Chumash Placenames Still Surviving

Over 40 Chumash placenames still survive in Chumash territory, as the names of rivers, creeks, canyons, mountains, towns and even a street. This page lists them. You'll see the Chumash original; the location and the modern equivalent are in boldface. The translation spells out which of the Chumash languages gave rise to the name.
The correspondence between the original Chumash placename and its modern equivalent is seldom exact. They may differ phonetically, of course, and they may not refer to precisely the same locale. For example, asuskwa was originally the name a village or a campsite on the Sisquoc River, while the modern name Sisquoc applies to the river itself.
See the bottom of this page for references to articles on Chumash placenames.

aliswey two sites: a village near Santa Maria, now seen in Rancho Suey and Suey Crossing, as well as a site NE of Los Olivos, seen in Lisque Creek, "in the tarweed" in Purisimeño
anapamu   hill in Santa Barbara, now a street name Anapamu, "ascending place" in Barbareño
anyapax   Anacapa Island, said to mean "mirage, illusion" in Ventureño, with change of spelling due to an early cartographer's error
aqicum   village in Cachuma Canyon, formerly Quichuma, said to mean "a constant sign" in Samala
asaka   village at Zaca Station, "in the bed" in Purisimeño
asuskwa   site on the Sisquoc River, said to mean "stopping place" in Purisimeño
awalay   village on San Antonio Creek, now seen in Cuaslui Creek, E of Los Alamos, meaning uncertain
awhay   village at Ojai, "moon" in Ventureño
cismuhu   site NE of Carpinteria, now seen in Chismahoo Mountain, said to mean "it streams out" in Barbareño
humaliwo   village at Malibu, "where [the surf] sounds" in Ventureño
itiyaq   village on Itias Creek, NW of Gaviota, "the dell" in Purisimeño
kalawaaq   village E of Santa Ynez, now Calabazal Creek, "shell of the turtle" in Samala
kamulus   village at Camulos, "the juniper" in Ventureño
kasmali   village near Casmalia, "it is the last" in Purisimeño
katq   village at Castaic Lake, "the eye, the face" in Ventureño
kayw   village on Calleguas Creek, SW of Simi, "the head" in Ventureño
kuyam   village on Cuyama River, cf. "to rest, wait" in Samala
lompo / olompo   village near Lompoc, said to mean "in the cheeks" or "stagnant water" in Purisimeño
lospe   village S of Point Sal, now Lospe Mountain, near Guadalupe, "the flower" in Purisimeño
matilha   village on Matilija Creek, said to mean "division" in the Ojai dialect of Ventureño
muwu   village at mouth of Mugu Lagoon, "beach" in Ventureño
naxuwi / anaxuwi   village near Nojoqui, NE of Gaviota, "meadow" in Purisimeño
nipumu / onipomo   village at Nipomo, N of Santa Maria, "village" in Obispeño or possibly "at the promontory" in Purisimeño
pismu   village near Pismo Beach, "tar" in Obispeño
saaqtikoy   village at Saticoy, "it is sheltered from the wind" in Ventureño
seqis   Arroyo Sequit, W of Point Dume, "beachworm" in Ventureño
seqpe   village on Sespe Creek, near Camulos, "kneecap" in Ventureño
imiyi   village in Simi Valley, meaning unknown
sitoptopo   village near Ventura, now seen in Topatopa Creek and Topatopa Mountain, "the carrizo patch" in Ventureño
naxalayw   site on upper Santa Ynez River, now seen in Najalayegua, meaning unknown
soms   village near Ojai, now seen in Somis, E of Saticoy, "scrub-oak spring" in Ventureño
stuk   village in Stuke Canyon, E of Santa Ynez, "wooden bowl" in Samala
sumo   village at mouth of Zuma Canyon, said to mean "abundance" in Malibu dialect of Ventureño
swey   village E of Santa Maria, now seen in Suey Crossing and Rancho Suey, "tarweed" in Purisimeño
taapu   village NE of Simi, now seen in Rancho Tapo, meaning unknown
taxiwax   site on Tajiguas Creek, E of Gaviota, "it seeps" in Purisimeneño
takuy   village on Tecuya Creek, also seen in Tecuya Mountain, W of Tejon, perhaps "holding" in Ventureño
teqeq   village in Tequepis Canyon, S of Lake Cachuma, meaning unknown
wasna / awasna   village at Huasna, N of Santa Maria, meaning unknown
wenemu   village at Hueneme, "sleeping place" in Ventureño
xalam   village on Jalama Creek, "bundle" in Purisimeño
xonxoni ata   village near Jonata, "tall oak" in Purisimeño

You can find a listing of over 400 Chumash placenames in
  Chumash Placenames, by Dr. Richard Applegate, in The Journal of California Archaeology, Vol.1, Num. 1, Winter 1974, pages 187–205
  An Index of Chumash Placenames, by Dr. Richard Applegate, in Papers on the Chumash, San Luis Obispo County Archaeological Society occasional paper number nine, 1975

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