Paiute

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A member of a Native American people originally inhabiting the Great Basin region; belonging to a group of languages spoken by this tribe; a cultural representative of a rich tradition and heritage among indigenous peoples of the U.S
2. An individual from a Native American tribe known for their historical way of life in regions of the western United States; relating to the linguistic family associated with this tribe; an embodiment of the unique cultural practices and stories passed down through generations
3. A person who is part of a Native American group traditionally located in areas such as Nevada and California; part of the linguistic diversity among Native American languages; a figure representing the customs, beliefs, and history of the Paiute culture

Etymology: The name "Paiute" comes from a Spanish word that was itself a mishearing of a neighbouring people's name. Spanish "payuchi" and "payuta" were used to refer to these people, and both were built on the Spanish "yuta", the word for the Ute, another tribe of the same region. In other words, the Spanish-speaking travellers who encountered these communities in the American Southwest appear to have grouped them with their Ute neighbours, and the name stuck in the process of being passed into English. The word is therefore an exonym, a label given from outside rather than a name the people used for themselves. Speakers of the language known as Paiute have their own names for their communities, and the English term covers several distinct groups who share a linguistic family. That is why the word is used both for individual people and for the language family associated with them.

Synonyms: Paiute