The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-17
INDIAN COUNTY NAMES.
Origin and Meaning of Many Borne
in Mississippi.

in Mississippi.
From the Memphis Commercial-AppeaI.
H. S. Halbert, supervisor Of Indian
Schools in Mississippi, has submitted a
report which is full of curious etymologi-
cal data. For long time it has been a
source of speculation to many MISSISSIPPI
plans who did not have the advantage of
a training in Choetaw classics in their
early youth what the Indian names of
the different counties in the state mean.
At the request of the superintendent of
education Mr.. Halbert made the, follow
ing compilation, which win be embodied
in Mr.. Kincannon's report to the legisla-
ture:
Attala.-This county received its name
from the Indian heroine of Chateaubri-
and's romance, Alfalfa. 1t Is not genuine
Indian name, was simply coined by Chat
eauoriand, and has no significance what
ever.
Chickasaw-The aboriginal form is
ChiclSasha, which means rebellion" The
Rev Allen Wright says that, according
10 tradition, the Chiekasaws were once
part of the Choctaws and Creeks, and
by rebellion they became a separate and
distinct tribe.
Choctaw.-The aboriginal form is Chah-
ia. The original meaning of this word is
lost, but it is supposed to mean "separa-
tion,' that is, separation in prehistoric
times from the other members of the
Choctaw-M uscogee stock, who were all
once one people.
Coahoma.~This word means red pam
Their" and it was not an unusual mans
name among the old Choctaws. In Choc-.
taw it is spelled Koi Homma; koi pan
ther' and homma red"
Copiah.-This word is considerably cor
rupted from the Choctaw koi paya, which
means calling panther" or "crying pam
Their"
Issaquena. This word means deer rlv-
er, 'Issi, deer" and okhina river The
old word was Issiokhina. The word okhina
is a strikingly poetical savage metaphor
for river, meaning water road
Itawamba This is a mans name. and
seems to have no significance Several
Choctaw scholars have tried their hands
on it, and have given it up.
Neshoba.-This word means wolf" and
should be spelled "Nashoba."
Noxubee.--The ChoctaWs call NoXubee
river "Oka Nakshobi," which means foul
smelling water Right here / wish to
state that the, etymology given in Clai-
borne's 'Adississippr' is totally erroneous
and the legend is spurious.
Oktibbeha.-Ths word is compounded of
okti. "ice," and abeha, therein The
winter such a great quantity of ice was
seen floating down a stream that the In
dams gave 1t this name. The county, of
course, derives Its name directly from the
stream.
Panola-This Is the original word sgni-
flying cotton" with a slight change. The
Choctaw word is "ponola."
Pontotoc-This means weed prairie"
Oktah means prairie" There is or was
a large prairie in North Mississippi in
which there grew kind Of long, slender
weed called in the Chickasaw dialect
"ponti." To get the name Of the prairie,
unite the two words, ponti-oktah, corrup-
ted by the whites into "Pontotoc"
Tallahatchie-Thi means rock river"
In Choctaw it is "Tali-hachcha"
Tippah-This is the Choctaw "tapa,"
meaning "cut off,"
Tishomingo-Tnis means warrior chief"
Tishu is dialetic Chickasaw word CORES
pondng to the Choctaw "tashka" which
is translated warrior"
Tunica-This county derives its name
from the Tunica Indians, who emlglated
in 1917 from Mississippi into Louisiana,
where the remnants of the tribe remain TO
this day. The Tunicas speak a language
entirely distinct from the Choctaws. Tun-
lea, in their language, means 1.-THE peo-
pie" as 1t was not uncommon for tribes
to adopt as their tribal name a word
meaning imam" or people"
1aioDusnd-1n MS means 'tddpole place."
more literally, "tadpoles are there" The
word Is a compound of yaloba. "tadpole,"
and ashe, lis there" or ARE there
Yazoo-This word comes from the Yazoo
tribe, who lived near the mouth OF the
Yazoo river, and who were incorporated
into the Chickasaw nation In 1886. There
is some uncertainty about the proper in
depreciation of the word. There IL no ev-
idence whatever that the word signified
river of death In any Indian tongue as
Is generally thought The best supposl-
ton IS that the word must be sought IN
the Uchee tongue in which yashu sleni-
fies leaf" But what real or fancied anal
ogy gave this name TO the Yazoo tribe is
question that has not yet been solved.