Yavapai

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Native American nation of central Arizona whose members share a Yuman cultural heritage ; the Yuman language historically spoken by that nation ; a county in central Arizona named after that people
2. An indigenous group of central Arizona with its own traditions ; the language of that group, belonging to the Yuman family ; the Arizona county that takes its name from this group
3. A Native people living in the Arizona interior ; the Yuman tongue used by those people ; a central Arizona county bearing the name of this tribe

Etymology: The name comes from the Yavapai people of central and northern Arizona, and it is their own word. In the Yavapai language it is usually given as "Yavapé" or "Yavepe," and it is commonly glossed as "sun people," though the exact meaning is uncertain. The name reached English through outsiders' spellings, which is why several versions circulate. The name was later applied to places as well as people. Yavapai County, in Arizona, is named after the tribe, so a people's self-name now also labels a county on the map. Two federally recognized communities, the Yavapai-Prescott and Yavapai-Apache nations, carry the name today.