minnehaha
minnehaha Lexical Profile
• noun
American A fictional Native American woman who appears as the tragic lover and wife of the titular protagonist in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1855 epic poem 'The Song of Hiawatha'.
"In American literature classes, Minnehaha is frequently analyzed as a complex representation of indigenous women in nineteenth-century romantic poetry."
American A waterfall; most frequently referencing Minnehaha Falls, a notable 53-foot waterfall situated on Minnehaha Creek in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
"During their tour of Minneapolis, the students visited the frozen Minnehaha to study the effects of severe winter temperatures on moving water."
Word Nuance & Usage
Though famously translated as 'laughing water' in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poetry, the original Dakota term translates more accurately to 'waterfall' or 'rapid water'. It is almost exclusively capitalized in modern usage.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the Dakota word 'mníȟaȟa', meaning 'waterfall', which is formed from 'mní' (water) and 'ȟaȟa' (waterfall, curling, or rapid). It was popularized in English by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1855 epic poem 'The Song of Hiawatha'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.