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You are here: Home / History / What did the Native American Indian word “how” mean?

What did the Native American Indian word “how” mean?

February 26, 2020 by Karen Hill

No the Native American Indian word “how” did not mean hello, but good guess.

You’re not far off from what it’s come to mean for most American movie watchers. “How,” or something sounding similar, came from the language of the Sioux tribe.

The word was used at the beginning of their sentences in the same way we would say, “Well,” and then trounce off into a thought.

Settlers may have misinterpreted and thought they were saying “hello.” Or even, “How are ya?”

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Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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