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.

---

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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

Residents living in areas of Lake Riverside, Aguanga, Anza and the Cahuilla Reservation close to the fire were ordered to evacuate, while those slightly farther away were placed under evacuation warnings.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2025

To the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, the red color of the hills and canyon walls is a sign of the bleeding heart of their creator god, Mukat.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2025

“We are happy to see the designation protect this area that contains thousands of cultural places and objects of vital importance to the history and identity of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2025

He swam in a sulfur spring, watched over by Cahuilla women scrubbing clothes on the rocks, and stretched out to dry himself in the sun.

From "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand