386 ANlSrUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1954 



be expected, as it was in accordance with the standard way of spelling 

 the syllable. An erroneous idea that it was named for the Island of 

 Khodes goes back at least as far as Roger Williams, who suggested it. 



South Carolina. — See North Carolina. 



South Dakota. — See North Dakota. 



Tennessee. — The originating form is Tanasi, the Cherokee name of 

 two different Cherokee villages on the Little Tennessee River, in what 

 is now the southeast corner of the State of Tennessee. The etymology 

 of the name is unknown. The Little Tennessee River was evidently 

 called Tennessee from the name of these villages, and the name of 

 the river was applied by extension to the State. The area of Tennes- 

 see was long considered to be a province of western Carolina. Ten- 

 nessee became a State in 1796. 



Texas. — The word "teysha" in the Caddo language is a salutation 

 which is best translated as "hello friend." The word was widely used in 

 Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. In early literature it appears in the 

 forms texas, texias, tejas, tejias, teysas, techan, etc., and was applied to 

 various tribes, indicating that they were friendly. In Mexican Span- 

 ish the letter x had the sound of sh. The Spanish spelling was 

 Anglicized to its present sound. The Spanish early applied the name 

 to the tribes of the Caddo confederacy which later became Louisiana 

 and eastern Texas, so that one spoke in Spanish of these tribes col- 

 lectively as el reino de los Texas, "the kingdom of the Texas," and the 

 first mission established by the Spanish, which was founded May 25, 

 1690, a little northwest of the present town of Weches in eastern 

 Texas, was named San Francisco de los Texas, "St. Francis of the 

 Texas." As the land of the Texas, the name was applied to the Repub- 

 lic of Texas in 1836. Texas became a State in 1845. 



Utah. — The originating form for Utah is White Mountain Apache 

 Yuttahih, literally "one that is higher up," now applied by the Wliite 

 Mountain Apache to the Navajo. The Spanish and English speakers 

 have interpreted this name as referring to the Utes, who are still 

 higher up in the mountain country than are the Navajo. The Ute 

 are of Shoshonean stock, the Navajo, of Athapascan. As the coun- 

 try of the Utes, the name was applied to the region. In 1849 Utah 

 was organized as an independent unit, termed "the Provisional State 

 of Deseret." Utah was created a Territory in 1851, a State in 1896. 



Vermont. — Champlain, on his map of 1647, designates the Green 

 Mountains, which are the most conspicuous landmark of what is now 

 the State of Vermont, as "Verd Mont," this designation evidently 

 meaning "green mountain," although the standard Modern French 

 for green mountain is montagne verte. Champlain did not visit the 

 Green IMountains, he only saw them from a distance. It should be 

 noted that he used the singular, whereas both French and English 

 naturally use the plural. Modern French, imitating Champlain's 



