Degal gunʻyi—a cairn, literally “where they are piled up”; a series of cairns on the south side of Cheowa river, in Graham county, N. C.
Deʻgataʻga—The Cherokee name of General Stamd Watie and of a prominent early western chief known to the whites as Takatoka. The word is derived from tsitaʻga, “I am standing,” da nitaʻga “they are standing together,” and conveys the subtle meaning of two persons standing together and so closely united in sympathy as to form but one human body.
Deʻgayelunʻha—see Datsuʻnalagunʻyi.
detsanunʻli—an enclosure or piece of level ground cleared for ceremonial purposes; applied more particularly to the green-corn dance ground. The word has a plural form, but cannot be certainly analyzed.
Deʻtsata—a Cherokee sprite.
detsinuʻlahunguʻ—“I tried, but failed.”
Didalaskiʻyi—“Showering place.” In the story (number 17) the name is understood to mean “the place where it rains fire.” It signifies literally, however, the place where it showers, or comes down, and lodges upon something animate and has no definite reference to fire (atsiʻla) or rain (afaska, “it is raining”); degalaskuʻ, “they are showering down and lodging upon him.”
Didaʻskastiʻyi—“where they were afraid of each other,” a spot on Little Tennessee river, near the mouth of Alarka creek, in Swain county, N. C.
digaʻgwaniʻ—the mud-hen or didapper. The name is plural form and implies “lame,” or “crippled in the legs” (cf. detsiʻnigwaʻna, “I am kneeling”), probably from the bouncing motion of the bird when in the water. It is also the name of a dance.
Digaʻkatiʻyi—see Gakatiʻyi.