi—the plural of giʻgageʻi, red.
diguʻlanahiʻta—for diguʻli-anahiʻta, “having long ears,” “long-eared”; from gule, “ear” and gunahiʻta, “long.”
Dihyunʻdulaʻ—“sheaths,” or “scabbards”; singular ahyunʻdulaʻ, “a gun-sheath,” or other scabbard. The probable correct form of a name which appears in Revolutionary documents as “Untoola, or Gum Rod.”
Diktaʻ—plural of Aktaʻ, eye.
dilaʻ—skunk.
dilstaʻyati—“scissors”; the water-spider (Dolomedes).
dindaʻskwateʻski—the violet; the name signifies, “they pull each others' heads off.”
dineʻtlana—the creation.
di nuski—“the breeder”; a variety of smilax brier.
Disgaʻgistiʻyi—“where they gnaw”; a place on Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.
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.
Distaiʻyi—“they are strong,” plural of astaiʻyi, “strong or tough.” The Tephrosia or devil’s shoestring.
distaʻsti—a mill (generic).
ditaʻstayeski—“a barber,” literally “one who cuts things (as with scissors), from tsistaʻyu, “I cut.” The cricket (talaʻtu) is sometimes so-called.
Diwaʻli—“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 may have been another of the same name.
diyaʻhali (or duyaʻhali)—the alligator lizard (Sceloporue undulatus).
Diyaʻhaliʻyi—“Lizard’s place,” from diyaʻhali, lizard, and yi, locative. Joanna Bald, a mountain at the head of Valley river on the line between Cherokee and Graham counties, North Carolina.
Double-Head—see Tal-tsuʻskaʻ.
Dragging-Canoe—see Tsiʻyu-gunsiʻni.
Dudunʻleksunʻyi—“where its legs were broken off”; a place on Tuckasegee river, a few miles above Webster, in Jackson county, N. C.
Dugiluʻyi (abbreviated Dugiluʻ, 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, Ga. The word is of uncertain etymology; but seems to refer to a place at the forks of a stream.
Dukasʻi, Dukwasʻi—The correct form of the name commonly written Toxaway, applied to a former Cherokee settlement in S. C., and the creek upon which it stood, and extreme headstream of Keowee river having its source in Jackson county, N. C. The meaning of the name is lost, although it hasbeen wrongly interpreted to mean “place of shedding tears.”
Dulastunʻyi—“Potsherd place.” A former Cherokee settlement on Nottely river in Cherokee county, North Carolina.
duleʻtsi—“kernels,” a goitrous swelling upon the throat.
duluʻsi—a variety of frog found upon the headwaters of Savannah river.
Duniya ta lunʻyi—“where there are shelves, or flat places,” from aya teʻni, flat, whence daʻya tana lunʻi, a shelf, and yi, locative. A gap on the Great Smoky range, near Clingman’s dome, Swain county, N. C.
Duniduʻlalunʻyi—“where they made arrows”; a place on Straight creek, a headstream of Oconaluftee river, in Swain county, N. C.
Duniʻskwa lgunʻi—the double peak known as the Chimney Tops, in Great Smoky Mountains about the head of Deep creek, in Swain county, N. C. On the north side is the pass known as Indian gap. The name signifies a “forked antler,” from uskwa lgu, antler, but indicates that the antler is attached in place, as though the deer itself were concealed below.
Duʻstayalunʻyi—“where it made a noise as of thunder or shooting,” apparently referring to a lightningstrike(detsistayaʻhihu, “I make a shooting or thundering noise,” might be a first person form used by thepersonifiedThundergod); a spot on Hiwassee river, about the junction of Shooting creek, near Hayesville, in Clay county, N. C. A former settlement along the creek bore the same name.
duʻstuʻ—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 Tatsiʻ.
duwe ga—a spring lizard.
Eagle Dance—see Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti.
Eastinaulee—see Uʻstanaʻli.
Echota, New—see Gansaʻgi.
edata—my father (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agidaʻta.
Ediʻhi—“He goes about” (habitually); a masculine name.
edutu—my maternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agidu tu; cf. enisi.
egwa—great; cf. utanu.
egwani—river.
Egwanulti—“By the river,” from egwa ni, river, and nulati or nulti, near, beside. The proper form of Oconaluftee, the name of the river flowing thru the East Cherokee reservation in Swain and Jackson Counties, N. C. The town, Oconaluftee, 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.
eladi—low, below; in the Lower dialect eradi, whence the Ayrata or Lower Cherokee of Adair, as distinguished from the Ottara (atari, atali) or Upper Cherokee.
elanti—a song form for eladi, q. v.
Elatseʻyi, (abbreviated Elatse)—“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 S. C.; another was on Ellijay creek of Little Tennessee river, near the present Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.; another was about the present Ellijay in Gilmer Co., Ga.; and still another was on Ellijay creek of Little river, near the present Maryville, in Blount Co., Tenn.
Elawa diyi (abbreviated Elawa di)—“Red-earth place,” from ela, earth, wadi, brown-red or red paint, and yi, the locative. 1. The Cherokee name ofYellow-Hillsettlement, now officially known as Cherokee, the post office and agency headquarters for the East Cherokee, on Oconaluftee river, in Swain Co., N. C. 2. A former council ground known in history as Red Clay; at the site of the present village of that name in Whitfield Co., Ga., adjoining the Tennessee line.
Ellijay—see Elatseʻyi.
eni si—my paternal grandfather (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agani si, cf. edutu.
Eskaqua—see Iskagua.
Estanaula, Estinaula—see Uʻstanaʻli.
Etawa ha tsistatlaʻski—“Deadwood-lighter,” a traditional Cherokee conjurer.
eti—old, long ago.
Etowah—see Iʻtawaʻ.
Etsaiyi—see Untsaiyi.
etsi—my mother (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agitsi.
Euharlee—see Yuhaʻli.
Feather dance—see Tsugiduʻli ulsgiʻsti.
Fightingtown—see Walasʻ-unulsti yi.
Flax-toter—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.
Flying-squirrel—see Kaʻlahuʻ.
Frogtown—see Walasiʻyi.
Gadaluʻla—the proper name of the mountain known to the whites as Yonah (from yanu, bear); or upper Chattahoochee river, in White Co., Ga. The name has no connection with Tallulah (see Talulu) and cannot be translated.
Gadaluʻtsi—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, N. C., 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 wadaluʻyata, fringe, gaduʻta, “standing up in a row or series.”
gahawiʻsiti—parched corn.
Gahuti (Gahuʻta and Gwahuʻti in dialect forms)—Cohutta mountains in Murray Co., Ga. The name comes from gahutaʻyi, “ashed roof supported on poles”, and refers to a fancied resemblance in the summit.
Gakatiʻyi—“place of setting fire”; something spoken in the plural form, Digaʻkatiʻyi, “place of the setting free.” A point on Tuckasegee river, about three miles above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N. C.
gaktunʻta—an injunction, command or rule, more particularly a prohibition or ceremonial tabu. Tsigaʻteʻgu. “I am observing an injunction or tabu”; adakteʻgi, “he is under tabu regulations.”
Galagiʻna—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.
galiʻsgisidaʻhu—“I am dancing about”; from galiʻsgia, “I am dancing,” and edahu, “I am going about.”
galunkwʻtiʻyo—honored; sacred; used in the bible to mean holy, hallowed.
galunʻlati—above, on high.
ganeʻga—skin.
ganidawaʻski—“the champion catchfly” or “rattlesnake’s master” (Silene stellata); the name signifies “it disjoints itself,” from ganidawskuʻ, “it is unjointing itself,” on account of the peculiar manner in which the dried stalk breaks off at the joints.
Gansagi (or Gansagiyi)—the name of several former settlements in the old Cherokee country; it cannot be analyzed. One of this name was upon Tuckasegee river, a short distance above the present Webster, in Jackson Co., N. C.; another was on the lower part of Canasauga creek, in McMinn Co., Tenn.; a third was at the junction of Conasauga and Coosawatee rivers, where afterwards was located the Cherokee capital, New Echota, in Gordon Co., Ga.; 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 Kennesaw mountain, Ga.
Gansaʻtiʻyi—“robbing place,” from tsinaʻsahunsku, “I am robbing him.” Vengeance creek of Valley river in Cherokee Co., N. C. The name vengeance was originally a white man’s nickname for an old Cherokee woman, of forbidding aspect, who lived there before the Removal.
Ganseʻti—a rattle; as the Cherokee dance rattle is made from the gourd, the masculine name, Ganseʻti, is usually rendered by the whites, “rattling-gourd.”
gatausti—the wheel and stick of the Southern tribes, incorrectly called nettecwaw by Timberlake.
Gategwaʻ—for Gategwaʻhi, possibly a contraction of Igat(I)-egwaʻhi, “Great-swamp, “thicket place.” A high peak southeast from Franklin, Macon Co., N. C., and perhaps identical with Fodderstack mountain.
gaʻtsu—see hatluʻ.
Gatuʻgitseʻyi (abbreviated Gatuʻgitseʻ)—“New-settlement place,” from gatuʻgi or agatuʻgi, town, settlement, itsehi, new, especially applied to new vegetation, and yi, the locative. A former settlement on Cartoogaja creek near the present Franklin, in Macon Co., N. C.
Gatugiʻyi—“Town building place,” or “Settlement place,” from gatuʻgi, a settlement, and yi, locative. A place on Santeetla creek, near Robbinsville, in Graham Co., N. C.
Gatunʻitiʻyi—“Hemp place,” from Gatunʻlati, “wild hemp” (Apocynum cannabinum), and yi, locative. A former Cherokee settlement, commonly known as Hemptown, on the creek of the same name, near Morgantown, in Fannin Co., Ga.
Gatunʻwaʻli—a noted western Cherokee, about 1842, known to the whites as Hardmush or Big-Mush.
Gatunʻwaʻli, from gaʻtuʻ, “bread,” and unwaʻli, “made into balls or lumps,” is a sort of mush or parched corn meal, made very thick, so that it can be dipped out in lumps almost of the consistency of bread.
geʻi—down stream, down the road, with the current; tsaʻgi, up stream.
geseʻi—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 hiʻgeseʻi it usually accompanies an emphatic repetition.
Geʻyaguʻga (for Ageʻhyaʻ-guga?)—a formulistic name for the moon (nunʻdaʻ); it cannot be analyzed, but seems to contain the word ageʻhya, “woman.” See also nunʻdaʻ.
giʻga—blood; cf. giʻgageʻi, red.
giʻga-danegiʻski—“blood taker,” from giʻga, blood, and adaʻnegiʻski, “one who takes liquids,” from tsiʻnegiaʻ (liquid). Another name for the tsaneʻni or scorpion lizard.
giʻgageʻi—red, bright red, scarlet; the brown-red of certain animals and clays is distinguished as waʻdigeʻi.
giʻga-tsuhaʻli—“bloody-mouth,” literally “having blood on the corners of his mouth”; from giʻga, blood, and tsuhanunsiʻyi, the corners of the mouth (ahaʻli, his mouth). A large lizard, probably the pleistodon.
gili—dog; the Lower dialect, giʻri.
Gili-dinehunʻyi—“where the dogs live,” from gili, dog, dinehuʻ, “they dwell” (ehu, “I dwell”), and yi, locative. A place on Oconaluftee river, a short distance above the present Cherokee in Swain Co., N. C.
Giʻliʻ-utsunʻstanunʻyi—“where the dog ran,” from giliʻ, dog, and Utsunʻstanunʻyi, “footprints made by an animal running”; the Milky way.
ginunti—a song form for gunuʻtiiʻ, “to lay him (animate object) upon the ground.”
giri—see giʻliʻ.
Gisehunʻyi—“where the female lives,” from agiʻsi, female, and yi, locative. A place on Tuckasegee river a short distance above Bryson City, in Swain Co., N. C.
gitʻlu—hair. (Upper dialect); in Lower and Middle dialects gitsu.
Glass, The—see Taʻgwadihiʻ.
Gohoma—A Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be identified.
Going-snake—see Iʻnadunaʻi.
Gorhaleka—a Lower Cherokee chief in 1684; the form cannot be identified.
Great Island—see Amayel-eʻgwa.
Gregory Bald—seeTsistuʻyi.
Guachoula—see Guaxule.
Guaquila (Waki la)—a town in the Cherokee country, visited by De Soto in 1540, and again in 1567 by Pardo, who calls it Aguaquiri, and the name may have a connection with waguli, “Whippoorwill,” or with uʻwaʻgiʻli, “foam.”
Guasula—see Guaxule.
Gusila—see Guaxule.
Guaxule—a town in Cherokee county, visited in 1540 by De Soto. It was probably about at Nacoochee mound in White Co., Ga.
guʻdayʻwu—“I have sewed myself together”; “I am sewing,” tsiyeʻwiaʻ; “I am sewing myself together.”
gugweʻ—the quail or partridge.
gugweʻulasuʻla—“partridge moccasin,” from guewe, partridge, and ulasula, moccasin or shoe; the lady slipper.
Gulahiʻyi (abbreviated Gulahiʻ, or Gurahiʻ, in the Lower dialect)—“Gulaʻhi place,” so-called from the 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 Co., Ga., the other on Cullowhee river, an upper branch of Tuckasegee, in Jackson Co., N. C. Currahee Dick was a noted chief about the year 1820.
Guʻlaniʻyi—a Cherokee and Natchez settlement, formerly about the junction of Brasstown creek with Hiwassee river, a short distance above Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C. The etymology of the word is doubtful.
guleʻ—acorn.
guleʻdiskaʻnihi—the turtle-dove; literally “it cries, or mourns, for acorns,” from gule, acorn, and diskaʻnihiʻ, “it cries for them,” (di-. plural prefix, hi, habitual suffix). The turtle-dove feeds upon acorns and its cry somewhat resembles the name, gule.
guleʻgi—“climber,” from tsilahi, “I climb” (second person, hiʻlahi; third person, gulahi); the blacksnake.
Gulʻkalaʻski—an earlier name for Tsunuʻlahunʻski, q. v.
gulʻkwaʻgi—seven; also the mole-cricket.
gulʻkwaʻgine(-i)—seventh; from gulʻkwagi, seven.
Gulsadihi (or Gultsadihiʻ?) a masculine name of uncertain etymology.
gunahiʻti—long.
Guʻnahitunʻyi—Long place (i. e., Long valley), from gunahiʻti, 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 Co., N. C. The various settlements on Valley river and the adjacent part of Hiwassee were known collectively as “Valley towns.”
Gunʻdiʻgaduhunʻyi (abbreviated Gunʻ-digaduʻhun)—“Turkey settlement” (guʻna, 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, Co., Ala.
guʻni—arrow. Cf. Senica, gaʻna.
gunʻnageʻi (or gunʻnage) black.
Gunneʻhi—see Nunneʻhi.
Gunskaliʻski—a masculine personal name of uncertain etymology.
Gunters Landing, Guntersville—see Kuʻsa-Nunnaʻhi.
Gun-tuskwaʻli—“short arrows,” from guni, arrow, and tsuskwaʻli, plural of uskaʻli, short; a traditional western tribe.
Gununʻdaʻleʻgi—see Nunna-hiʻdihi.
Gustiʻ—a traditional Cherokee settlement on Tennessee river, near Kingston, Roane Co., Tenn. The name cannot be analyzed.
Guʻwisguwiʻ—The Cherokee name of 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 Tsanʻusdi, “Little John.”
Gwalʻgaʻhi—“Frog-place,” from gwalʻgu, a variety of frog, and hi, locative. A place on Hiwassee river, just above the junction of Peachtree creek, near Murphy, in Cherokee Co., N. C.; about 1755 the site of a village of refugee Natchez, and later of a Baptist mission.
gweheʻ—a cricket’s cry.
Ha!—an introductory exclamation intended to attract attention or add emphasis; about equivalent to Here! Now!
Haʻ-maʻmaʻ—a song term compounded of ha! an introductory exclamation, and mamaʻ, a word which has no analysis, but is used in speaking to young children to mean “let me carry you on my back.”
Hanging-maw—see Uskwaʻli-guʻta.
haʻnia-lilʻ-lilʻ—an unmeaning dance refrain.
Hard-mush—see Gatunʻwali.
haʻtlu—dialectic form, gaʻtsu, “where?” (interrogative).
haʻwiyeʻehiʻ, haʻwiyeʻhyuweʻ—unmeaning dance refrains.
hayuʻ—an emphatic affirmative, about equivalent to “Yes, sir.”
hayuyaʻhaniwaʻ—an unmeaning refrain in one of the bear songs.
he-e!—an unmeaning song introduction.
Hemp-carrier—see Taleʻdanigiʻski.
Hemptown—see Gatunltiʻyi.
hi!—unmeaning dance exclamation.
Hickory-log—see Waneʻ-asunʻtlunyi.
hiʻginaʻlii—“(you are) my friend”; afinaʻlii, “(he is) my friend.” In white man’s jargon, canaly.
Hightower—see Iʻtawaʻ.
hilaʻgu?—how many? how much? (Upper dialect); the Middle dialect form is hunguʻ.
hilahiʻyu—long ago; the final yu makes it more emphatic.
hiʻlunnu—“(thou) go to sleep”; from tsiʻlihuʻ, “I am asleep.”
hiʻski—five; cf. Mohawk wisk. The Cherokee numerals including 10 are as follows: saʻgwu, taʻli, tsaʻi, nunʻgi, hiʻski, suʻtali, gul kwaʻgi, tsuneʻla, askaʻhi
Hiwassee—Ayuhwaʻsi.
hiʻyaguʻwe—an unmeaning dance refrain.
Houston, Samuel—see Kaʻlanu.
huhu—the yellow-breasted chat, or yellow mocking bird (Icteria virens); the name is an onomatope.
hunyahuʻska—“he will die.”
hwiʻlahiʻ—“thou (must) go.”
Iauʻnigu—an important Cherokee settlement, commonly known to the whites as Seneca, formerly on Keowee river, about the mouth of Conneross creek, in Oconee county, S. C. 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.
igaguʻti—daylight. The name is sometimes applied to the ulunsuʻti (q. v.) and also to the clematis vine.
iʻhya—the cane reed (Arundinaria) of the Gulf states, used by the Indians for blow-guns, fishing rods and basketry.
ihyaʻga—see atsilʻsunti.
inaduʻ—snake.
Iʻnadu-naʻi—“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 astaʻi, “I am going along with him.”The name has been given to a district of the present Cherokee Nation.
iʻnageʻhi—dwelling in the wilderness, an inhabitant of the wilderness; from iʻnageʻi “wilderness,” and ehi, habitual present form of ehu, “he is dwelling”; geʻu, “I am dwelling.”