noun
Common
Miami
meye-A-mee
Miami (noun) means a member of an Algonquian-speaking Indigenous people originally from the Great Lakes region of North America. Example: “The Miami historically lived around present-day Indiana and Ohio.”
noun
1
A member of an Algonquian-speaking Indigenous people originally from the Great Lakes region of North America.
"The Miami historically lived around present-day Indiana and Ohio."
How to use Miami
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe name of both an Indigenous American people and (more commonly known) the Florida city named after them.
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Word forms
- Plural
- Miamis
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The _____ historically lived around present-day Indiana and Ohio.
Etymology
From the tribe's own name for itself, Myaamia, in the Miami-Illinois language.
Synonyms
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Myaamia
Miami tribe
Rhymes for Miami
See all rhymes for Miami →Frequently asked questions
What does “Miami” mean?
The word “Miami” means a member of an Algonquian-speaking Indigenous people originally from the Great Lakes region of North America. In plain terms, the name of both an Indigenous American people and (more commonly known) the Florida city named after them.
How do you pronounce “Miami”?
“Miami” is pronounced meye-A-mee (/maɪˈæmi/ in IPA).
How do you use “Miami” in a sentence?
Here is “Miami” used in a sentence: “The Miami historically lived around present-day Indiana and Ohio.”
What part of speech is “Miami”?
“Miami” is a noun.
Is “Miami” a common word?
“Miami” is a fairly common word in modern English.
Is the city of Miami named after the Miami people?
No. The city of Miami, Florida takes its name from the Miami River and the Mayaimi, a separate Indigenous group who lived near Lake Okeechobee. The Algonquian-speaking Miami people of the Great Lakes are unrelated, though places such as Miami University in Ohio do reflect their historic homeland.
Where did the Miami people originally live?
They lived in the western Great Lakes region, in lands that now form Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, southern Michigan and Wisconsin. The Wabash and Maumee river valleys were especially important to them. Today many descendants belong to the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, following forced removals in the nineteenth century.
What language did the Miami people speak?
They spoke Miami-Illinois, also called Myaamia, an Algonquian language once shared across several related communities. It fell out of everyday use but has been the focus of a dedicated revitalisation effort, notably through the Myaamia Center, so a new generation is learning it again today.
Are the Miami people still here today?
Yes. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is a federally recognised nation, and the Miami Nation of Indiana continues in the tribe's original homeland. Members maintain their culture, government and language-revitalisation programmes, so the Miami are a living people, not only a historical one.
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