Omaha Plant Names
Derived from Gilmore, Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Regions, 1977.
The following list of plants used by the Omaha was gathered by Melvin Gilmore (1868–1940) as part of his thesis research at
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1914. Samuel Herley, an Omaha language student (2004–2006), took up the task of entering
Gilmore's list into a computer text format for use in future Omaha language projects. Gilmore's original spellings are preserved,
with minor annotations to reflect the modern Omaha writing system. English glosses are provided where possible.
The computer text file was created by Omaha language student Samuel Herley in 2006. The work was funded by the UNL ITLE program—Initiative
for Teaching and Learning Excellence.
| Omaha Name |
English |
Literal Translation |
| Agthámungi
|
Wild raspberry |
|
| Aóntashi (Makásagi)
|
Blazing Star |
|
| Bashte |
Strawberry |
|
| Bazu-hi |
Lehm |
|
| Buude |
Red Oak |
|
| Duwáduwa-hi |
Soapweed, Spanish Bayonet, Daggerweed |
|
| Ezhon |
Elm tree |
|
| Ezhonska
|
American Elm |
Ezhon
= "Elm tree," Ska = "White"
|
| Ezhonzi
|
Rock Elm |
Ezhon
= "Elm tree," Zi = "Yellow"
|
| Ezhonzhidĕ (Ezhonghtigthidĕ
|
Slippery Elm |
Ezhon
- "Elm tree," Zhide = "Red"
|
| Gonsatho
|
Canadian milkvetch |
Gonsatho
= "Rattle"
|
| Gube |
Hackberry |
|
| Házi |
Sweet winter grape (or basic grape) |
|
| Hinbthiabe
|
Hog peanut |
|
| Hinbthinge
|
French bean |
Hinbthinge = "bean"
|
| Hinbthi-si-tanga
|
Bush vetchling |
Hinbthi
= "bean," si ="seed," tonga = large
|
| Hinde-hi
|
American basswood |
|
| Hthi-wathe-hi |
Poison Ivy |
Hthi = "Sore,"
Wathe = "To make," Hi = "Plant" = "Plant that makes
sore"
|
| Hanuga-hi (Manushiha-hi) |
Stinging nettle |
|
| Hade-bthaska |
Desert biscuit root |
Also called Pezhe bthaska; Pezhe = "Herb," Bthaska =
"Flat"
|
| Hade-sathe |
Violet/yellow wood sorrel |
Hade = "Hay," "herb" or "grass,"
Sathe = "Sour" = "Sour herb"
|
| Hade-zhide |
Muhl |
Hade = "Hay," Zhide = "Red" |
| Ingtha hazi itai
|
Virginia creeper, False grape |
"Ghost grapes" |
| Ingtha hazi itai
|
Moonseed |
|
| Inubthonkithe-sabe-hi
|
Wild Columbine |
|
| Insthogahte-hi
|
Wolfberry or Coralberry |
|
| Izna-kithe-iga-hi (Pezhe-pa
minga)
|
Washtemna |
|
| Kande
|
American plum (wild plum) |
|
| Kiu-mankan |
Pleurisy Root, Butterfly Weed |
|
| Maa-zhon |
Cottonwood |
|
| Maazi |
Cedar |
|
| Mande-idhe-shnaha
|
Horsetail, Scouring Rush, Snakegrass, Joint Rush |
|
| Makan |
Coulter, Peyote |
Makan
= "Medicine"
|
| Makan-bashashonshon |
Prairie Ground Cherry |
Makan
= "Medicine"
|
| Makan-ninida
|
Sweet Flag, Calamus |
Makan
= "Medicine"
|
| Makan-sagi (Aon-tashe)
|
Blazing Star |
Makan
= "Medicine," Sagi = "hard"
|
| Makan-saka (Kiumakan)
|
Pleurisy Root, Butterfly Weed |
Makan
= "Medicine"
|
| Makan-skithe
|
Hops |
Makan
= "Medicine," skithe = "sweet"
|
| Makan-skithe
|
Blue Flag |
|
| Makan-skithe
|
Purple or White Prairie Clover |
|
| Makan-tanga
|
Pilot Weed, Compass Plant, Gum Weed, Rosin We |
Makan
= "Medicine," tanga = "big"
|
| Makan-wasek
|
Wild Four-o'clock |
|
| Makan-zhide
|
Coral bean
(Erythrina flabelliformis)
|
Makan
= "Medicine," zhide = "red"
|
| Makan-zhide sabe
|
China Berry |
|
| Manza-hti-hi(???)
|
Rough Dogwood |
|
| Manzhonka mantanaha
|
Wild Onion |
|
| Minbdihi
|
Smooth Sumac |
|
| Mika-hi (Inshtogahte-hi)
|
Narrow-leaved Purple Cone Flower, Comb Plant |
|
| Mika-hi |
Porcupine Grass, Spanish Needles, Needle Grass |
|
| Mikasi makan |
Jack-in-the-pulpit |
|
| Minigathe-makan-wau
|
Blood Root |
|
| Nanpa Tanga
|
Sand Cherry |
|
| Nanpa Zhinga
|
Chokecherry, Western Chokecherry |
|
| Nanshaman |
Black Haw, Nannyberry |
|
| Nantita
|
Kentucky Coffee-tree |
|
| Naze-ni Pezhe |
Small (literally "milkweed") |
|
| Niashiga Makan |
Wild Gourd |
|
| Ninigahe Zhide |
Red Dogwood, Kinnikinnick |
|
| Nisude-hi |
Meadow Rue |
|
| Nonsi
|
Hickory Nut |
|
| Nu |
Indian Potato |
|
| Nugthe |
Pomme Blanch, Tipsin |
|
| Panhe
|
Jerusalem Artichoke |
|
| Pehe |
Dipper Gourd |
|
| Pezhi Bthasha |
Love Seed |
|
| Pezhe hota |
Wild Sage |
|
| Pezhe-hote Zhinga
|
Little Wild Sage |
|
| Pezhe Piazhi |
Fetid Marigold, Prairie-dog Food |
|
| Pezhe-gasatho |
Spider-bean |
|
| Pezhe-makan |
Wild Verbena |
|
| Pezhe 'Nubthon |
Wild Mint |
|
| Pezhe-pa |
Wild Bergamot, Horsemint (literally "bitter herb") |
|
| Pezhe-pa Minga
|
Washtemna (literally "female bitter herb") |
|
| Pezhe Zonsta
|
Sweet Grass |
|
| Pezhe-zonsta egan |
Sweet Clover |
|
| Pezhe-wasek |
Sticky Head |
|
| Pe-igatush |
Ground Cherry |
|
| Pezi |
Wild Gooseberry |
|
| Pezi nuga |
Wild Black Currant (nuga = "male") |
|
| Sa-hi |
Bulrush |
|
| Saka-thide |
Watermelon |
|
| Shanga makan |
Sweet Cicely |
|
| She |
Crab Apple (or generic Apple) |
|
| Sinie makan |
Plantain |
|
| Sin |
Arrowleaf |
|
| Sinwaninde
|
Wild Rice, Indian Rice |
|
| Tabe-hi |
Red Root, Indian Tea |
|
| Tashka |
Red Oak |
|
| Tashnonga-hi
|
Ash (Fraxinus sp.) |
|
| Taspan |
Red Haw |
|
| Tdika-shonda
|
Buffalo Pea, Ground Plum |
|
| Tdika-shonda Nuga
|
Black Rattle-pod |
|
| Tdage |
Black Walnut |
|
| Te-hun-ton-hi
|
Lead Plant, Shoestrings |
|
| Te-hun-ton-hi Nuga
|
Rabbit Foot |
|
| Tethawe |
Yellow Lotus, Water Chinquapin |
|
| Tezhinga Makan |
Wind Flower |
|
| Thasata-hi |
Fuzzy Weed |
|
| Thihe-sage-hi |
Willow |
|
| Unzhinga
|
Hazelnut |
|
| Wagathashka |
Elderberry |
|
| Wahaba |
Maize, Indian Corn |
|
| Wahabigaskonthe
|
Cat-tail |
|
| Wahaba-hthi |
Corn Smut |
|
| Wantha
|
Milkweed |
|
| Wananha-i-monthin |
Burning Brush |
|
| Watan |
Pumpkin, Squash |
|
| Watangtha
|
Wild Cucumber |
|
| Wathibaba makan |
Long-fruited Anemone |
|
| Wau pezhe |
Fragrant Bedstraw, Lady's Bouquet ("woman's herb" |
Wau = "woman('s)," Pezhe = "herb" |
| Wenu shabethe hi |
Soft Maple |
|
| Wazhide |
Wild Rose |
|
| Zhaba makan |
Cow Parsnip, Beaver Root |
Zhaba = "Beaver," |
| Zhaba ta zhon |
Boxelder |
|
| Zhapa (Makantanga)
|
Pilot Weed, Compass
Plant, Gum Weed, Rosin Weed
|
|
| Zha-sage-zi |
Golden Rod ("hard yellow weed") |
Zha = "Weed"," Sage = "Hard," Zi =
"Yellow"
|
| Zha-tanga
|
Cup-plant, Square-stem, Angle-stem ("big weed") |
Zha = "Weed"," Tónga = "Big"
|
| Zha-zi |
Sunflower ("yellow weed") |
Zha = "Weed," Zi = "Yellow" |
| Zhon-hoji-wazhide
|
Buffalo Berry |
|
| Zhonhoda
|
June Berry, Saskatoon |
|
| Zhon-pahithatha
|
Common Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) |
|
| Zhon-zi-zhu
|
Osage Orange, Bois d'Arc("yellow flesh wood") |
|
| Zhu-nakada-tahga-makan |
Bloe Cohosh ("thunder grapes") |
|
