A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Acoma (Áh-ko-mah). “People of the White Rock”; Keres-speaking village of the western group occupied since prehistoric times.

adobe (a-dÓugh-bay). Thick mud with high clay content; also a sun-baked brick made of clay.

Alameda (alah-mÁy-dah). “Cottonwood Grove”; Spanish-American village.

Albuquerque (al-bu-kÉr-keh). Largest city in New Mexico; named after the Duke of Alburquerque, Viceroy of Mexico.

Antonio de Espejo (day es-pÁy-ho). Leader of the third Spanish expedition into New Mexico in 1583.

arroyo (ah-rÓ-yo). Water course or channel seasonally dry.

awanyu (uh-wan-you). “Plumbed or feathered serpent”; mythological guardian of springs.

B

Bandelier (ban-duh-leÉr). Author of The Delight Makers; student, archÆologist, historian and linguist who spent much time among the Keres. Bandelier lived at the pueblo of Cochiti and was very popular among the Indians.

Bernalillo (bear-nah-lÉe-yoh). Apparently a diminutive of Bernal; founded by Vargas in 1695; present-day Spanish-American village.

bigotes (bee-gÓ-tes). “Whiskers.”

buckskin. The tanned hide of a deer.

C

canyon. A deep valley with high steep slopes.

Canyon del Alamo (del Á-lah-mo). “Cottonwood Canyon.”

Cachiti (kÁ-chee-tee). Keres-speaking village of the sixteenth century; of obscure etymology.

CaÑada de Cochiti (ka-nyÁ-da day kÓ-cha-tee). “Cochiti Canyon.” CaÑada refers to a shallow and wide canyon.

CapulÍn (ka-poo-lÉen). “Chokecherry.” Chokecherry Canyon.

Chaco (chÁ-ko). A canyon in northwestern New Mexico. Chaco Canyon National Monument.

cibola (sÉe-bo-lah). “Buffalo.”

Cochiti. Spanish for Cachiti.

cacique (ka-cee-ke). Chief religious officer in a pueblo. There are usually two town chiefs in each pueblo representing two separate moities either Turquoise or Squash.

Coronado (koro-nÁh-tho). Leader of the first Spanish expedition into New Mexico in 1540.

cronies. Old people; friends; chums.

Cuapa (coo-Áh-pa). Prehistoric village of the Keres-speaking people; meaning unknown.

D

diesmo (diÉz-mo). “Ten percent”; tithe; refers to present-day Water Canyon.

Don Diego de Vargas (don deeÁy-go day vÁr-gas). Leader of the reconquest of New Mexico in 1693 after the Pueblo Rebellion of 1680.

Don Juan de OÑate (hwan day o-ynÁ-te). Leader of the colonizing expedition into New Mexico in 1598.

Don Pedro de Peralta (pÁy-dro day pe-rÁl-tah). Successor to OÑate as Governor of New Mexico in 1610.

E

El Rito de Los Frijoles (el ree-toe day los free-hÓ-lays). “The little river of the beans”; bean creek.

F

Franciscans (fran-cis-cans). Religious order established by Saint Francis of Assisi.

Francisco Sanchez Chamuscado (fran-cÉes-co sÁn-chess chamoos-cÁh-tho). Leader of the second Spanish expedition into New Mexico in 1581.

friar (fryer). Member of a male religious order.

H

Haatze (ha-Áht-say). “Earth”; “World”; a ruin of the Keres southwest of Tyuonyi.

Hanat Cochiti (hÁ-not kÓ-cha-tee). “Cochiti Above”; Potrero Viejo.

Hemes (hÁy-mess). Indian pueblo thirty odd miles west of Bandelier National Monument.

Hernando de Alvarado (er-nÁn-do day al-var-Áh-tho). Captain under Coronado during the expedition of 1540.

I

Isleta (ees-lÁy-tah). “Little Island”; modern Indian village located about thirteen miles south of Albuquerque on the banks of the Rio Grande.

J

Jemez (hÁy-mess). Spanish for Hemes.

K

katsina (cot-sÉe-nah). Supernatural being.

Keres (care-es). Language spoken by the people at Cochiti, Santo Domingo, San Felipe, Santa Ana and Sia; there are also the western Keres villages of Acoma and (historic) Laguna not included here.

kiva (key-vah). Ceremonial chamber; men’s club house.

Kotyiti (cÓat-yi-tee). Of obscure etymology; Old Cochiti; Hanat Cochiti; Potrero Viejo.

L

La Bajada (lah bah-hÁh-tha). “The steep slope”; a hill between Albuquerque and Santa Fe was given this name.

La Cueva Pintada (lah cuÁy-vah peen-tÁh-tha). “The Painted Cave”; located southwest of Tyuonyi in Capulin Canyon.

Los Confiados (los cone-feeÁh-thos). “The Trusting Souls” (people); a mythical town near Cochiti named by the Spanish in 1583.

M

mano (mÁh-no). “Hand”; hand-piece of flat stone for grinding corn.

manta (mÁn-ta). “Dress”; “Blanket.”

Marcos de Nisa (mÁr-kos day nÉe-sah). A Franciscan friar.

mesa (mÁy-sah). Flat-topped high hill or table land.

Mesa Verde (vÉr-they). “Green”; now a National Park in southwestern Colorado.

Mesita Huerfano (may-sÉe-tah weÁr-fa-no). “Orphan Mesa”; Black Mesa.

metate (may-tÁh-tay). Flat stone for grinding corn. Base stone.

moccasins. Heel-less shoe of soft leather worn by Indians,

moiety. A division of a tribe in which the cacique, either Summer or Winter, has charge of the ceremonials during his respective season.

N

Navaho (nÁh-vah-ho). Semi-nomadic Indians living west of the pueblo area.

Navawi (nÁh-vah-wee). “Place of a hunting trap”; “pit-fall gap”; ruined pueblo northeast of Tyuonyi.

neolithic (nee-o-lith-ik). New stone age.

O

olla (Ó-yah). Pottery jar for water.

Otermin (o-ter-mÉen). Governor of New Mexico at the outbreak of the Pueblo Rebellion of 1680.

P

padre (pÁh-dray). Monk or priest.

Pajarito (pah-ha-rÉe-toe). “Little Bird”; Pajarito Plateau.

Pecos (pay-kos). “Place down where the stone is on top”; Indian village east of the Rio Grande.

Perage (pear-Áh-gay). “Small rodent which jumps like a kangaroo”; “place of a species of kangaroo rat”; a ruined pueblo across the Rio Grande from San Ildefonso.

pinto (peen-toe). A type of bean grown by Indians in prehistoric times.

piÑon (pee-ynÓn). Edible seed of pine; pinus edulis.

plaza (plÁh-sah). “Inner court”; area in the center of a town for public gathering.

potrero (po-trÉ-roh). High, narrow mesa-top between canyons.

Potsui’i (pÓte-su-wee-ee). “Gap where the water sinks”; prehistoric pueblo northeast of Tyuonyi.

Pohoge (po-hÓ-gay). “Where the water cuts down through”; Tewa name for San Ildefonso.

prehistoric. Referring to times before the Coronado expedition of 1540.

pueblo (pwÉ-blo). “Village”; “Town.”

Puwige (poo-wÍ-gay). “Where the bottoms of the pottery vessels are wiped or smoothed thin”; ruined pueblo on the floor of Frijoles Canyon; the big community house. Sometimes called Tyuonyi.

Q

Quirex (keer-esh). Province of five Keresan villages on the Rio Grande in 1540.

R

ramada (rah-mÁh-tha). Open flat-roofed porch built of poles and brush; a shelter.

Ramon Vigil Grant (rah-mÓan vee-hÍll). Huge tract of land north of Frijoles Canyon.

Rio Chama (ree-oh chÁ-mah). “Chama River.”

Rio Grande (ree-oh grÁn-day). “Big River.”

S

Sandia (san-dÉea). “Watermelon”; also a modern Tiwa-speaking Indian pueblo twelve miles north of Albuquerque occupied since prehistoric times.

Sangre de Cristo (sÁn-gray day crÉes-to). “Blood of Christ”; refers to a mountain range rising to great heights.

San Felipe (san fay-leÉ-pay). “Saint Phillip”; modern pueblo of the Keres group occupied since prehistoric times.

San Gabriel (san gah-breeÁyl). First capital of New Mexico; in the vicinity of San Juan Pueblo.

San Ildefonso (san ill-day-fÁhn-so). Modern Indian village speaking the Tewa language; twenty miles northwest of Santa Fe on the banks of the Rio Grande.

San Juan (san hwÁn). Modern Indian village speaking the Tewa language; about thirty miles northwest of Santa Fe. Not to be mistaken for the San Juan area in northwestern New Mexico.

Sankawi (sÁng-ka-wee). “Gap of the sharp round cactus”; “place of the round cactus”; prehistoric pueblo northeast of Tyuonyi.

Santa Ana (sÁn-tah ana). Modern Indian village speaking the Keres language.

Santo Domingo (sÁnto do-mÍng-go). Modern Indian village speaking the Keres language.

Shipapolima (she-pa-po-lee-ma). Place where the ZuÑi people entered this world; spiritual entrance to the underworld.

Sia (see-a). Modern Indian village speaking the Keres language; occupied since prehistoric times.

Sipapu (see-pa-poo). Spiritual entrance to the underworld of certain Pueblo Indians; an opening is generally found in the kiva floor and is called Sipapu; similar to Shipapolima.

T

talus (tay-lus). A slope formed at the base of a cliff by material falling from above.

Tanos (tÁh-nos). Applied to various groups of people who inhabited the country east of the Rio Grande south of the San Ildefonso-Tesuque Tewa region.

Tewa (tay-wa). Language spoken by certain Pueblo Indians; they are: San Ildefonso, Nambe, Tesuque, Santa Clara and San Juan.

tewatu (tay-wa-too). “Tewa beans”; pinto beans.

Tiguex (tee-wesh). Province of prehistoric Indian villages on the banks of the Rio Grande between Bernalillo and Albuquerque, a distance of about seventeen miles.

Tiwa (tee-wa). Language spoken by certain groups of Indians; Taos, Picuris, Sandia and Isleta.

Towa (toe-wa). Language spoken by Jemez Indians and by those of Pecos before its abandonment in 1837.

Tshirege (ser-i-gay). “House of the Bird People”; prehistoric pueblo northeast of Tyuonyi.

Tyuonyi (q’own-yee). A word having a signification akin to that of treaty or contract; Frijoles Canyon, Hidden Valley.

V

viejo (veeÁy-ho). “Old”; old man.

viga (vee-gah). “Roof beam.”

Y

Yapashi (yap-a-she). “Sacred Enclosure”; name of pueblo ruin south of Tyuonyi.

yucca (yuc-cuh). Plant with long spiked leaves; commonly known as Spanish bayonet.

Yuqueyunque (you-gay-o-wÍng-gay). Of obscure etymology; “down at the mocking bird place”; province visited by the Spanish in 1540.

Z

ZuÑi (zoo-nee). Indian Pueblo of western New Mexico; only survivor of the Seven Cities of Cibola.

ZuÑian (zoo-nee-un). Linguistic stock of ZuÑi Indians.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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