Cherokee
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Cherokee
- /ˌt͡ʃɛ.ɹəˈkiː/
Where it comes from
Most likely from the Cherokee autonym ᏣᎳᎩ (tsalagi). Derivation from a Choctaw exonym meaning "those who live in caves" (compare chiluk (“cave”)) has also been suggested — the Iroquois term for the Cherokee was Oyata'ge'ronon (“inhabitants of the cave country”) — as has derivation from a Creek term for "person(s) who speak(s) a non-Creek language" (see celokketv (“to speak a non-creek language”)).
Regardless of its origin, the ethnonym entered European languages at an early date, perhaps as early as the 1670s; in Spanish, the people are called the Tchalaquei as early as 1755.
noun Cherokees · Cherokee
- A member of an indigenous North American people.
proper noun
- An indigenous North American people.
- Their Iroquoian language, spoken in Oklahoma and North Carolina. You don’t have to be a member of a tribe to help protect native languages. In Oklahoma, public students can choose to take Indigenous language courses like Bodéwadmimwen, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Comanche and others for school credit — an empowering step toward recognition and respect. Many tribal natio
- A syllabary for the Cherokee language invented by Sequoyah.
- A town in Colbert County, Alabama.
- Cherokee Village, Arkansas.
- A census-designated place in Butte County, California.
- A former gold mining settlement in Nevada County, California.
- A city, the county seat of Cherokee County, Iowa.
- A city in Crawford County, Kansas.
- A census-designated place in Swain County and Jackson County, North Carolina, capital of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
- An unincorporated community in Logan County, Ohio.
- A city, the county seat of Alfalfa County, Oklahoma.
-
An unincorporated community in Grainger County, Tennessee.
Similar: Cherokee Village
- An unincorporated community in San Saba County, Texas.
- An unincorporated community in McDowell County, West Virginia.
- An unincorporated community in Hull, Marathon County, Wisconsin.
- A locality in the Shire of Macedon Ranges, central Victoria, Australia.
- Ellipsis of Cherokee County
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: team, aboriginal, tsalagi, kituwah, iroquoian, amerindian, cheyenne, chippewan, chiricahua, comanche, chickamauga, chickasaw, shawnee, cree, quechan, tuscarora
Translations
Every language
noun individual member of this people
| हिन्दी | चेरोकी cerokī |
|---|---|
| Português | cherokee, cheroqui |
| Deutsch | Tscherokese |
name language
| Español | cheroquí |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 체로키어 cherokieo |
| 日本語 | チェロキー語 cherokī-go |
| 中文 | 切羅基語 /切罗基语 qiēluōjīyǔ |
| Kiswahili | Kicherokii |
| Português | cherokee, cheroqui |
| Français | cherokee |
| Deutsch | Tscherokesisch, Cherokee |
| Русский | черо́ки čeróki, язы́к черо́ки jazýk čeróki |
name indigenous North American people
| Español | cheroquí |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | Mcherokii |
| Português | cherokees, cheroquis |
| Français | Cherokees |
| Deutsch | Cherokesen, Tscherokesen |
| Ελληνικά | Τσερόκι Tseróki |
| Русский | черо́ки čeróki |
Talk about this word "Cherokee." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/cherokee. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. Cherokee. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/cherokee "Cherokee." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/cherokee.Cite this
@misc{cherokee_2026,
title = {Cherokee},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/cherokee},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
