Onondaga

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Native American people originally from present-day New York, known for their role in the Iroquois Confederacy and their unique cultural practices
2. The name of an Indigenous tribe in North America recognized for their historical significance and contributions to the governance of the Haudenosaunee
3. Referring to the language spoken by the Onondaga people, which is part of the larger Iroquoian language family and preserves their heritage

Etymology: The name "Onondaga" is the English form of the people's own name for themselves, "Onöñda'gaga'," which refers to people of the hills. English speakers took the name directly from the Onondaga language, and it was then applied to the language as well. The Seneca people, another Iroquoian nation, have a closely related form, "Onödowáʼga:," which shows how the same name travels between the languages of the Iroquois Confederacy. So the word has two layers: it names a nation first and a language second. When English speakers say "Onondaga" as a noun for the language, they are using the people's name to point to the way that people speak, which is part of the larger Iroquoian family.