265 



Kah 



"Long Eyelash," from the long thorns. 

 nah-noos.tah, "Colder," or "That which makes you cold." 

 Spearmint has the same name, but is distinguished by the stem. 

 Ah-weh^a-stah, Moss, means "Something which grows all over." 

 The Partridge Berry has the same name as with us, in Onon- 

 daga, Noon-yeah-ki-e-oo-7iah-yeah, the first four <;vllahlp<; ^fnnHfnfr 



for the bird. The Wi-ntprcrr^^n ?= 



The Wintergreen is Kah-nah-koon-sah-gas, "The 

 Birch-smelling Plant." The Plantain is Tu-hah-ho-e, "It covers 

 the road." I think from this has come the idea that it means 

 the white man's foot or footstep. Catnip is Ta-koos-kah-vat- 

 iuks, " Cat-eating Leaf Flax, Oo-skah, "Thread-hke" or "Mak- 

 ing Threads." Aspen, Nut-ki-e, "Noisy Leaf" Creeping 

 Blackberry, 0~kah-hak-wah, "An Eye," or " Ball of an Eye." 

 ihe Tamarack is distinguished from other coniferous trees by 

 Its name /ra-;z^//-/^;^y, "The Leaves Fall." The Balsam Fir is 

 Cho-koh-iung, "Blisters," /. e. on the bark. Iron Wood {Ostrya) 

 IS Skien-iah~giis-tah, "Everlasting Wood"; it is used for the best 

 Snow-snakes. Water Beech {Carpimis) 0-tan-tahr-te-weh, "A 

 ■Lean Tree," from its lacking the rotundit}' of the true Beech, is 

 expressive. The yellow flowers of the cowslip, or CaltJia, would 

 not escape attention and are termed Ka-nah-wa/i- hawks, "It 

 opens the swamps." The Bloodroot is Da-weh-ne-kweit-chuks, 

 "It breaks blood." The Yellow Moccasin Flower is very prettily 

 termed Kwe~ko-heah-o-tah-qua, Whip-poor-will shoe. The Gin- 

 seng of commerce is Da-kien-ioo-kek, the "Forked Plant." The 

 May apple, or mandrake, is 0-na-ivhen-stah, " Soft Fruit." The 

 Mullein has two names, both expressive, Ki-sit-hi, " Flannel," and 

 Oo~da-tcach-ha, "Stocking's." Much like the latter is the name 

 of the Sycamore or Button-wood Tree. It is Oo-da-te-cha-wim- 

 ites, or "Big Stockings;" perhaps in allusion to the way in 

 ^'liich the bark peels off. It is harder to account for Te-a-tah, 

 "She stands over yonder," the name of the common Yellow 

 I^ock, unless it describes a young squaw adorned with beads 

 as that Is with seeds. They retain the signification but have 

 forgotten its 



Among names of which I could ascertain no primitive mean- 

 ^'"g. are : 0-na-tah, Leaf 0-hoon-tah, Bush. Kai-ehn-tak, Tree. 

 0-e-en-tah, Wood. Ah-win-noo-kah, Grass. Ho-whaJi-tah, 



ongm. 



