Where does “Cheyenne” come from?
Cheyenne comes from French Cheyenne, borrowed from Dakota šahíyena, a term of uncertain original meaning.
Cheyenne (English): A member of the Cheyenne people
Definitions
- A member of the Cheyenne people
Ancestry of “Cheyenne”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Cheyenne | Cheyenne |
| 2 | Dakota | šahíyena | — |
| 3 | Dakota | šaia | — |
| 4 | Serbo-Croatian | ša | — |
| 5 | Serbo-Croatian | šta | what |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | čьto | what |
| 7 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | ki | what |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷíd | neuter nominative/accusative singular of *kʷís |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷís | who, what; who, which, that; which, what |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷi- | interrogative base |