Cahuilla

American  

[kuh-wee-uh] / kəˈwi ə /

noun

plural

Cahuillas,

plural

Cahuilla

1. a member of a North American Indian people of southern California.

2. Also called Ivilyuat.  the Uto-Aztecan language of the Cahuilla.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Cahuilla or their language.

Etymology

Origin of Cahuilla

First recorded in 1895–1900; from Spanish, possibly from Cahuilla kawi'a “master”

Example Sentences

Here, the highway passes quietly into Anza-Borrego, homeland of the Kumeyaay, Cahuilla and Cupeño peoples.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Tongva, Chumash and Cahuilla workers in California formed the backbone of rancho agriculture.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

The Cahuilla people believe they originated among the red walls and leaning stone outcroppings of the Painted Canyon, and burial grounds throughout the site attest to its sacred place in their culture.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

To the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, it represents the bleeding heart of their creator, Mukat.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2024

Because even though Mai said during the cat search that her mother came from Vietnam, I hadn't completely given up on the idea that she could have something to do with the Cahuilla tribe.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan