American Indian nations
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American Indian nations
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| Longfellow's record word |
Meaning ascribed by Longfellow |
Source Language | Original Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjidau'mo | the red squirrel | Ojibway | ajidamoo (na, pl. -g) | Red Squirrel |
| Ahdeek' | the reindeer | Ojibway | adik (na, pl. -wag) | Caribou |
| **Ahkosewin | Fever | Ojibway | aakoziwin (ni, pl. -an) | illness |
| Ahmeek' | the beaver | Ojibway | amik (na, pl. -wag) | Beaver |
| Annemee'kee | the thunder | Ojibway | animikii (na, pl. -g) | Thunderbird |
| Apuk'wa | a bulrush | Ojibway | apakwe (na, pl. -yag) | Cattail |
| Bemah'gut | the grape-vine | Ojibway | biimaakwad (ni, pl. -oon) | Bittersweet, Vine |
| Baim-wa'wa | the sound of the thunder | Ojibway | bimwewe (vii) | be heard making a sound |
| **Black-robe chief | the Pale-face the Prophet |
Ojibway | mekadewikwanayewi-ogimaa (na, pl. -g) | Bishop (lit. Black-robed Chief) |
| **Bukadawin | Famine | Ojibway | bakadewin (ni, pl. -an) | hunger |
| Chemaun' | a birch canoe | Ojibway | jiimaan (ni, pl. -an) | Canoe, Boat |
| Chetowaik' | the plover | ? | ? | ? |
| Chibia'bos | a musician; friend of Hiawatha; ruler of the Land of Spirits |
Ojibway | Jiibayaabooz (na, pl. -oog) | Spirit Rabbit |
| Dahin'da | the bull frog | Ojibway | dende (na, pl. -g) | Bullfrog |
| **Dead-man's Strawberry | (not glossed) | Ojibway | jiibemiijimi-ode'imin (ni, pl. -an) | type of poisonous mushroom (lit.strawberry of the 'Food of the Dead') |
| Dush-kwo-ne'-she or Kwo-ne'-she |
the dragon fly | Ojibway | oboodashkwaanishiinh (na, pl. oboodashkwaanishiinyag) |
Dragonfly |
| Esa | shame upon you | Ojibway | ise (pc) | for shame |
| Ewa-yea' | lullaby | ? | ? | ? |
| Gitche Gu'mee | The Big-Sea-Water, Lake Superior |
Ojibway | gichi-gami (ni, pl. -in) | great lake/sea, Lake Superior |
| Gitche Man'ito | the Great Spirit, the Master of Life |
Ojibway | Gichi-manidoo (na, pl. -g) | Great Spirit, God |
| Gushkewau' | the darkness | Ojibway | gashkii' (vta); gashkii'waa (vta, ind.) |
make someone be pitch-dark; be pitch-dark |
| Hiawa'tha | the Prophet, the Teacher, son of Mudjekeewis, the West-Wind and Wenonah, daughter of Nokomis |
Onondaga | Hayowent'ha (name) | He Who Combs |
| Ia'goo | a great boaster and story-teller | ? | ? | ? |
| Inin'ewug | men, or pawns in the Game of the Bowl |
Ojibway | inini (na, pl. -wag) | man |
| Ishkoodah' | fire, a comet |
Ojibway | ishkode (ni, pl. -n) | fire |
| Jee'bi, | a ghost, a spirit | Ojibway | jiibay (na, pl. -ag) | corpse, ghost, spirit of the dead |
| Joss'akeed | a prophet | Ojibway | jaasakiid (na, pl. jaasakiijig) | Jessokid, "Juggler", Seer of jiisakii (shaking-tent) |
| Kabibonok'ka | North-Wind | Ojibway | Gaa-biboonokaa | Winter-maker, (lit. that who is full of winter) |
| Ka'go | do not | Ojibway | gego (pc) | do not |
| Kahgahgee' | the raven | Ojibway | gaagaagi (na, pl. -wag) | Raven |
| Kaw | no | Ojibway | gaa (pc) | no, not |
| Kaween' | no indeed | Ojibway | gaawiin, gaa-wiin (pc) | no, not, not indeed |
| Kayoshk' | the sea-gull | Ojibway | gayaashk (na, pl. -wag) | Gull, Seagull, Tern |
| Kee'go | a fish | Ojibway | giigoonh (na, pl. giigoonyag) | Fish |
| Keeway'din | the Northwest wind, the Home-wind |
Ojibway | giiwedin (ni, pl. -oon) | north, north wind |
| Kena'beek | a serpent | Ojibway | ginebig (na, pl. -oog) | Snake |
| Keneu' | the great war-eagle | Ojibway | giniw (na, pl. -ag) | Golden Eagle, war eagle |
| Keno'zha | the pickerel | Ojibway | ginoozhe (na, pl. -g) | Northern Pike |
| Ko'ko-ko'ho | the owl | Ojibway | gookooko'oo (na, pl. -g) | Owl |
| Kuntasoo' | the Game of Plumstones | Dakota | kantasu' | plum stone |
| Kwa'sind | the Strong Man | Ojibway? | ? | ? |
| Kwo-ne'-she, or Dush-kwo-ne'-she, |
the dragon-fly | Ojibway | oboodashkwaanishiinh, dashkwaanishiinh (na, pl. -shiinyag), kwaanishiinh |
Dragonfly |
| Mahnahbe'zee | the swan | Ojibway | maanaabizi (na, pl. -wag) | Red Swan, Mute Swan |
| Mahng | the loon | Ojibway | maang (na, pl. -wag) | Loon |
| Mahnomo'nee | wild rice | Ojibway | manoomin (ni, pl. -an) | Wild rice |
| Ma'ma | the woodpecker | Ojibway | meme (na, pl. -g) | Woodpecker |
| Me'da | a medicine-man | Ojibway | Mide (na, pl. -g) | Indian of the Grand Medicine |
| Meenah'ga | the blueberry | Ojibway | miin (na, pl. miinan); miinagaawanzh (na, pl. miinagaawanzhiig) |
Blueberry [berry]; Blueberry [bush] |
| Megissog'won, the great Pearl-Feather | a magician, and the Manito of Wealth | Ojibway | Miigisigwan (name) | Pearl-feather |
| Meshinau'wa | a pipe-bearer | Ojibway | mizhinawe (na, pl. -g) | pipe-bearer |
| Minjekah'wun | Hiawatha's mittens | Ojibway | minjikaawan (na, pl. -ag) | mitten |
| Minneha'ha | Laughing Water; wife of Hiawatha; a water-fall in a stream running into the Mississippi between Fort Snelling and the Falls of St. Anthony |
Dakota | mni-haha | waterfall |
| Minne-wa'wa | a pleasant sound, as of the wind in the trees | Ojibway | minowewe (vai/vii) | make a good sound |
| Mishe-Mo'kwa | the Great Bear | Ojibway | Mishi-makwa | Great Bear |
| Mishe-Nah'ma | the Great Sturgeon | Ojibway | Mishi-name | Great Sturgeon |
| Monda'min | Indian corn | Ojibway | mandaamin (ni, pl. -an) | Maize, corn |
| Moon of Bright Nights | April | Ojibway | waasagwane-giizis | lunar March-April (lit. Brightening Moon) |
| Moon of the Falling Leaves | September | Ojibway | Binaakwii-giizis (na, pl. -oog) | Lunar month of September-October (lit. Fall[ing-leaves] Moon) |
| Moon of Leaves | May | Ojibway | Zaagibagaa-giizis (na, pl. -oog) | May, (lit. Leaf-budding Moon) |
| Moon of Strawberries | June | Ojibway | Ode'imini-giizis (na, pl. -oog) | June, (lit. Strawberry Moon) |
| Mudjekee'wis | the West-wind; father of Hiawatha | Ojibway | majiikiwis (na, pl. -ag) | first-born son |
| Miskodeed' | the Spring-Beauty, the Claytonia Virginica | Ojibway | ? | ? |
| Mudway-aush'ka | sound of waves on a shore | Ojibway | madweyaashkaa (vii) | they (waves) are heard breaking on the shore |
| Mushkoda'sa | the grouse | Ojibway | mashkodese (na, pl. -g) | Ruffed Grouse |
| Nah'ma | the sturgeon | Ojibway | name (na, pl. -wag) | Sturgeon |
| Nah'ma-wusk | spearmint | Ojibway | namewashk (ni, pl. -oon) | Spearmint |
| Na'gow Wudj'oo | the Sand Dunes of Lake Superior | Ojibway | negaw-wajiw | sand dune |
| Nee-ba-naw'-baigs | water-spirits | Ojibway | nibiinaabe (na, pl. -wag) | waterling, merman |
| Nenemoo'sha | sweetheart | Ojibway | niinimoshenh (na, dep., pl. niinimoshenyag) | my sweetheart |
| Nepah'win | sleep | Ojibway | nibaawin (ni, pl. -an) | sleep, act of sleeping |
| Noko'mis | a grandmother mother of Wenonah |
Ojibway | nookomis (na, dep., pl. -ag) | my Grandmother |
| No'sa | my father | Ojibway | noose (na, dep., voc.) | [my] Father! |
| Nush'ka | look! look! | Ojibway | inashke (pc) | Look! |
| Odah'min | the strawberry | Ojibway | ode'imin (ni, pl. -an) | Strawberry |
| Okahha'wis | the fresh-water herring | Ojibway | okeyawis (na, pl. -ag) | Herring |
| Ome'mee | the pigeon | Ojibway | omiimii (na, pl. -g) | Passenger
Pigeon, Pigeon |
| Ona'gon | a bowl | Ojibway | onaagan (ni, pl. -an) | Bowl, Dish |
| Opechee' | the robin | Ojibway | opichi (na, pl. -wag) | Robin |
| Osse'o | Son of the Evening Star | ? | ? | ? |
| Owais'sa | the blue-bird | Ojibway | ozhaawanowesi (na, pl. -wag) | Eastern Bluebird |
| Oweenee' | Wife of Osseo | ? | ? | ? |
| Ozawa'beek | a round piece of brass or copper in the Game of the Bowl |
Ojibway | ozaawaabik (ni, pl. -oon) | Brass, Copper |
| Pah-puk-kee'na | the grasshopper | Ojibway | bapakine (na, pl. -g) | Grasshopper, Locust |
| Pau'guk | death | Ojibway | ? | Flying-skeleton Death Spirit |
| Pau-Puk-Kee'wis | the handsome Yenadizze, the son of Storm Fool | Ojibway | ? | ? |
| Pone'mah | hereafter | Ojibway | baanimaa (pc) | later, afterwards |
| Pe'boan | Winter | Ojibway | biboon (vii) | be Winter |
| Pem'ican | meat of the deer or buffalo dried and pounded |
Cree | pimihkân (ni, pl. -an) | Pemmican |
| **People of the wooden vessel | (not glossed) | Ojibway | wemitigoozhi (na, pl. -wag) | French (lit. Those of Wooden-Crafts) |
| Pezhekee' | the bison | Ojibway | bizhiki (na, pl. -wag) | Buffalo |
| Pishnekuh' | the brant | Ojibway | apishi-nika (na, pl. -g) | Grey Goose |
| Puggawau'gan | a war-club | Ojibway | bagamaagan (ni, pl. -an) | war-club, cudgel |
| Puk-Wudj'ies | little wild men of the woods; pygmies | Ojibway | bagwajiwinini (na, pl. bagwajiwininiwag) | wild man |
| Sah-sah-je'wun | rapids | Ojibway | zaasijiwan (vii) | it (river) flows with a ripple |
| Segwun' | Spring | Ojibway | ziigwan (vii) | be Spring |
| Sha'da | the pelican | Ojibway | zhede (na, pl. -g) | Pelican |
| Shahbo'min | the gooseberry | Ojibway | zhaaboomin (na, pl. -ag) | Gooseberry |
| Shah-shah | long ago | ? | ? | ? |
| Shaugoda'ya | a coward | Ojibway | zhaagode'e (vai) | be cowardly, (lit. be weak-hearted) |
| Shawgashee' | the craw-fish | Ojibway | azhaageshii (na, pl. -yag) | Crawfish |
| Shawonda'see | the South-Wind | Ojibway | zhaawandezi (vai) | be from the south |
| Shaw-shaw | the swallow | Ojibway | zhaashaawanibiish (na, pl. -ag) | Tree Swallow |
| **Taquamenaw | (unspecified river) | Ojibway | ? | ? |
| Shesh'ebwug | ducks; pieces in the Game of the Bowl |
Ojibway | zhiishiib (na, pl. -ag) | Duck |
| Shin'gebis | the diver, or grebe | Ojibway | zhingibis (na, pl. -ag) | Least Grebe |
| Showain'neme'shin | pity me | Ojibway | zhawenim (vta); zhawenimishin (vta, 2s>1s) |
to pity someone; you have pity on me |
| Shuh-shuh-gah' | the blue heron | Ojibway | zhashagi (na, pl. -wag) | Great Blue Heron |
| Soan-ge-ta'ha | strong-hearted | Ojibway | zoongide'e (vai) | be courageous, (lit. be strong-hearted) |
| Subbeka'she | the spider | Ojibway | asabikeshii (na, pl. -yag) | Spider |
| Sugge'me | the mosquito | Ojibway | zagime (na, pl. -g) | Mosquito |
| To'tem | family coat-of-arms | Ojibway | doodem | Clan, Totem |
| Ugh | yes | Ojibway | enh (pc) | yes (male usage) |
| Ugudwash' | the sun-fish | Ojibway | agwadaashi (na, pl. -wag) | Sunfish |
| Unktahee' | the God of Water | Dakota | Unktehi | Snake-shaped Water Spirit |
| Wabas'so | the rabbit, the North |
Ojibway | waabooz (na, pl. -oog) | Rabbit |
| Wabe'no | a magician, a juggler | Ojibway | waabano (na, pl. -wag) | Indian of the Magical Dawn Society |
| Wabe'no-wusk | yarrow | Ojibway | waabanowashk (ni, pl. -oon) | Yarrow |
| Wa'bun | the East-Wind | Ojibway | waaban (vii) | be the east, be dawn |
| Wa'bun An'nung | the Star of the East, the Morning Star |
Ojibway | waaban-anang (na) | Morning star |
| Wahono'win | a cry of lamentation | Ojibway | waa'oonowin (ni, pl. -an) | howl |
| Wah-wah-tay'see | the fire-fly | Ojibway | waawaatesi (na, pl. -wag) | Firefly |
| Waubewy'on | a white skin wrapper | Ojibway | waabiwayaan (na, pl. -ag) | white-skin wrapper |
| Wa'wa | the wild goose | Ojibway | wewe (na, pl. -g) | Snow Goose |
| Waw-be-wa'wa | the white goose | Ojibway | waabi-wewe (na, pl. -g) | white Snow Goose |
| Wawonais'sa | the whippoorwill | Ojibway | waa'oonesii (na, pl. -g) | Whip-poor-will |
| Way-muk-kwa'na | the caterpillar | Ojibway | wemakwaayaanenh (na, pl. wemakwaayaanenyag) | brown Caterpillar |
| Weno'nah | the eldest daughter; Hiawatha's mother, daughter of Nokomis |
Dakota | winona | first-born daughter |
| **White-man's Foot | (unknown flower) | Ojibway | -waabishkikizid (na, pl.waabishkikizijig) |
white-man's foot (homophone towhite-foot) |
| Yenadiz'ze | an idler and gambler; an Indian dandy |
Ojibway | wiinaadizi (vai); waanaadizid (na, pl. waanaadizijig) |
to behave unchastely; dandy |
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