GLOSSARY OF CHEROKEE WORDS
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Mooney, James
Tsiskwunsdi′-adsisti′yĭ—“Where they killed Little-bird,” from Tsiskw-unsdi′, “Little-birds” (plural form). A place near the head of West Buffalo creek, southeast of Robbinsville, in Graham county, North Carolina. See number 122.
Tsistetsi′yĭ—“Mouse place,” from tsistetsĭ, mouse, and yĭ, locative; a former settlement on South Mouse creek, of Hiwassee river, in Bradley county, Tennessee. The present town of Cleveland, upon the same creek, is known to the Cherokee under the same name.
tsistu—rabbit.
tsistû′na—crawfish; the large horned beetle is also so called. The large red crawfish is called tsiska′gĭlĭ.
tsist-uni′gistĭ—“rabbit foods” (plural), from tsi′stu, rabbit, and uni′gistĭ, plural of agi′stĭ, food, from tsiyĭ′giû “I am eating” (soft food). The wild rose.
Tsistu′yĭ—“Rabbit place,” from tsistu, rabbit, and yĭ, locative. 1. Gregory bald, high peak of the Great Smoky range, eastward from Little Tennessee river, on the boundary between Swain county, North Carolina and Blount county, Tennessee. See number 75 and notes. 2. A former settlement on the north bank of Hiwassee river at the, entrance of Chestua creek, in Polk county, Tennessee. The name of Choastea creek of Tugaloo river, in Oconee county, South Carolina, is probably also a corruption from the same word.
Tsiyâ′hĭ—“Otter place,” from tsiyû, otter, and yĭ, locative; variously spelled Cheowa, Cheeowhee, Chewohe, Chewe, etc. 1. A former settlement on a branch of Keowee river, near the present Cheohee, Oconee county, South Carolina. 2. A former and still existing Cherokee settlement on Cheowa river, about Robbinsville, in Graham county, North Carolina. 3. A former settlement in Cades cove, on Cove creek, in Blount county, Tennessee.
Tsi′yu-gûnsi′nĭ—“He is dragging a canoe,” from tsi′yŭ, canoe (cf. tsi′yû, otter) and gûnsi′nĭ, “he is dragging it.” “Dragging-canoe,” a prominent leader of the hostile Cherokee in the Revolution. The name appears in documents as Cheucunsene and Kunnesee. See page 54.
Tskĭl-e′gwă—“Big-witch,” from atskĭlĭ′, or tskĭlĭ′, witch, owl, and e′gwa, big; an old man of the East Cherokee, who died in 1896. See page 179. Although translated Big-witch by the whites, the name is understood by the Indians to mean Big-owl (see number 35), having been originally applied to a white man living on the same clearing, noted for his large staring eyes.
tskĭlĭ′ (contracted from atskĭlĭ′)—1. witch; 2. the dusky horned owl (Bubo virginianus saturatus). See number 35.
TSOLUNGH—see tsălû.
tskwâ′yĭ—the great white heron or American egret (Herodias egretta).
Tsudâ′tălesûñ′yĭ—“Where pieces fall off,” i.e. where the banks are caving in; from adâtăle′û, “it is falling off,” ts, distance prefix, “there,” and yĭ, locative. The Cherokee name for the present site of Memphis, Tennessee, overlooking the Mississippi, and formerly known as the Chickasaw bluff.
Tsuda′yeʻlûñ′yĭ—“Isolated place”; an isolated peak near the head of Cheowa river, northeast of Robbinsville, in Graham county, North Carolina. See number 79 and notes. The root of the word signifies detached, or isolated, whence Uda′yeʻlûñ′yĭ, the Cherokee outlet, in the Indian Territory.
Tsu′dinûñti′yĭ—“Throwing-down place”; a former settlement on lower Nantahala river, in Macon county, North Carolina. See number 122.
Tsugidûʻlĭ ûlsgi′stĭ (from tsugidûʻlĭ, plural of ugidûʻlĭ, one of the long wing or tail feathers of a bird, and ûlsgi′stĭ or ûlsgi′ta, a dance)—the feather or eagle dance. See number 35.
tsûñgili′sĭ—plural of ûñgili′sĭ, q.v.
tsûñgini′sĭ—plural of ûñgini′sĭ, q.v.
Tsukilûñnûñ′yĭ—“Where he alighted”; two bald spots on a mountain at the head of Little Snowbird creek, near Robbinsville, in Graham county, North Carolina. For tradition, see number 122.
tsûñkina′tlĭ—“my younger brothers” (male speaking).
tsûñkită′—“my younger brothers” (female speaking).
tsuʻlă—fox; cf. tsûʻlû, kingfisher and tlutlŭ′ or tsutsŭ′, martin. The black fox is inâ′lĭ. The Creek word for fox is chula.
tsula′skĭ—alligator: the name is of uncertain etymology.
Tsŭʻla′wĭ—see Tsûʻlûñwe′ĭ.
Tsulâ′sinûñ′yĭ—“Footprint place.” A place on Tuckasegee river, about a mile above Deep creek, in Swain county, North Carolina. See number 122.
Tsulʻkălû′—“Slanting-eyes,” literally “He has them slanting” (or leaning up against something); the prefix ts makes it a plural form, and the name is understood to refer to the eyes, although the word eye (aktă′, plural diktă′) is not a part of it. Cf. Ătă′-gûlʻkălû′. A mythic giant and ruler of the game. The name has been corrupted to Jutaculla and Tuli-cula. Jutaculla rock and Jutaculla old fields about the head of Tuckasegee river, in Jackson, North Carolina, take their name from him. See number 81 and notes.
Tsule′hisanûñ′hĭ—“Resurrected One,” from di′gwăle′hisanûñ′hĭ, “I was resurrected,” literally, “I was down and have risen.” Tsa′lăgĭ′ Tsule′hisanŭñhĭ, the Cherokee title of the newspaper known to the whites as the Cherokee Phœnix. The Cherokee title was devised by Worcester and Boudinot as suggesting the idea of the phœnix of classic fable. The Indian name of the recent “Cherokee Advocate” is Tsa′lăgĭ Asdeli′skĭ.
Tsulʻkălû′ tsunegûñ′yĭ—see Tsunegûñ′yĭ.
tsulie′na—the nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis); the word signifies literally “deaf” (a plural form referring to the ear, gûlĕ′), although no reason is given for such a name.
tsûʻlû—kingfisher. Cf. tsuʻlă.
Tsûʻlûñwe′ĭ (abbreviated Tsûʻlûñ′we or Tsûla′wĭ, possibly connected with tsûʻlû, kingfisher)—Chilhowee creek, a north tributary of Little Tennessee river, in Blount county, Tennessee.
Tsundaʻnilti′yĭ—“Where they demanded the debt from him”; a place on Little Santeetla river, west of Robbinsville, in Graham county, North Carolina. The creek also is commonly known by the same name. See number 122.
Tsundige′wĭ—“Closed anuses,” literally “They have them closed,” understood to refer to the anus; from dige′wĭ, plural of ge′wĭ, closed, stopped up, blind; cf. Tsulʻkălû′; also Gûlisge′wĭ, “Blind, or closed, ears,” an old personal name. See number 74.
tsun′digwûn′tskĭ (contracted from tsun′digwûntsuʻgĭ, “they have them forked,” referring to the peculiar forked tail; cf. Tsulʻkălû′)—a migratory bird which once appeared for a short time upon the East Cherokee reservation, apparently, from the description, the scissortail or swallow-tailed flycatcher (Milvulus forficatus). See number 35.
Tsunegûñ′yĭ (sometimes called Tsulʻkălû′ Tsunegûñ′yĭ′)—Tennessee bald, at the extreme head of Tuckasegee river, on the east line of Jackson county, North Carolina. The name seems to mean, “There where it is white,” from ts, a prefix indicating distance, une′gă, white, and yĭ, locative. See number 81 and notes.
Tsunil′ʻkălû—the plural form for Tsulʻkălû, q. v.; a traditional giant tribe in the west. See number 106.
tsunû′ʻliyû′sûnĕstlâ′tă—“they have split noses,” from agwaʻliyû′, “I have it,” and unĕstlâû′, “it is cracked” (as a crack made by the sun’s heat in a log or in the earth); the initial s makes it refer to the nose, kăyăsă′. See number 76 and notes.
tsunĭs′tsăhĭ′—“(those) having topknots or crests,” from ustdăhû′, “having a topknot,” ustsăhĭ′, “he has a topknot” (habitual). See number 76 and notes.
Tsuniya′tigă—“Naked People”; literally “They are naked there,” from uya′tigă, naked (singular), with the prefix ts, indicating distance. A traditional western tribe. See number 105.
tsunsdi′—contracted from tsunsdi′ga, the plural of usdi′ga or usdi′, small.