Talladega Name

From Carol Middleton

TAL-A-Ti-Gi-- Meaning "Border Town". The French Census of 1760 spelled it KA-LA-LE-KIS, and stated that it contained 130 warriors. "It was originally settled from A-BIH-KA, and was no doubt the town in which was fought the Battle of Talladega on November 9th, 1813. The town probably covered a district which bordered on that of the Natchez, hence the name "Border Town". ----from "Historic Tales of Talladega", E. Grace Jemison (1959, self-published)

"The source of this name is Creek 'talwa' [dot over the "a"], town, and 'atigi' [another dot over the "a"], border -- 'Border Town' -- a town indicating its location on the boundary between the lands of the Creek Indians and those of the Natchez.

"The final sylable "-wa" is regularly lost in Creek compound words, as in 'fusachi' [dot over a], bird stream, 'okchanalgi [dot], salt clan, 'opilllako', big swamp, 'pinhoti', turkey home, the first elements being respectively 'fuswa'. bird, okchanwa', salt, 'opilwa', swamp, and 'pinwa', turkey. ---from "Indian Place Names in Alabama", James B. McMillan

 Talladega County

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