Zuni

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An indigenous people of the southwestern United States known for their rich cultural heritage and intricate pottery
2. A member of a Native American tribe from New Mexico, recognized for their traditional dances and art forms
3. Referring to the language spoken by the Zuni people, which is part of the larger language family of the region

Etymology: The name "Zuni" traces back to the Zuni people's own name for themselves, which speakers of the Acoma language rendered as "sɨ̂‧ni" in Western Keres. Spanish-speaking colonists in the Americas picked the name up and wrote it as "Zuñi," and English later borrowed that Spanish form. So the name the outside world learned was a Spanish rendering of a neighboring people's word, passed along through an intermediate language rather than coined by the Zuni themselves. The Spanish form first appeared in the American Spanish of the colonial Southwest, where contact with the Zuni was established. Its spelling in English, with a plain "n" instead of the Spanish "ñ," reflects the usual adaptation when a borrowed name settled into English use.

Synonyms: Zuni people, Native American tribe, Zuni Pueblo, Zuni culture, Zuni language