Culture - Who we are
Language
The Seminole Indians have two languages still in use today, neither of which is traditionally written. Muscogee (Creek) and Miccosukee are related but not mutually intelligible. Both languages contain sentence structures and sounds that do not exist in English and are difficult to pronounce using the English language.
With some words the two languages seem to mirror each other; and sometimes the two lingos are uncomparable. For example, the English word bread would be pronounced "tak-la-eek-i" in the Muscogee dialect and "pa-les-tee" in Miccosukee. "Dog" is "ef-fa" in Creek, "ee-fe" in Miccosukee. "Cow" is "wa-ka" in Creek "waa-ke" in Miccosukee.
Many Seminoles are fluent in both languages; some only speak one or the other.
The names of many Florida cities, counties, places, rivers and lakes are taken from Seminole words, both Creek and Miccosukee.
| Miccosukee |
English |
| Apalachicola |
place of the ruling people |
| Chattahoochee |
marked stones |
| Hialeah |
prairie |
| Immokalee |
my camp |
| Miami |
that place |
| Ocala |
spring |
| Palatka |
ferry crossing |
| Yeehaw |
wolf |
| Pahokee |
grassy water |
| Apopka |
potato eating place |
| Okeechobee |
big water |
| Homosassa |
pepper place |
| Thonotosassa |
flint place |
Learn a Few Seminole Words
| Miccosukee |
English |
| ee-cho |
deer |
| ya-laahe |
orange |
| o-pa |
owl |
| hen-le |
squirrel |
| sho-ke |
pig |
| laa-le |
fish |
| yok-che |
turtle |
| chen-te |
snake |
| ke-hay-ke |
hawk |
| nak-ne |
man |
| coo-wah-chobee |
big cat |
| wannke-cha-be |
dragon fly |
| coo-wah-chobee |
big cat |
| Ee-te Yo-ga-hé |
Fire |
| hah-yo-ke |
chickee roof |
| cha-cee |
pumpkin |
| kowechobe |
panther |
| Numpagalaale laknalon |
Flowers are yellow |
| Ko-wah-yah- lot to chené pahén empom |
Three horses are eating hay |