GLOSSARY OF CHEROKEE WORDS
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Mooney, James
ămă′—water; in the Lower dialect, ăwă′; cf. a′mă, salt.
amăyĕ′hĭ—“dwelling in the water,” from ămă′ (ămă′yĭ, “in the water”) and ĕhû′, “I dwell,” “I live.”
Ămăyeʻl-e′gwa—“Great island,” from ămăyeʻlĭ, island (from ămă′, water, and ayeʻlĭ, “in the middle”) and e′gwa, great. A former Cherokee settlement on Little Tennessee river, at Big island, a short distance below the mouth of Tellico, in Monroe county, Tennessee. Timberlake writes it Mialaquo, while Bartram spells it Nilaque. Not to be confounded with Long-island town below Chattanooga.
Ămăyeʻlĭ-gûnăhi′ta—“Long island,” from ămăyeʻlĭ, island, and gûnahi′ta, long. A former Cherokee settlement, known to the whites as Long Island town, at the Long island in Tennessee river, on the Tennessee-Georgia line. It was one of the Chickamauga towns (see Tsĭkăma′gĭ).
amă′yĭnĕ′hi—“dwellers in the water,” plural of amăyĕ′hĭ.
Anăda′dûñtăskĭ—“Roasters,” i. e., Cannibals; from gûñ′tăskû′, “I am putting it (round) into the fire to roast.” The regular word for cannibals is Yûñ′wini′giskĭ, q. v. See number 3.
anagâhûñ′ûñskû′—the Green-corn dance; literally, “they are having a Green-corn dance”; anagâhûñ′ûñsgûñ′yĭ, “where they are having the Green-corn dance”; the popular name is not a translation of the Cherokee word, which has no reference either to corn or dancing.
Anakwanʻkĭ—the Delaware Indians; singular Akwanʻkĭ, a Cherokee attempt at Wapanaqkĭ, “Easterners,” the Algonquian name by which, in various corrupted forms, the Delawares are commonly known to the western tribes.
Anantooeah—see Ani′-Nûn′dăwe′gĭ.
aʻne′tsâ, or aʻnetsâ′gĭ—the ballplay.
aʻnetsâ′ûñskĭ—a ballplayer; literally, “a lover of the ballplay.”
ani′—a tribal and animate prefix.
ani′da′wehĭ—plural of ada′wehĭ.
a′niganti′skĭ—see dăganʻtû.
Ani′-Gatăge′wĭ—one of the seven Cherokee clans; the name has now no meaning, but has been absurdly rendered “Blind savanna,” from an incorrect idea that it is derived from igâ′tĭ, a swamp or savanna, and dige′wĭ, blind.
Ani′-Gilâ′hĭ—“Long-haired people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; singular, Agilâ′hĭ. The word comes from agilâ′hĭ (perhaps connected with agiʻlge-nĭ, “the back of (his) neck”), an archaic term denoting wearing the hair long or flowing loosely, and usually recognized as applying more particularly to a woman.
Ani′-Gilĭ′—a problematic tribe, possibly the Congaree. See page 381. The name is not connected with giʻlĭ, dog.
Ani′-Gusă—see Ani′-Ku′să.
a′nigwa—soon after; dine′tlănă a′nigwa, “soon after the creation.”
Ani′-Hyûñ′tĭkwălâ′skĭ—“The Thunderers,” i. e., thunder, which in Cherokee belief, is controlled and caused by a family of supernaturals. The word has reference to making a rolling sound; cf. tĭkwăle′lu, a wheel, hence a wagon; ămă′-tĭkwălelûñyĭ, “rolling water place,” applied to a cascade where the water falls along the surface of the rock; ahyûñ′tĭkwălâ′stihû′, “it is thundering,” applied to the roar of a railroad train or waterfall.
Ani′-Kawĭ′—“Deer people,” one of the seven Cherokee clans; the regular form for deer is aʻwĭ′.
Ani′-Kawi′tă—The Lower Creeks, from Kawi′tă or Coweta, their former principal town on Chattahoochee river near the present Columbus, Georgia; the Upper Creeks on the head streams of Alabama river were distinguished as Ani′-Ku′să (q. v.) A small creek of Little Tennessee river above Franklin, in Macon county, North Carolina, is now known as Coweeta creek.
Ani′-Kĭtu′hwagĭ—“Kĭtu′hwă people,” from Kĭtu′hwă (q. v.), an ancient Cherokee settlement; for explanation see page 182.
Ani′-Ku′să or Ani′-Gu′să,—The Creek Indians, particularly the Upper Creeks on the waters of Alabama river; singular, A-Ku′să, from Kusa or Coosa (Spanish, Coça, Cossa) their principal ancient town.
Ani′-Kuta′nĭ (also Ani′-Kwăta′-nĭ, or, incorrectly, Nicotani)—a traditional Cherokee priestly society or clan, exterminated in a popular uprising. See number 108.
aninâ′hilidâhĭ—“creatures that fly about,” from tsĭnai′lĭ, “I am flying,” tsĭnâ′iladâ′hû, “I am flying about.” The generic term for birds and flying insects.
Ani′-Naʻtsĭ—abbreviated Anintsĭ, singular A-Naʻtsĭ. The Natchez Indians; from coincidence with naʻtsĭ, pine, the name has been incorrectly rendered “Pine Indians,” whereas it is really a Cherokee plural of the proper name of the Natchez.
Anin′tsĭ—see Ani′-Naʻtsĭ.
Ani′-Nûn′dăwe′gĭ—singular, Nûn′dăwe′gĭ; the Iroquois, more particularly the Seneca, from Nûndawao, the name by which the Seneca call themselves. Adair spells it Anantooeah. The tribe was also known as Ani′-Sĕ′nikă.
Ani′-Sahâ′nĭ—one of the seven Cherokee clans; possibly an archaic form for “Blue people,” from saʻka′ni, saʻka′nige′ĭ, blue.
Ani′-Sa′nĭ, Ani′-Sawahâ′nĭ—see Ani′-Sawănu′gĭ.
Ani′-Sawănu′gĭ (singular Sawănu′gi)—the Shawano Indians. Ani′-Sa′nĭ and Ani′-Sawahâ′nĭ (see page 380) may be the same.
Ani′-Sĕ′nikă.—see Ani′-Nûndăwe′gĭ.
anisga′ya—plural of asga′ya, man.
Anisga′ya Tsunsdi′(-ga)—“The Little Men”; the Thunder Boys in Cherokee mythology. See numbers 3 and 8.
Ani′sgaya′yĭ—“Men town” (?), a traditional Cherokee settlement on Valley river, in Cherokee county, North Carolina.
anisgi′na—plural of asgi′na, q. v.
Ani′-Skălâ′lĭ—the Tuscarora Indians; singular, Skalâ′lĭ or A-Skălâ′ĭ.
Ani′skwa′nĭ—Spaniards; singular, Askwa′nĭ.
Ani′-Suwa′lĭ, or Ani-′Suwa′la—the Suala, Sara, or Cheraw Indians, formerly about the headwaters of Broad river, North Carolina, the Xuala province of the De Soto chronicle, and Joara or Juada of the later Pardo narrative.