Tsalagi

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. The Cheroke people's own name for themselves ; the Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee nation
2. The self-designation used by the Cherokee people of the southeastern United States ; the Iroquoian tongue of that nation
3. A name the Cherokee use for their own people ; the Iroquoian language that Cherokee speakers have used for centuries

Etymology: The word "Tsalagi" is the Cherokee name for the Cherokee people and their language, and it is the source of the English word "Cherokee" itself. In the Cherokee language the name is written ᏣᎳᎩ, and it is the people's own word for themselves rather than a name coined by outsiders. The fuller form, "tsalagi gawonihisdi," combines the people's name with a phrase that refers to their speech, so the term has long been used to mean both the people and the language they speak. Because the word is a self-designation, its use as an adjective follows naturally: something described as Tsalagi belongs to the Cherokee people or their culture. The English form "Cherokee" came into use through contact with outsiders, but the Tsalagi form preserves the name as it is spoken within the community.