Onondaga
[on-uh n-daw-guh, -dah-, -dey-]
- a member of a tribe of Iroquoian Indians formerly inhabiting the region of Onondaga Lake.
- the dialect of the Seneca language spoken by these Indians.
- Lake, a salt lake in central New York. 5 miles (8 km) long; 1 mile (1.6 km) wide.
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Origin of Onondaga
From the Onondaga word onǫ́·tàʔke on the hill, the name of the main Onondaga town, at successive locations
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for onondaga
Historical Examples
"When the Five Nations possessed the country, the buffaloes came to us," said the Onondaga.
The Trail BookMary Austin
"There are spirits in all things," said the Onondaga gravely.
The Trail BookMary Austin
The Onondaga let his pipe go out while he explained the winter habits of moose.
The Trail BookMary Austin
The Iroquois capital, Onondaga, was filled with wild rumors.
A Half Century of Conflict - Volume IFrancis Parkman
The prisoners were allowed some freedom in the Onondaga village.
The Road to FrontenacSamuel Merwin
Onondaga
- Lake Onondaga a salt lake in central New York State. Area: about 13 sq km (5 sq miles)
- plural -gas or -ga a member of a North American Indian Iroquois people formerly living between Lake Champlain and the St Lawrence River
- the language of this people, belonging to the Iroquoian family
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Word Origin
from Iroquois onõtáge', literally: on the top of the hill (the name of their principal village)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for onondaga
Onondaga
tribe in the Iroquois Confederacy, 1684, named for its principal settlement, from Onondaga onontake, literally "on the hill."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper