Tangipahoa, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Sandra McLellan, Aug., 2000

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From Tangipahoa Centenial Book, 1869-1969: 
Donated to the archives by the Tangipahoa Parish Tourist Commission

Tangipahoa

In Louisiana Place-names of Indian Origin, William Read discusses
four interpretations of the word Tangipahoa.  He disagrees with 
Penicaut that it means "white corn," arguing that the Choctaw for
"white corn" is tash haksi.  Likewise, he does not accept Du Pratz's
view that "bled grole" - "parched corn" is the correct translation;
for grole itself is difficult to translate, and the  Indian word
Tangipahoa owns no element which comes from the participle grole.

Dismissing the "white" and "parched corn" theories, Read mentions
two possible interpretations.  Gatschet believes that the name
originates from the Choctaw tanchapi, "cornstalk," "cob," and
ayua or aioa, meaning "gather." Hence he derives "cornstalk
gatherers," a view in concert with that of Halbert, a well-known
student of the Choctaw language.  On the other hand, Bushnell 
contends that the Choctaw translated Tangipahoa as "corn-cob."
For him the word stems from tonche, "corn," and pahoha, perhaps 
meaning "cob" or "inside."  Weakening this view, however, is the
fact that pahoha is not recorded in the present Choctaw dictionary.
Concluding the discussion, Read adds that contemporary Choctaws 
themselves probably do not know the true source of the word.

Of much interest is an interpretation known by the late Mr. Brittain 
B. Purser, father of Mr. J. T. Purser of Hammond.  He said Tangipahoa
possibly means "cob without corn on it," the river being so called
because it is a "river without fish in it."  Although fishing is good 
near the mouth of the river, the upper reaches of it do not inspire
the occupation.  Perhaps the river was named near its source.

In Byington's A Dictionary of the Choctaw Language are the following
interesting entries:

tanchi, n., corn; maize; Indian corn, but not English grain or corn.
tanchi ahoyo, n., a place where corn has been gathered.
tanchi hoyo, v.t., to harvest corn.
tansh afotoha, n. a corn mill.
tansh fotoha, n. ground corn; corn meal.
tansh hilonha, n., a roasting ear.

It seems that most authorities agree that the first element of
Tangipahoa derives from some form of the Choctaw word for "corn"
or "maize"; that the pahoa element is a corruption of some other 
Choctaw word or words, perhaps related to one of the forms in the
foregoing list.  There are undoubtedly other possibilities, hence 
the uncertainty of definite translation.

In a letter from an office of the Illinois Central Railroad, 
Tangipahoa is translated "clear water."  Since the Choctaw dictionary
offers no substantiation for the interpretation, it must be incorrect,
unless Tangipahoa derives from a dialect other than Choctaw.