Yakama

noun

Yak·​a·​ma ˈya-kə-ˌmȯ How to pronounce Yakama (audio)
variants or Yakima
plural Yakama or Yakamas or Yakima or Yakimas
1
: a member of a group of Sahaptin peoples of the lower Yakima River valley, south central Washington
2
: the language of the Yakama people

Examples of Yakama in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Aaron Whitefoot, a local elk hunter and enrolled Yakama tribal member, seemed to be leading the controversy on social media. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2025 Eventually, Loni moved in with Benita's family on the reservation of the Yakama Nation in Washington, where Benita became more than just a cousin. Nick McMillan, NPR, 10 Mar. 2025 The menu changes with the seasons but previous bites have included Yakama sturgeon with celeriac and arugula, Alaskan pink singing scallop en papillote, and sweetbread with leeks and yellow foot mushrooms. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2025 The Yakama Nation’s proposal would seem to exactly fit the bill. ProPublica, 20 Sep. 2024 Aja DeCoteau is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and is the executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025 Washington: Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025 The mountain itself is a place of immense spiritual and cultural importance to the Puyallup, Cowlitz, Muckleshoot, Nisqually and Yakama people, to name just a few. Corbin Reiff, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024 Washington state already allows tolling exemptions for a handful of tribes, including the Nez Perce and Yakama Nation. Carleen Johnson | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

earlier Eyakima, the Yakima River, Yakamas, perhaps from Sahaptin iyakíma, literally, pregnant ones

First Known Use

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Yakama was in 1838

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yakama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Yakama. Accessed 18 Mar. 2025.

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