-yă—a suffix denoting principal or real, as tsiskwa′yă, “principal bird,” the sparrow; Ani′-Yûñwiyă′, “principal or real people,” Indians.
Yahoola—see Yahulâ′ĭ.
Yahulâ′ĭ—“Yahu′la place,” from Yahu′la, a Cherokee trader said to have been taken by the spirit people; Yahu′la seems to be from the Creek yoho′lo, a name having reference to the song (yoholo), used in the “black drink” ceremony of the Creeks; thus a′si-yoho′lo, corrupted into Osceola, signified “the black drink song”; it may, however, be a true Cherokee word, yahu′lû, or yahu′lĭ, the name for a variety of hickory, also for the “doodle-bug”; Ûñyahu′lă is a feminine name, but can not be translated. Yahoola creek, near Dahlonega, in Lumpkin county, Georgia. See number 86 and notes.
Yalâ′gĭ—Alarka creek of Little Tennessee river, above the junction of Tuckasegee, in Swain county, North Carolina; the meaning of the name is lost.
yañdaska′ga—a faultfinder. See number 61.
Yân-e′gwa—“Big-bear,” from yânû, bear, and egwa, great, large. A prominent chief about the year 1800; the name occurs in treaties as Yonah, Yohanaqua and Yonahequah. See page 164.
yâ′nû—bear.
Yâ′nû-dinĕhûñ′yĭ—“Where the bears live,” from yânû, bear, dinĕhû′, “they dwell” (ĕ′hû, “I dwell, I live”), and yĭ, locative. A place on Oconaluftee river, a short distance above the junction with Tuckasegee, in Swain county, North Carolina. See number 122.
Yânûgûñ′skĭ—“The bear drowns him” (habitually), from yânû, bear, and tsigûñ′iskă′, “I am drowning him.” A noted East Cherokee chief, known to the whites as Yonaguska or Drowning-bear. See page 162.
Yâ′nû-u′nătawasti′yĭ—“Where the bears wash” (from yânû, bear, and yĭ, locative); a former pond in the Great Smoky mountains, about the extreme head of Raven fork, in Swain county, North Carolina. See number 122.
yân′-utse′stû—“the bear lies on it”; the shield fern (Aspidium). See number 126.
Yawâ′ĭ—“Yawă place”; a place on Yellow creek of Cheowa river, in Graham county, North Carolina. See number 122.
Yellow-hill—see Elăwâ′diyĭ.
Yohanaqua—see Yân-e′gwa.
yoho-o!—an unmeaning song refrain. See number 75.
Yonaguska—see Yâ′nûgûñ′skĭ.
Yonah—1. (mountain) see Gadalu′lŭ. 2. An abbreviated treaty form for the name of the chief Yân-e′gwa.
Yonahequah—see Yân-e′gwa.
Ytaua, Ytava—see I′tăwă′.
Yu!—an unmeaning song refrain and interjection.
Yuha′lĭ—Euharlee creek, of lower Etowah river, in Bartow county, Georgia. The name is said by the Cherokee to be a corruption of Yufala (Eufaula), a well-known Creek local name. See number 105.
yûnsû′—buffalo; cf. Creek yĕna′sa, Choctaw yanash, Hichitee ya′nasi.
Yûnsâ′ĭ—“Buffalo place”; West Buffalo creek of Cheowa river in Graham county, North Carolina; the site of a former Cherokee settlement. See number 122.
yu′wĕ-yuwĕhe′—an unmeaning song refrain. See number 118.
yûñ′wĭ—person, man; cf. Mohawk oñgweʻ.
Yûñ′wĭ Amă′yĭnĕ′hĭ—“Water-dwelling People,” from yûñ′wĭ, person, and ămă′yĭnĕ′hĭ, plural of ămăyĕ′hĭ, q. v.; a race of water fairies. See number 78.
Yûñ′wĭ-dĭkatâgûñ′yĭ—see Yûñ′wĭ-tsulenûñ′yĭ.
Yûñ′wĭ Gûnăhi′ta—“Long Man”; a formulistic name for the river, personified as a man with his head resting on the mountain and his feet stretching down to the lowlands, who is constantly speaking to those who can understand the message.
Yûñ′wini′giskĭ—“Man-eaters,” literally, “They eat people” (habitually), from yûñ′wĭ, person, man, and uni′giskĭ, “they eat” (habitually), from tsĭkiû′, “I am eating”; the Cherokee name for a distant cannibal tribe, possibly the Atakapa or the Tonkawa. See number 105. Cf. Anăda′dûñtăskĭ.
Yûñ′wĭ-tsulenûñ′yĭ—“Where the man stood,” originally Yûñ′wĭ-dĭkatâgûñ′yĭ, “Where the man stands,” from yûñ′wĭ, person, man, tsitâ′gă, “I am standing,” and yĭ, locative; Standing Indian, a high bald mountain at the head of Nantahala river, in Macon county, North Carolina. See number 122.
Yûñ′wĭ Tsunsdi′—“Little People,” from yûñ′wĭ, person, people, and tsunsdi′gă or tsunsdi′, plural of usdi′gă, or usdi′, little; the Cherokee fairies. See number 78.
Yûñ′wĭ Usdĭ′—“Little Man.” A formulistic name for the ginseng, â′tălĭ-gûlĭ′, q. v.
Yûñ′wĭ-usga′sĕʻtĭ—“Dangerous Man, Terrible Man”; a traditional leader in the westward migration of the Cherokee. See page 99.
Yûñ′wiyă′—“Indian,” literally, “principal or real person,” from yûñ′wĭ, person and yă, a suffix denoting principal or real. See pages 15 and 181.