Iroquoian

[ir-uh-kwoi-uhn]

noun

1. a family of North American Indian languages that includes Cherokee, Seneca, Mohawk, and Oneida.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Iroquois people.

2. of or belonging to the Iroquoian family of languages.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Iroquoian¹

First recorded in 1690–1700; Iroquois + -an

Example Sentences

Roni is the word for “raccoon” in the Iroquoian language of the native people from the region of the State of New York and Lake Placid.

From Reuters

Canada comes from the Iroquoian word for “village”.

From Economist

He was, moreover, the first to discover that the Tutelos of Virginia belonged to the Siouan family, and to identify the Cherokee as a member of the Iroquoian family of speech.

From Project Gutenberg

To the north, in what is now New York, centred the Iroquoian tribes, with ramifications as far south as Virginia and North Carolina.

From Project Gutenberg

They surrounded the Iroquoian tribes of the north, and, at various places came in contact with members of other stocks.

From Project Gutenberg