sequoia

Where does the word "sequoia" come from? It comes from Cherokee Sequoyah, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Sequoia’s story begins in Cherokee: Sequoyah meant “a Cherokee leader's name.” Named after the Cherokee scholar who created the Cherokee syllabary. It reached English by 1800s as sequoia. Botanists named the giant redwood tree genus in his honor. Today, sequoia means a very large evergreen redwood tree native to California.

1. Stage 1 · Cherokee · 1800s Sequoyah "a Cherokee leader's name", named after the Cherokee scholar who created the Cherokee syllabary.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s sequoia "a giant redwood tree", botanists named the giant redwood tree genus in his honor.