The state of Illinois was named after the Illinois River. The river was named by French explorer Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle in 1679 after the Indians he found living along the banks.Illinois is the French spelling for the Illinois and Peoria Indian word "iliniwok," meaning men or warriors and perhaps referring to members of the Illinois tribe.
Early in the 1670s, French settlers coined the term Illinois based on an Ottowa dialect of the Ojibwe language word ilinwe-, to describe an individual that resides there as he speaks the regular way. The word came to them from the Miami-Illinois language.See the related link(s) listed below for more information:
Illinois got its name from a tribe called Illiniwek.The state of Illinois was named after the Illinois River. The river was named by French explorer Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle in 1679 after the Indians he found living along the banks. Illinois is the French spelling for the Illinois and Peoria Indian word "iliniwok," meaning men or warriors and perhaps referring to members of the Illinois tribe.The state of Illinois was named after the Illinois River. The river was named by French explorer Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle in 1679 after the Indians he found living along the banks.Illinois is the French spelling for the Illinois and Peoria Indian word "iliniwok," meaning men or warriors and perhaps referring to members of the Illinois tribe.