GLOSSARY OF CHEROKEE WORDS
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Mooney, James
unatlûñwe′hitû—“it has spirals”; a plant (unidentified) used in conjurations. See number 126.
une′gă—white.
une′guhĭ—“he is (was) mischievous or bad”; tsûne′guhi′yu, “you are very mischievous” (said to a child). See number 118.
une′gutsătû′—“(he is) mischievous”; a′gine′gutsătû′, “I am mischievous.”
Uneʻlănûñ′hĭ—“The Apportioner”; “I am apportioning,” ganeʻlaskû′; “I apportion” (habitually), ganeʻlaskĭ. In the sacred formulas a title of the Sun god; in the Bible the name of God.
une′stălûñ—ice.
Unicoi—the map name of the old Unicoi turnpike (see page 87), of a gap on the watershed between Chattahoochee and Hiwassee rivers, in Georgia, and of a county in eastern Tennessee. Probably a corruption of une′gă, white, whence comes also Unaka, the present map name of a part of the Great Smoky range.
uni′gistĭ—foods; singular, agi′stĭ.
Uniga′yataʻti′yĭ—“Where they made a fish trap,” from uga′yatûñ′ĭ, fish trap, and yĭ, locative; a place on Tuckasegee river, at the mouth of Deep creek, near Bryson City, in Swain county, North Carolina. See number 100 and notes.
Uni′hăluna—see Ăhălu′na.
Unika′wĭ—the “Townhouse dance,” so called because danced inside the townhouse; the name does not refer to a townhouse (gati′yĭ) and can not be analyzed, but may have some connection with the archaic word for deer. Cf. Ani′-Kawĭ′.
Une′gă-dihĭ′—“White-man-killer”; from une′ga, “white,” for yûñ′wune′ga, “white person,” and dihĭ′, a noun suffix denoting “killer” (“he kills them” habitually). A Cherokee chief, whose name appears in documents about 1790 as White-man-killer, or, by misprint Unacala. It is an old masculine name, existing until recently upon the reservation. Cf. Ta′gwădihĭ′.
u′niskwetuʻgĭ—“they wear a hat”; ûlskwe′tăwă′, hat, from uskă′, head. The may-apple (Podophyllum). See number 126.
unistilûñ′istĭ—“they stick on along their whole length”; the generic name for “stickers” and burs, including the Spanish needle, cockle bur, jimson weed, etc. See number 126.
uni′tsĭ—her mother; agitsĭ′, my mother.
Uniyâ′hitûñ′yĭ—“Where they shot it,” from tsiyâ′ihû, “I shoot,” and yĭ, locative. A place on Tuckasegee river a short distance above Bryson City, in Swain county, North Carolina. See number 100.
Untoola—see Dihyûñ′dulă′.
Unta′kiyasti′yĭ—“Where they race,” from takiya′tă, a race, and yĭ, locative; locally corrupted to Tahkeyostee. The district on the French Broad river, around Asheville, in Buncombe county, North Carolina. The town itself is known to the Cherokee as Kâsdu′yĭ, “Ashes place,” (from kâsdu, ashes, and yĭ, locative), which is intended as a translation of its proper name. See number 122.
Untlasgâsti′yĭ—“Where they scratched”; a place at the head of Hyatt creek of Valley river, in Cherokee county, North Carolina. For tradition see number 122.
Untoola—see Dihyûñ′dulă′.
unûñ′tĭ—milk.
usdi′gâ (abbreviated usdi′), small; plural tsunsdi′gă, tsunsdi′.
usga′sĕʻti′yu—very dangerous, very terrible; intensive of usga′sĕʻtĭ.
Uskwăle′na—“Big-head,” from uskă′, head; a masculine name, perhaps the original of the “Bull-head,” given by Haywood as the name of a former noted Cherokee warrior.
Uskwâ′lĭ-gû′tă—“His stomach hangs down,” from uskwâ′lĭ, his stomach, and gû′tă, “it hangs down.” A prominent chief of the Revolutionary period, known to the whites as Hanging-maw.
Uʻstăna′lĭ (from uʻstănalâ′hĭ or uni′stăna′lă (a plural form), denoting a natural barrier of rocks (plural) across a stream)—a name occurring in several places in the old Cherokee country, and variously spelled Eastinaulee, Eastanora, Estanaula, Eustenaree, Istanare, Oostanaula, Oostinawley, Ustenary, etc. One settlement of this name was on Keowee river, below the present Fort George, in Oconee county, South Carolina; another seems to have been somewhere on the waters of Tuckasegee river, in western North Carolina; a third, prominent during and after the Revolutionary period, was just above the junction of Coosawatee and Conasauga rivers to form the Oostanaula, in Gordon county, Georgia, and adjoining New Echota (see Gănsâ′gĭ). Other settlements of the same name may have been on Eastanollee creek of Tugaloo river, in Franklin county, Georgia, and on Eastaunaula creek, flowing into Hiwassee river, in McMinn county, Tennessee. Cf. Tsuʻstănalûñ′yĭ, under Dăgunâ′hĭ.
u′stûtĭ—see utsuʻgĭ.
Ustû′tlĭ—a traditional dangerous serpent. The name signifies having something on the calf of the leg or on the heel, from ustûtûñ′ĭ, (his) calf of the leg (attached). It is applied also to the southern hoop-snake (Abastor erythrogrammus). See number 54.
Usûñhi′yĭ—the “Darkening land,” where it is always getting dark, as at twilight. The name used for the west in the myths and sacred formulas; the common word is wude′ligûñ′yĭ, “there where it (the sun) goes down.” In number 63 the word used is wusûhihûñ′yĭ, “there where they stay over night.” See also Tsûsginâ′ĭ.
u′tănû—great, fully developed. Cf. e′gwa.
utawâ′hilû—“hand-breadth,” from uwâ′yi, hand. A figurative term used in the myths and sacred formulas.
U′tăwagûn′ta—“Bald place.” A high bald peak of the Great Smoky range on the Tennessee-North Carolina line, northeastward from Big Pigeon river. See number 51.
Ûñ′tiguhĭ′—“Pot in the water,” from ûñti′yă, or ûñti′, pot, and guhĭ′, “it is in the water” (or other liquid—habitually). The Suck, a dangerous rapid in Tennessee river, at the entrance of Suck creek, about eight miles below Chattanooga, Tennessee. See number 63 and notes.
Uʻtlûñ′tă—“He (or she) has it sharp,” i. e., has some sharp part or organ; it might be used of a tooth, finger-nail, or some other attached portion of the body, but in the story is understood to refer to the awl-like finger. Ten Kate spells it Uilata. A mythic half-human monster. See number 66 and notes.
Uʻtlûñtûñ′yĭ—“Uʻtlûñ′tă place;” see Uʻtlûñ′tă. A place on little Tennessee river, nearly off Citico creek, in Blount county, Tennessee. See number 66 and notes and number 124.
U′tsălă—“Lichen”; another form of utsăle′ta. A Cherokee chief of the Removal period. See page 157.
utsăle′ta—lichen, literally “pot scrapings,” from a fancied resemblance.
Ûñtsaiyĭ′ (also Etsaiyĭ′ or Tsaiyĭ′, the first syllable being almost silent)—“Brass.” A mythic gambler. See number 63 and notes. The present rendering, “brass,” is probably a modern application of the old myth name, and is based upon the resemblance of the sound to that produced by striking a sheet of metal.
utsa′nătĭ′—rattlesnake; the name is of doubtful etymology, but is said to refer to the rattle.
Utsa′năti′yĭ—“Rattlesnake place.” Rattlesnake springs, about two miles south from Charleston, Bradley county, Tennessee. See page 132.