Seattle
/siˈætəl/noun
A city in Washington State, United States, named after the 19th-century Duwamish and Suquamish leader Si’ahl.
Did you know?The spelling “Seattle” is an English approximation of Si’ahl, and the popular claim that it literally means “great friend” is not securely established by surviving linguistic evidence.
Etymological Timeline
Before European contact
Lushootseed
si’áb
“A term associated with a person of high rank or status; often connected with the leader later recorded as Si’ahl.”
19th Century
Lushootseed
Si’ahl
“The personal name of the Duwamish and Suquamish leader known in English as Chief Seattle.”
1850s
English
Seattle
“An Anglicized rendering used for the settlement named after Si’ahl.”
1853
English
Town of Seattle
“The name formally applied to the newly established settlement on Elliott Bay.”
Modern English
English
Seattle
“A major city in Washington State, commonly called the Emerald City.”
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