clackamas
clackamas Lexical Profile
• noun
American A tributary river, approximately 83 miles long, flowing through northwestern Oregon into the Willamette River, which also gives its name to the surrounding county.
American A Native American tribe traditionally inhabiting the Willamette Valley of present-day Oregon, culturally and linguistically related to the Chinookan peoples.
"The Clackamas were skilled fishers and traders who built villages along the rivers of the Pacific Northwest."
American The extinct Upper Chinookan language formerly spoken by the Clackamas people in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.
"Linguistic anthropologists have studied historical texts and preserved oral histories to understand the syntax of Clackamas."
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the indigenous Upper Chinookan word 'ɬáq'imaš', the self-designation of the Native American tribe residing in the Willamette Valley.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.