Kaskaskia
/ˌkæs.kəˈskiː.ə/noun
A historic town in Illinois and the name of a Native American people and language.
Did you know?Kaskaskia is the name of an Illinois Confederation people, and the place-name was preserved by French explorers rather than translated, so the word itself is a surviving trace of Indigenous history.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Contact / Indigenous era
Native
Kaskaskia
“The name of an Illinois Confederation people and their settlement area in the Mississippi Valley.”
17th Century
French
Kaskaskia
“Adopted by French explorers and missionaries as a place-name for the Native village and mission settlement.”
18th Century
French
Kaskaskia
“Used for the colonial town and mission on the Mississippi River in what is now Illinois.”
19th Century
English
Kaskaskia
“Kept as the historical name of the town and region in American English.”