The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-06-01
ioAHo-THE ORIGIN AND
MEANING OF The NAME

2 ~SAEAANA ahAG mas UCEu
made and much thought expended re-
garding the origin and meaning OF
/ the word Idaho" Many writers have
expressed their opinions and publish
ed their knowledge OF this word
creating rather an extensive htera-
ture on the subject. while both the
wise and otherwise have guessed at
its meaning. The sum of all this ex-
tant information stiIl leaves the ques-
/ ton somewhat IN doubt Ny only OBJ
iect in this article Is an endeayor To
assemble this information and offer
an explanation of IL from the light of
tother facts perhaps not as yet
known; at any rate not published.
which il seems 10 me will give a
fairly well Interpretation of the word,
Idaho" has been so nicely explain
ed and elaborated SO profusely by the
poetical and idealist, that Idahoans
feel proud of a name which signifies
such noble and expressive thought
as the Gem OF the Mountains" and
whatever the word may have meant
is not the question, for this is its
meaning To US now, and one never
TO be molested. II is not my wish
or purpose in this article To disturb
this meaning nor to detract one iota
from its inspiring sentiment. but
simply to offer a version OF the mat
ter, for history's sake. from my
knowledge of the Shoshoni Indian
Language. gained by 40 years resi-
dence near the Lemhis, one division
of the Shoshoni tribe and among
whom | was Indian trader for Is
years.
Idaho" is Shoahoni Indian ex-
clamation. The expression from
which the word is derived IL heard
repeated as often, perhaps. in a Sho-
: shoni Indian camp. in ,he early part
OF the morning as is heard the Eng,
lish epression. ITS sun up" repeat
ed in the home following the early
dawn. The word Is contracted from
meaning which requires much
! writing to correctly express in Eng
fish. Those who are used to trans
lating languages readily understand
the difficulties of this labor which
: at times becomes almost an impos
2 sible task. This word consists OF
three component parts, each OF
3 which must be analysed to correctly
= understand its derivation and idea
4 thereby conveyed. The first Is ZEE,
which in English conveys the idea OF
coming down" This syllable is the
e basis of such Shoshoni words az
X mean raining" showing" etc.
p which words when propedly translat
T. cd would be. water coming down,
o "snow coming down" etc. The sec
y. ond syllable is dab" which is tn,
II Shoshoni stem or root for both sun
and mountain" the one being al
eternal and everlasting 10 the Indial
e mind, as is the other. The third syl
20 liable how" denotes the exclamation
d. and stands for just the same thin
q in Indian, as the exclamation mari
J. % does in the English language
n. The Shoshoni word Is "Ee-dah-how,
re and the Indian thought thus convey
n ed when literally translated into Ems
fish means. Behold the sun comm
!, down the mountain"
- The mere word does not indicat
N much, for il Is composed OF simpl
N syllables, the significance OF whic
~ requires pages of written English L
a correctly convey the idea which thi
- exclamation suggests TO the aboril
= inal mind Every one who ha
lived in a mountainous country ha
observed at sunsise the rim OF sun
n, light coming down the mountain side
Il as the sun was rising in the OPPOSITE
Ie direction. This is the Shoshoni "Ee
v dah-how." II can occur only In an
l. among the mountains which Is req
"a resented by the English thought
lf "the lofty mountains upon which tn
is morning breaks" Also IL can occu
Is only at those times when the atmos
phere Is still, clear, and bright, ele
ments producing that invigoratinl
u and exhilarating feeling which onl
q high mountainous countries possess
le In the imagination this sunlight oil
- the mountain side can be interpret
- ed to mean, Sunshine Mountain" o
Shining Mountain" and the rim O
= sunlight can also represent the "Dis
= dem on the Mountain" while ps
culiar sunilt peak could be imagine
Sun Crowned Peak" or a brillian
m display of sunlight upon a snow car
80 ped mountain where the rays of sun
- shine are refracted into their ma
no ural colors may convey TO us tn
n thought or image OF the Gem Of tn
- Mountains" but when the word Is vi
nd tered in a ShoshOni camp. al earl
10 dawn. the hearer knows that a riI
~ of sunlight Is coming down the mouT
q tain side as the sun h arising In tn
Al opposite direction. and that II Is tim
for him 10 be up and at the labor
of the day. just as much 50 as a pc
n son hearing the English expression
4 Its sun up" knows that the sun ha
@ risen in the sky and he should be u
be and at work.
N The idea conveyed by -"Ee-dal
c. how" may be a kind OF sun worshi
as contended by some. but II appeal
to me 20 be no more so than is th
English expression. Its sun Hp
~ This exclamation expressed TO N
= primeval mind a confidmce IN n
20 continuance of nature. for the 81
p has returned TO replenlsh all thinI
~ and this display of the mountain sic
Is the evidence. and 10 the India
w mind this exhibition Of an etern
- sun making its first appearance upC
an everlasting mountain denotes
4 stableness worthy OF his attentiC
III and Is his signal TO arise as he Ia