Jemez
/ˈhɛmɪz/noun
Jemez is the English and Spanish name for a Towa-speaking Pueblo people, their pueblo in New Mexico, and the surrounding region.
Did you know?Jemez is commonly pronounced “HEM-iz,” reflecting its connection to Hemish, while the community’s own name for itself is Walatowa, often translated as “this is the place.”
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact
Towa
Hemish
“The Indigenous name associated with the Jemez people; precise original lexical meaning is uncertain.”
16th Century
Spanish
Hemez
“An early Spanish rendering of the name of the Pueblo people encountered in the Southwest.”
17th Century
Spanish
Jemez
“The spelling used in Spanish colonial records for the people and their pueblo.”
18th–19th Centuries
Spanish/English
Jemez
“A settled place-name referring to the Pueblo community and the surrounding New Mexico region.”
Modern English
English
Jemez
“A proper name for the Jemez people, Jemez Pueblo, and nearby geographic features.”
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