Okeechobee
/ˌoʊkiˈtʃoʊbi/noun
A large freshwater lake in south-central Florida.
Did you know?Okeechobee comes from a Native South Florida language, usually traced to Hitchiti/Mikasuki elements meaning “big water,” showing how place names can preserve the oldest memory of a landscape.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian
Muskogean
oki
“water”
Pre-Columbian
Muskogean
chubi / chobee
“big, large”
19th Century
English
Okeechobee
“The established English rendering of the Florida lake name”
Modern English
English
Okeechobee
“The name of Lake Okeechobee and the surrounding region”