W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M
55
Exonym and endonym are not common words, and that's a
pity because they are helpful in making sense of our world.
An exonym is a name given to a place or a people by foreign-
ers. An endonym is the people's name for themselves and their
habitations.
A familiar example of exonyms is the words Germany/Ger-
man. ese are the names that English speakers have imposed
on that European country and its people. Deutschland/Deutsch
are endonyms, the names the people call their country and
its inhabitants. More exonym/endonym pairs: Prague/Praha,
Rome/Roma, Naples/Napoli.
e names of many of North America's native peoples have
been exonymmed, sometimes by European colonists; other
times by neighboring groups.
Sioux is the exonym of the people who call themselves
Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota. e Ojibwe name for the people
was Nadowessi, "Little Snake." French-speaking traders plural-
ized the word with the suffix –oux. e result of this linguistic
mash-up renders Nadowessioux, "Little Snakes," which ulti-
mately became Sioux. e people's preferred endonyms, Lakota,
Dakota, Nakota, mean "allies."
e Atsina ("White Clay") people traditionally lived near
the Milk River in southern Saskatchewan and northern Mon-
tana. French traders and trappers gave them the exonym Gros
Ventre ("Big Belly") the misinterpretation of a tribal sign that
drew the fingers across the chest and belly indicating a tattoo-
ing pattern customary among the people.
Cheyenne is the French spelling and pronunciation of a
Dakota word variously translated "little Cree" or "relatives of
the Cree." is exonym supplants the plains dwellers' name for
themselves, Tsistsistas, "the people." e Cheyenne called their
traditional plains homeland Tsiihistano.
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BIG
SKY
From
classical
to
rock,
there's
music
playing
in
our
mountains
all
summer!
Please
join
us
at
one
of
our
signature
summer
events
in
Big
Sky,
where
we've
been
bringing
culture
to
the
community
since
1989.
Check
web
site
for
our
full
2018
schedule!
June 21: Kitchen Dwellers + The Well • June 28: Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal
July 4: Tiny Band + fireworks show • July 5: Mandolin Orange
July 12: Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds • July 19: Polyrhythmics
July 26: Shovels and Rope • July 31: Shakespeare in the Parks • August 2: Cordovas
August 9: The Elders • August 10-12: Big Sky Classical Music FesŽval
August 16: Jeff AusŽn Band + Two Bit Franks • August 23: The Dustbowl
Revival
August 30: Pinky and the Floyd • September 14-16: Mountainfilm on Tour
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