Definition

1. Noun:
   • A member of the North American Indian people (related to the Aztecs) of the southwestern United States: "Shoshone" refers to an individual belonging to an Indigenous people historically inhabiting areas of the Great Basin and western United States.
   • The language spoken by the Shoshone (belonging to the Uto-Aztecan family): "Shoshone" also denotes the language traditionally spoken by this people, which is part of the Uto-Aztecan language family.

Usage Examples

• Noun (referring to a person):
  • Sacagawea was a Lemhi Shoshone woman who aided the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
  • The Eastern Shoshone traditionally lived in Wyoming.
• Noun (referring to the language):
  • Fewer people speak Shoshone fluently today.
  • She is studying the grammar of the Shoshone language.

Advanced Usage

• Used attributively: The term "Shoshone" is often used as an adjective to describe things related to the people or their culture.
  • They visited a Shoshone reservation.
  • The museum has a collection of Shoshone artifacts.

Variants and Related Words

• Shoshoni: An alternate spelling for Shoshone.
• Shoshonean (adj): Pertaining to the Shoshone people or the branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family that includes Shoshone.
  • The Shoshonean languages include Comanche and Hopi.

Synonyms

• Indigenous person of the Great Basin: A descriptive synonym when referring to the people.
• Uto-Aztecan language: A categorical synonym when referring to the language family.

Noun

1. the language spoken by the Shoshone (belonging to the Uto-Aztecan family)
2. a member of the North American Indian people (related to the Aztecs) of the southwestern United States