SWANTON] PERSONAL NAMES 187 
PERSONAL NAMES 
Adair’s remarks on the naming system of the Chickasaw have 
been quoted in my report on the social organization of the Creeks, 
but it will be best to reinsert them, along with some supplementary 
material gathered from other parts of his work. 
“They give their children names expressive of their tempers, outward appear- 
ances, and other various circumstances; a male child they will call Choola, 
‘the fox’; and a female Pakahle, ‘the blossom or flower.’ The father and 
mother of the former are called Choollinggé and Choollishke, ‘the father and 
mother of the fox’; in like manner those of the latter, Pakahlingge and 
Pakahlishke, for Ingge signifies the father and Jshke the mother. In private 
life they are so termed till that child dies, but after that period they are called 
by the name of their next surviving child, or, if they have none, by their own 
name; and it is not known that they ever mention the name of the child x 
is extinct. They only faintly allude to it, saying ‘the one that is dead,’ 
prevent new grief, as they had before mourned the appointed time. They cate 
have no children of their own adopt others and assume their names in the 
manner already mentioned.” 
“When the Indians distinguish themselves in war their names are always 
compounded—drawn from certain roots suitable to their intention and ex- 
pressive of the characters of the persons, so that their names, joined together, 
often convey a clear and distinct idea of several—as of the time and place, 
where the battle was fought, of the number and rank of their captives, and 
the slain. The following is a specimen: One initiating in war titles is called 
Tannip-Abe,® ‘a killer of the enemy’; he who kills a person carrying a kettle 
is crowned Soonak-A be-Tuska;™ the first word signifies a kettle and the last a 
warrior; Minggdshtdbe™ signifies ‘one who killed a very great chieftain,’ 
compounded of Mingo, Ash, and Abe. Pae-Mdshtdbe”™ is one in the way of war 
gradation or below tbe highest in rank, Pae signifying ‘far off. Tishu 
Mashtabe”* is the name of a warrior who kills the war chieftain’s waiter carry- 
ing the beloved ark.” * 
Adair adds a wrong analysis of the name Shulashummastabe,” “ Red shoe 
killer,” known to the whites as Red-shoes. He gives also the names Chetehkabe 
or Chetehkabeshto,* “ You are weary killer,” or “ You are very weary killer”; 
Noabe,” “ one who kills a rambling enemy”; Pas’pharaabe,” “a killer of a long- 
haired person,” i. e., of a Choctaw; and Yanasabe,” “the buffalo-killer,” given 
to one who has killed a distinguished enemy.” He says that the name of the 
turtle dove (i. e., the mourning dove) was also applied to a female child.” 
%®© Adair, Hist. Am. Inds., p. 191. 
1 Tanap, “enemy”; ibi, “to kill.” 
7 Asonak, “kettle’’; abi, “to kill’; tacka, ‘“ warrior.” 
8 Mirko, “ chief’; atsha, “to have” “to keep”; t, “and”; abi, “ to kill.” 
1” Pae from Creek hopai or Chickasaw popakl, see p. 249; ima"sha, ‘“‘to have or keep 
something”; t, “and”; abi, “to kill.” 
* Tishu, “ the war-chief’s waiter’; mashtabe as above. 
1 Adair, op. cit., p. 193. 
™Culuc, “shoe”; humma, “red’’; (ma)stabe=mashtabe, 
73 Tei-, “you”; tikabi, ‘““weary”; icto, “big,” “very.” 
* Nowa, “to walk,” “to ramble”; abi, “to kill.” 
* Parci, ‘hair of head”; falaya, “long”; abi, ‘to kill.’ 
*®Yanasa, “ buffalo”; abi, ‘to kill.” 
™ Adair, op. cit., pp. 192-193. 
28 Tbid., p. 26. 
