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Ir·o·quois

(ĭrə-kwoi′)

n. pl. Iroquois (-kwoi′, -kwoiz′)

1. A member of a Native American confederacy, known as the Iroquois League or the Iroquois Confederacy, inhabiting New York State and originally composed of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca peoples, known as the Five Nations. After 1722 the confederacy was joined by the Tuscaroras to form the Six Nations.

2. Any or all of the languages of the Iroquois. In both senses also called Haudenosaunee.

[French, probably of Algonquian origin.]

Iro·quois′ adj.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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