GLOSSARY OF CHEROKEE WORDS
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
Mooney, James
Etsaiyĭ′—see Ûñtsaiyĭ′.
etsĭ′—my mother (Upper dialect); the Middle and Lower dialect form is agitsĭ′.
Euharlee—see Yuha′lĭ′.
Feather dance—see Tsugidûʻlĭ, Ûlsgi′stĭ.
Fighting-town—see Walâs′-unûlsli′yĭ.
Flax-toter—see Tâle′danigi′skĭ.
Flying-squirrel—see Kâ′lahû′.
French Broad—see Unta′kiyasti′yĭ.
Frogtown—see Walâsi′yĭ.
Gadalu′lŭ—the proper name of the mountain known to the whites as Yonah (from yânû, “bear”), or upper Chattahoochee river, in White county, Georgia. The name has no connection with Tallulah (see Tălulŭ′), and can not be translated.
Gadalu′tsĭ—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, in North Carolina, 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 wadălu′yătă, fringe, gadû′tă, “standing up in a row or series.”
găhăwi′sita—parched corn; improperly spelled wissactaw by Hawkins. See note under number 83.
Gahûtĭ (Gahû′tă and Gwahû′tĭ in dialectic forms)—Cohutta mountain, in Murray county, Georgia. The name comes from gahûtâ′yĭ, “a shed roof supported on poles,” and refers to a fancied resemblance in the summit.
Gakăti′yĭ—“Place of setting free”; sometimes spoken in the plural form, Diga′kăti′yĭ, “Place of setting them free.” A point on Tuckasegee river about three miles above Bryson City, in Swain county, North Carolina. See number 122.
gaktûñ′ta—an injunction, command or rule, more particularly a prohibition or ceremonial tabu. Tsigaʻte′gû, “I am observing an injunction, or tabu”; adakte′gĭ, “he is under tabu regulations.”
Gălăgi′na—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. See page 111.
găli′sgisidâ′hû—I am dancing about; from găli′sgiă′, “I am dancing,” and edâhû′, “I am going about.”
gălûñkw′ti′yu—honored, sacred; used in the bible to mean holy, hallowed.
gălûñ′lătĭ—above, on high.
găne′ga—skin.
ganidawâ′skĭ—the campion, catchfly or “rattlesnake’s master” (Silene stellata); the name signifies “it disjoints itself,” from ganidawâskû′, “it is unjointing itself,” on account of the peculiar manner in which the dried stalk breaks off at the joints.
Gănsâ′gĭ (or Gănsâgiyĭ)—the name of several former settlements in the old Cherokee country; it cannot be analyzed. One town of this name was upon Tuckasegee river, a short distance above the present Webster, in Jackson county, North Carolina; another was on the lower part of Canasauga creek, in McMinn county, Tennessee; a third was at the junction of Conasauga and Coosawatee rivers, where afterward was located the Cherokee capital, New Echota, in Gordon county, Georgia; 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 Kenesaw mountain, Georgia (see page 197).
Gănsaʻti′yĭ—“Robbing place,” from tsina′sahûñskû′, “I am robbing him.” Vengeance creek of Valley river, in Cherokee county, North Carolina. The name Vengeance was originally a white man’s nickname for an old Cherokee woman, of forbidding aspect, who lived there before the Removal. See number 122.
Gănsĕʻtĭ—a rattle; as the Cherokee dance rattle is made from a gourd the masculine name, Gănsĕʻtĭ, is usually rendered by the whites, “Rattling-gourd.”
gatayûstĭ—the wheel and stick game of the southern tribes, incorrectly called nettecawaw by Timberlake. See note under number 3.
Gâtegwâ′—for Gâtegwâ′hĭ, possibly a contraction of Igât(ĭ)-egwâ′hĭ, “Great-swamp (-thicket) place.” A high peak southeast from Franklin, Macon county, North Carolina, and perhaps identical with Fodderstack mountain. See number 75.
ga′tsû—see hatlû′.
Gatu′gitse′yĭ (abbreviated Gatu′gitse′)—“New-settlement place,” from gatu′gĭ or sgatu′gĭ, town, settlement, itse′hĭ, new, especially applied to new vegetation, and yĭ, the locative. A former settlement on Cartoogaja creek of Little Tennessee river, above Franklin, in Macon county, North Carolina.
Gatuti′yĭ—“Town-building place,” or “Settlement place,” from gatu′gĭ, a settlement, and yĭ, locative. A place on Santeetla creek, near Robbinsville, in Graham county, North Carolina. See number 122.
Gatûñ′lti′yĭ—“Hemp place,” from gatûñ′lătĭ, “wild hemp” (Apocynum cannabinum), and yĭ, locative. A former Cherokee settlement, commonly known as Hemptown, on the creek of the same name, near Morganton, in Fannin county, Georgia.
Gatûñ′waʻlĭ—a noted western Cherokee about 1842, known to the whites as “Hard-mush” or “Big-mush.” Gatûñ′waʻlĭ, from ga′tŭ′, “bread,” and ûñwa′ʻlĭ, “made into balls or lumps,” is a sort of mush of parched corn meal, made very thick, so that it can be dipped out in lumps almost of the consistency of bread.
ge′ĭ—down stream, down the road, with the current; tsâ′gĭ, up stream.
gese′ĭ—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 hi′gese′ĭ it usually accompanies an emphatic repetition.
Geʻyăgu′ga (for Age′hyă-guga?)—a formulistic name for the moon (nûñ′dă′); it cannot be analyzed, but seems to contain the word age′hyă, “woman.” See also nûñ′dă′.
gigă—blood; cf. gi′găge′ĭ, red.
gi′gă-danegi′skĭ—“blood taker,” from gigă, blood, and ada′negi′skĭ, “one who takes liquids,” from tsi′negiă′, “I am taking it” (liquid). Another name for the tsâne′nĭ or scorpion lizard. See number 59.
gi′găge′ĭ—red, bright red, scarlet; the brown-red of certain animals and clays is distinguished as wâ′dige′ĭ.
gi′gă-tsuha′ʻlĭ—“bloody-mouth,” literally, “having blood on the corners of his mouth”; from gigă, blood, and tsuhănûñsi′yĭ, the corners of the mouth (ăha′lĭ, his mouth). A large lizard, probably the Pleistodon. See number 59.
giʻlĭ′—dog; in the Lower dialect, giʻrĭ′.
Giʻlĭ′-dinĕhûñ′yĭ—“Where the dogs live,” from giʻlĭ′, dog, dinĕhû′, “they dwell” (ĕhû, “I dwell”), and yĭ, locative. A place on Oconaluftee river, a short distance above Cherokee, in Swain county, North Carolina. See number 122.