托福阅读背景知识：美国土著的语言文化

　　托福阅读背景材料：美国土著语言文化

　　Native American languages

　　Before Europeans arrived in North America there were over 300 NativeAmerican languages. Some have now died out, and of the 250 or so remaining manyare spoken only by a few older people. Other languages, like Cherokee, are morewidely spoken. Most Native Americans speak English, some as their first languageand others as their second.

　　Native American languages have added many words to English, though themeaning of a word has often been changed. Teepees are a kind of tent, *wampumbelts were made of beads and since the belts had great value Europeans usedwampum to mean 'money'. Moccasins, a kind of shoe, are today worn by people allover the world. Many Native American words describe the things they name. Forexample, the Asakiwaki tribe's name means 'people of the yellow earth', and theCherokees' name for themselves, Ani-Yun'wiya, means 'the leading people'. Indiannames for Whites included 'people greedily grasping for land'.

　　Many American place names have their roots in Native American languages.*Ohio, for instance, is a Native American name, and the names of many of itstowns and cities, such as Chillicothe and Sandusky, and the lakes Scioto andOlentangy, are of Native American origin.