Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney
126. Plant lore (p. 420): For ceremonies, prayers, and precautions used
1292 words | Chapter 275
by the doctors in connection with the gathering and preparation of
medicinal roots, barks, and herbs, see the author's Sacred Formulas
of the Cherokees, in the Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of
Ethnology, 1891.
Violet--The Onondaga name signifies "two heads entangled," referring,
we are told, to "the way so often seen where the heads are interlocked
and pulled apart by the stems" (W. M. Beauchamp, in Journal of American
Folk-Lore, October, 1888).
Cedar--For references to the sacred character of the cedar among
the plains tribes, see the author's Ghost-dance Religion, in the
Fourteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, part 2, 1896.
Linn and basswood--The ancient Tuscarora believed that no tree but
black gum was immune from lightning, which, they declared, would
run round the tree a great many times seeking in vain to effect
an entrance. Lawson, who records the belief, adds: "Now, you must
understand that sort of gum will not split or rive: therefore, I
suppose the story might arise from thence" (Carolina, pp. 345-346,
ed. 1860). The Pawnee claim the same immunity for the cedar, and
throw sprigs of it as incense upon the fire during storms to turn
aside the lightning stroke (Grinnell, Pawnee Hero Stories, p. 126).
Ginseng--For more concerning this plant see the author's Sacred
Formulas, above mentioned.
GLOSSARY OF CHEROKEE WORDS
The Cherokee language has the continental vowel sounds a, e, i, and
u, but lacks o, which is replaced by a deep â. The obscure or short
û is frequently nasalized, but the nasal sound is seldom heard at
the end of a word. The only labial is m, which occurs in probably
not more than half a dozen words in the Upper and Middle dialects,
and is entirely absent from the Lower dialect, in which w takes its
place. The characteristic l of the Upper and Middle dialects becomes
r in the Lower, but no dialect has both sounds. There is also an
aspirated l; k and t have the ordinary sounds of these letters,
but g and d are medials, approximating the sounds of k and t,
respectively. A frequent double consonant is ts, commonly rendered
ch by the old traders (see p. 188, "Dialects").
a as in far.
a as in what, or obscure as in showman.
â as in law, all.
d medial (semisonant), approximating t.
e as in they.
e as in net.
g medial (semisonant), approximating k.
h as in hat.
i as in pique.
i as in pick.
k as in kick.
l as in lull.
`l surd l (sometimes written hl), nearly the Welsh ll.
m as in man.
n as in not.
r takes place of l in Lower dialect.
s as in sin.
t as in top.
u as in rule.
û as in cut.
ûñ û nasalized.
w as in wit.
y as in you.
` a slight aspirate, sometimes indicating the omission
of a vowel.
A number of English words, with cross references, have been introduced
into the glossary, and these, together with corrupted Cherokee forms,
are indicated by small capitals.
adâ'lanûñ'sti--a staff or cane.
adan'ta--soul.
ada'wehi--a magician or supernatural being.
ada'wehi'yu--a very great magician; intensive form of ada'wehi.
â'gana--groundhog.
Â'ganstâ'ta--"Groundhog-sausage," from â'gana, groundhog, and tsistâ'û,
"I am pounding it," understood to refer to pounding meat, etc.,
in a mortar, after having first crisped it before the fire. A war
chief noted in the Cherokee war of 1760, and prominent until about
the close of the Revolution; known to the whites as Oconostota. Also
the Cherokee name for Colonel Gideon Morgan of the war of 1812, for
Washington Morgan, his son, of the Civil war, and now for a full-blood
upon the reservation, known to the whites as Morgan Calhoun.
Â'gan-uni'tsi--"Groundhogs'-mother," from â'gana and uni'tsi, their
mother, plural of utsi', his mother (etsi', agiti', my mother). The
Cherokee name of a Shawano captive, who, according to tradition,
killed the great Uktena serpent and procured the Ulûñsû'ti.
Agawe'la--"Old Woman," a formulistic name for corn or the spirit
of corn.
agayûñ'li--for agayûñ'lige, old, ancient.
agidâ'ta--see edâ'ta.
agidu'tu--see edu'tu.
Agi`li--"He is rising," possibly a contraction of an old personal name,
Agin'-agi`li, "Rising-fawn." Major George Lowrey, cousin of Sequoya,
and assistant chief of the Cherokee Nation about 1840. Stanley
incorrectly makes it "Keeth-la, or Dog" (for gi`li'.)
agini'si--see eni'si.
agi'si--female, applied usually to quadrupeds.
Agis'-e'gwa--"Great Female," possibly "Great Doe." A being, probably
an animal god, invoked in the sacred formulas.
agitsi'--see etsi'.
Agitsta`ti'yi--"Where they stayed up all night," from tsigitsûñ'tihû',
"I stay up all night." A place in the Great Smoky range about the
head of Noland creek, in Swain county, North Carolina. See notes to
number 100.
Aguaquiri--see Guaquili.
Ahalu'na--"Ambush," Ahalunûñ'yi, "Ambush place," or Uni'halu'na,
"Where they ambushed," from akalu'ga, "I am watching". Soco gap,
at the head of Soco creek, on the line between Swain and Haywood
counties, North Carolina (see number 122). The name is also applied
to a lookout station for deer hunters.
ahanu'lahi--"he is bearded," from ahanu'lahû, a beard.
Ahu'lude'gi--"He throws away the drum" (habitual), from ahu'li, drum,
and akwade'gû, "I am throwing it away" (round object). The Cherokee
name of John Jolly, a noted chief and adopted father of Samuel Houston,
about 1800.
ahyeli'ski--a mocker or mimic.
akta'--eye; plural, dikta'.
akta'ti--a telescope or field glass. The name denotes something with
which to examine or look into closely, from akta', eye.
akwandu'li--a song form for akwidu'li(-hû, "I want it."
Akwan`ki--see Anakwan`ki.
Akwe`ti'yi--a location on Tuckasegee river, in Jackson county, North
Carolina; the meaning of the name is lost. See number 122.
Alarka--see Yalâgi.
âliga'--the red-horse fish (Moxostoma).
Alkini'--the last woman known to be of Natchez descent and peculiarity
among the East Cherokee; died about 1890. The name has no apparent
meaning.
ama'--water; in the Lower dialect, awa'; cf. a'ma, salt.
amaye'hi--"dwelling in the water," from ama' (ama'yi, "in the water")
and ehû', "I dwell," "I live."
Amaye`l-e'gwa--"Great island," from amaye`li, island (from ama',
water, and aye`li, "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.
Amaye`li-gûnahi'ta--"Long island," from amaye`li, 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 Tsikama'gi).
ama'yine'hi--"dwellers in the water," plural of amaye'hi.
Anada'dûñtaski--"Roasters," i. e., Cannibals; from gûñ'taskû',
"I am putting it (round) into the fire to roast." The regular word
for cannibals is Yûñ'wini'giski, q. v. See number 3.
anagâhûñ'ûñskû'--the Green-corn dance; literally, "they are having a
Green-corn dance"; anagâhûñ'ûñsgûñ'yi, "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.
Anakwan`ki--the Delaware Indians; singular Akwan`ki, a Cherokee
attempt at Wapanaqki, "Easterners," the Algonquian name by which,
in various corrupted forms, the Delawares are commonly known to the
western tribes.
Anantooeah--see Ani'-Nûn'dawe'gi.
a`ne'tsâ, or a`netsâ'gi--the ballplay.
a`netsâ'ûñski--a ballplayer; literally, "a lover of the ballplay."
ani'--a tribal and animate prefix.
ani'da'wehi--plural of ada'wehi.
a'niganti'ski--see dagan`tû.
Ani'-Gatage'wi--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'ti, a swamp or savanna,
and dige'wi, blind.
Ani'-Gilâ'hi--"Long-haired people," one of the seven Cherokee clans;
singular, Agilâ'hi. The word comes from agilâ'hi (perhaps connected
with agi`lge-ni, "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'-Gili'--a problematic tribe, possibly the Congaree. See page
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