The earliest known written variant of the name that became Tennessee was recorded by Spanish explorer Captain Juan Pardo when he and his men passed through a Native American village named "Tanasqui" in 1567 while traveling inland from modern-day South Carolina. In the early 18th century, British traders encountered a Cherokee town named Tanasi (or "Tanase", in syllabary: ᏔᎾᏏ) in present-day Monroe County, Tennessee. The town was on a river of the same name (now known as the Little Tennessee River) and appears on maps as early as 1725. It is not known whether this was the same town as the one Juan Pardo encountered, but recent research suggests that the "Tanasqui" Pardo recorded was at the confluence of the Pigeon River and the French Broad River, near modern Newport, Tennessee.[1]
Monument near the old site of Tanasi in Monroe County
The precise meaning and origin of the word are still uncertain. Early ethnographerJames Mooney asserted in 1902 that the name "can not be analyzed" and its meaning lost.[2] But more recent research suggests that Cherokees adapted it from an earlier Yuchi word meaning "meeting place".[3][4] The term bears strong resemblance to other place names at river confluences on early maps, including Tahnisee, Tanasqui, Tunnashe, and others, and to the Yuchi term Tana-tsee-dgee, literally "brother-waters-place" or more roughly, "where-the-waters-meet."[5]
The modern spelling, Tennessee, is attributed to James Glen, the governor of South Carolina, who used this spelling in his official correspondence during the 1750s. The spelling was popularized by the publication of Henry Timberlake's Draught of the Cherokee Country in 1765. In 1788, North Carolina created "Tennessee County", the third county to be established in what is now Middle Tennessee (Tennessee County was the predecessor to present-day Montgomery and Robertson counties). When a constitutional convention met in 1796 to organize a new state out of the Southwest Territory, it adopted "Tennessee" as the name of the state.[6]
^McBride, Robert M. (Winter 1971). "Editor's Page". Tennessee Historical Quarterly. 30 (4): 344. JSTOR 42623257. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
^"Tennessee's Name Dates Back To 1567 Spanish Explorer Captain Juan Pardo". Tngenweb.org. January 1, 2005. from the original on January 3, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
^Hackett (Woktela), David. "Who Were the Mysterious Yuchi of Tennessee and the Southeast?". Yuchi.org. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
^Langsdon, Phillip R. (2000). Tennessee: A Political History. Franklin, Tennessee: Hillboro Press. ISBN9781577361251 – via Internet Archive.
February 15, 2024
name, tennessee, earliest, known, written, variant, name, that, became, tennessee, recorded, spanish, explorer, captain, juan, pardo, when, passed, through, native, american, village, named, tanasqui, 1567, while, traveling, inland, from, modern, south, caroli. The earliest known written variant of the name that became Tennessee was recorded by Spanish explorer Captain Juan Pardo when he and his men passed through a Native American village named Tanasqui in 1567 while traveling inland from modern day South Carolina In the early 18th century British traders encountered a Cherokee town named Tanasi or Tanase in syllabary ᏔᎾᏏ in present day Monroe County Tennessee The town was on a river of the same name now known as the Little Tennessee River and appears on maps as early as 1725 It is not known whether this was the same town as the one Juan Pardo encountered but recent research suggests that the Tanasqui Pardo recorded was at the confluence of the Pigeon River and the French Broad River near modern Newport Tennessee 1 Monument near the old site of Tanasi in Monroe CountyThe precise meaning and origin of the word are still uncertain Early ethnographer James Mooney asserted in 1902 that the name can not be analyzed and its meaning lost 2 But more recent research suggests that Cherokees adapted it from an earlier Yuchi word meaning meeting place 3 4 The term bears strong resemblance to other place names at river confluences on early maps including Tahnisee Tanasqui Tunnashe and others and to the Yuchi term Tana tsee dgee literally brother waters place or more roughly where the waters meet 5 The modern spelling Tennessee is attributed to James Glen the governor of South Carolina who used this spelling in his official correspondence during the 1750s The spelling was popularized by the publication of Henry Timberlake s Draught of the Cherokee Country in 1765 In 1788 North Carolina created Tennessee County the third county to be established in what is now Middle Tennessee Tennessee County was the predecessor to present day Montgomery and Robertson counties When a constitutional convention met in 1796 to organize a new state out of the Southwest Territory it adopted Tennessee as the name of the state 6 See also editTrans Appalachia Overmountain Men Kentucky County Virginia Tennessee County North CarolinaReferences edit Hudson Charles M 2005 The Juan Pardo Expeditions Explorations of the Carolinas and Tennessee 1566 1568 Tuscaloosa Alabama University of Alabama Press pp 36 40 ISBN 9780817351908 via Google Books Mooney James 1902 Myths of the Cherokee Washington D C U S Government Printing Office p 534 ISBN 978 0 914875 19 2 via Internet Archive McBride Robert M Winter 1971 Editor s Page Tennessee Historical Quarterly 30 4 344 JSTOR 42623257 Retrieved 23 January 2022 Tennessee s Name Dates Back To 1567 Spanish Explorer Captain Juan Pardo Tngenweb org January 1 2005 Archived from the original on January 3 2011 Retrieved July 31 2010 Hackett Woktela David Who Were the Mysterious Yuchi of Tennessee and the Southeast Yuchi org Retrieved 23 January 2022 Langsdon Phillip R 2000 Tennessee A Political History Franklin Tennessee Hillboro Press ISBN 9781577361251 via Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Name of Tennessee amp oldid 1185682727, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
