Catskills

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A range of mountains in southeastern New York State, a popular destination for hiking, skiing and vacationing in the Appalachian region
2. A mountainous area in eastern New York State that draws visitors for outdoor recreation and scenic views in the northern Appalachians
3. The rugged upland region of southeastern New York, long celebrated as a resort and wilderness area within the broader Appalachian chain

Etymology: The Catskills are a range of mountains in southeastern New York, and the name is Dutch in origin. The early Dutch settlers of the Hudson Valley called them "Kaatskill," a combination of "kat," meaning cat, and "kill," meaning creek or stream. Scholars have long debated what the cats referred to, with explanations ranging from wildcats or panthers to a fancied resemblance of the mountains' shape to a crouching animal, but the Dutch element itself is not in doubt. Because the Dutch were the first Europeans to settle the valley, many place names in the region carry their language, and "kill" survives in other New York names such as Peekskill and Catskill's neighbour Esopus Creek area. The English-speaking settlers who followed generally kept the existing names rather than replacing them, which is why this one survived through the centuries of change.