What the Definition of "Ohio" Really Means
The Word "Ohio"
The word "Ohio," which comes directly from the Iroquoian language, does not mean beautiful, as is widely believed, but means great. True, the French called the Ohio "Le Belle Riviere" or "Beautiful River," but they borrowed no such name from the Indians; it was their own name for the stream. In Wyandot and Seneca, it is O-HE-ZHU; In Mohawk and Cayuga it is O-HE-YO, and in Oneida, it is O-HE - all of which means great, not beaut