Cayuga

American  

[key-yoo-guh, kahy-] / keɪˈyu gə, kaɪ- /

noun

plural

Cayugas,

plural

Cayuga

1. a member of a tribe of North American Indians, the smallest tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy.

2. the dialect of the Seneca language spoken by the Cayuga.

3. Also called Cayuga duck.  one of an American breed of domestic ducks having black plumage.

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Cayuga British  

/ keɪˈjuːɡə, kaɪ- /

noun

1. a member of a Native American people (one of the Iroquois peoples) formerly living around Cayuga Lake

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Iroquoian family

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Etymology

Origin of Cayuga

1735–45, < Cayuga *kayo·kwę, name of a 17th-century village; compare Cayuga kayokwęhó˙nǫʔ Cayuga (people) (or < a related form in another N Iroquoian language)

Example Sentences

Seneca-Cayuga filmmaker Erica Tremblay discusses how learning Cayuga inspired her feature debut starring Lily Gladstone.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

New York’s Cayuga Lake Wine Trail is promoting “Sips to the Eclipse” for the weekend ahead of April 8.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2024

Cayuga – the only Federation vessel orbiting an unaffiliated colony when the Gorn attack it.

From Salon • Aug. 11, 2023

Bulldozing and claims of kidnapping: The Cayuga Nation, a tribe in upstate New York, is at war with itself.

From New York Times • Mar. 14, 2023

May and the boys were upstate for the week at their house on Cayuga Lake, and he said he wasn’t in the mood to eat by himself.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee