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

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

Another was brought by Seneca Lake Guardian, an environmental group, against the state for approving a waste transfer station that could leak toxic chemicals into Cayuga Lake, a source of drinking water.

From Salon • Feb. 21, 2023

He was met by Shyia Magan, director of live animals for the Cayuga Nature Center.

From Washington Post • Feb. 20, 2023

In addition to gaining confidence in her own work, being around these filmmakers helped reinvigorate Tremblay and inspired her to enroll in a Cayuga language immersion program to further connect with her culture.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2023

It was made up of the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk Nations and was later joined by the Tuscaroras.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz