GLOSSARY OF CHEROKEE WORDS
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Mooney, James
kănugû′ʻlă (abbreviated nugû′ʻla)—“scratcher,” a generic term for the blackberry, raspberry, and other brier bushes. Cf. Kănu′ga.
Kănu′gûʻlâyĭ, or Kănu′gûʻlûñ′yĭ—“Brier place,” from kănu′gû′ʻlâ, brier (cf. Kănu′ga); a Cherokee settlement formerly on Nantahala river, about the mouth of Briertown creek, in Macon county, North Carolina.
kănûñ′năwû′—pipe.
Kâsdu′yĭ—“Ashes place,” from kâsdu, ashes, and yĭ, the locative. A modern Cherokee name for the town of Asheville, in Buncombe county, North Carolina. The ancient name for the same site is Unta′kiyasti′yĭ, q.v.
Katâl′stă—an East Cherokee woman potter, the daughter of the chief Yânăgûñ′skĭ. The name conveys the idea of lending, from tsiyâtâl′stă, “I lend it”; agatâl′stă, “it is lent to him.”
Kăwân′-urâ′sûnyĭ (abbreviated Kăwân′-urâ′sûñ in the Lower dialect)—“Where the duck fell” from kăwâ′nă, duck, urâ′să (ulâ′să), “it fell,” and yĭ, locative. A point on Conneross creek (from Kăwân′-urâ′sûñ), near Seneca, in Oconee county, South Carolina. See number 123.
Kawi′yĭ (abbreviated Kawi′)—a former important Cherokee settlement, commonly known as Cowee, about the mouth of Cowee creek of Little Tennessee river, some 10 miles below Franklin, in Macon county, North Carolina. The name may possibly be a contraction of Ani′-Kawi′yĭ, “Place of the Deer clan.”
Keeowhee—see Keowee.
Kenesaw—see Gănsâ′gĭ.
Keowee—the name of two or more former Cherokee settlements. One, sometimes distinguished as “Old Keowee,” the principal of the Lower Cherokee towns, was on the river of the same name, near the present Fort George, in Oconee county, South Carolina. Another, distinguished as New Keowee, was on the headwaters of Twelve-mile creek, in Pickens county, South Carolina. According to Wafford the correct form is Kuwâhi′yĭ, abbreviated Kuwâhi′, “Mulberry-grove place”; says Wafford, “The whites murdered the name, as they always do.” Cf. Kuwâ′hĭ.
Ke′sĭ-ka′gămû—a woman’s name, a Cherokee corruption of Cassie Cockram; ka′gămû is also the Cherokee corruption for “cucumber.”
Ketoowah—see Kĭtu′hwă.
Kittuwa—see Kĭtu′hwă.
Kĭtu′hwă—An important ancient Cherokee settlement formerly upon Tuckasegee river, and extending from above the junction of Oconaluftee down nearly to the present Bryson City, in Swain county, North Carolina. The name, which appears also as Kettooah, Kittoa, Kittowa, etc., has lost its meaning. The people of this and the subordinate settlements on the waters of the Tuckasegee were known as Ani′-Kĭtu′hwagĭ and the name was frequently extended to include the whole tribe. For this reason it was adopted in later times as the name of the Cherokee secret organization, commonly known to the whites as the Ketoowah society, pledged to the defense of Cherokee autonomy. See also historical notes 1 and 47.
kiyuʻga—ground-squirrel; te′wa, flying squirrel; sălâ′lĭ, gray squirrel.
Klausuna—see Tlanusi′yĭ.
Knoxville—see Kuwandâ′tâʻlûñ′yĭ.
kû!—an introductory exclamation, to fix attention, about equivalent to “Now!”
kukû′—“cymling”; also the “jigger weed,” or “pleurisy root” (Asclepias tuberosa). Coco creek of Hiwassee river, and Coker postoffice, in Monroe county Tennessee, derive their name from this word.
Kûlsetsi′yĭ (abbreviated Kûlse′tsi)—“Honey-locust place,” from kûlse′tsĭ, honey-locust (Gleditschia) and yĭ locative; as the same word, kûlse′tsĭ, is also used for “sugar,” the local name has commonly been rendered Sugartown by the traders. The name of several former settlement places in the old Cherokee country. One was upon Keowee river, near the present Fall creek, in Oconee county, South Carolina; another was on Sugartown or Cullasagee (Kûlse′tsi) creek, near the present Franklin, in Macon county, North Carolina; a third was on Sugartown creek, near the present Morganton, in Fannin county, Georgia.
Kunnesee—see Tsi′yu-gûnsi′nĭ.
Kûnstûtsi′yĭ—“Sassafras place,” from kûnstû′tsĭ, sassafras, and yĭ, locative. A gap in the Great Smoky range, about the head of Noland creek, on the line between North Carolina and Sevier county, Tennessee.
kûnu′nŭ (abbreviated kûnun′)—the bullfrog; the name is probably an onomatope; the common green frog is walâ′sĭ and there are also names for several other varieties of frogs and toads.
Kusă′—Coosa creek, an upper tributary of Nottely river, near Blairsville, Union county, Georgia. The change of accent from Ku′să (Creek, see Ani′-Ku′sa) makes it locative. See page 383.
Ku′să-nûñnâ′hĭ—“Creek trail,” from Ku′să, Creek Indian, and nûñnâ′hĭ, path, trail; cf. Suwâ′lĭ-nûñnâ′hĭ. A former important Cherokee settlement, including also a number of Creeks and Shawano, where the trail from the Ohio region to the Creek country crossed Tennessee river, at the present Guntersville, in Marshall county, Alabama. It was known to the traders as Creek-path, and later as Gunter’s landing, from a Cherokee mixed-blood named Gunter.
Ku′săweti′yĭ (abbreviated Ku′săweti′)—“Old Creek place,” from Ku′să, a Creek Indian (plural Ani′-Ku′sa), uwe′tĭ, old, and yĭ, locative. Coosawatee, an important Cherokee settlement formerly on the lower part of Coosawatee river, in Gordon county, Georgia. In one document the name appears, by error, Tensawattee. See page 382.
Kuwâ′hĭ—“Mulberry place,” from ku′wă, mulberry tree, and hĭ, locative; Clingman’s dome, about the head of Deep creek, on the Great Smoky range, between Swain county, North Carolina, and Sevier county, Tennessee. See also Keowee.
Kuwandâ′taʻlûñ′yĭ (abbreviated Kuwandâ′taʻlûñ)—“Mulberry grove,” from ku′wă, mulberry; the Cherokee name for the present site of Knoxville, in Knox county, Tennessee.
Kwa′lĭ, Kwalûñ′yĭ—Qualla or Quallatown, the former agency for the East Cherokee and now a postoffice station, just outside the reservation, on a branch of Soco creek, in Jackson county, North Carolina. It is the Cherokee form for “Polly,” and the station was so called from an old woman of that name who formerly lived near by; Kwa′lĭ, “Polly,” Kwalûñ′yĭ, “Polly’s place.” The reservation is locally known as the Qualla boundary.
kwandăya′hû—see da′lĭkstă′.
lâ′lû—the jar-fly (Cicada auletes). See number 59.
Little Carpenter, Little Cornplanter—see Ătă′-gûlʻkălû.
Lloyd—see Da′siʻgiya′gĭ.
Long-hair—a Cherokee chief living with his band in Ohio in 1795. See page 79. The literal Cherokee translation of “Long-hair” is Gitlû′-gûnăhi′ta, but it is not certain that the English name is a correct rendering of the Indian form. Cf. Ani′-Gilâ′hĭ.
Long island—see Ămăyeʻlĭ-gûnăhi′ta.
Lookout Mountain town—see Danda′gănû′.
Lowrey, Major George—see Agiʻlĭ.
Mayes, J. B.—see Tsâ′wă Gak′skĭ.
Memphis—see Tsudâ′tălesûñ′yĭ.
Mialaquo—see Ămăyeʻl-e′gwa.