Indian languages
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Native American genealogy
Tyee
Q: Hello,
I am one of the ones who is asking does a question
about a name. Is Tyee a
Native American name and if so what is it's meaning?
I was told chief. My
ancestors on my Dad's Mom's side were Cherokee and
I used Tyee as my son's middle
name to honor his Native American heritage.
Please correct me if it is wrong so I can let
him know before he gets much older.
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A: You are one of the lucky ones, this name really does
have Native American origins. :-) It comes from
the word for "chief" in the Chinook Jargon trade language
(spoken on the Northwest Coast.) It is pronounced tah-yee (usually Anglicized to tie-yee)
and has been spelled many different ways in history, including Tyee, Taye,
Taie, and Tai. (The Chinook Jargon was originally an unwritten language,
so spellings of Chinook Jargon words in English sometimes vary a lot.)
Hope that helps!
Native Languages of the Americas
Related Links
Native American names for boys
Chinook Jargon language
Chinooks
Northwest Coast Indian tribes
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