Some selected place names taken from manuscripts on the Goshute dialect of the Shoshone language. Other name places were listed in these sources than seen here, and not all characters copied over faithfully from text.

Sources: Place and Personal Names of the Gosiute Indians of Utah, by Ralph V. Chamberlin, 1913. The Ethno-Botany of the Gosiute Indians of Utah, by Ralph V. Chamberlin, 1911. And John Wesley Powell’s manuscripts on the Numic peoples of Western North America, 1868-1880, published in Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology no. 14, 1971.

Wasatch Mountains – Pi’-a’-vwa-go-she To’-yap

Great Salt Lake – Pi’a-pa. Big, great water. Tit’-so-pi – bad water.

Ogden River – Pan-su-go-gwa

Weber River – Sho-go’-gwun, o’o-gwa, O’o-ga. From o’pi, wood, and o’gwa, river.

Bear River – Ku-yok’, Ku’i-o-gwa, Ku’i’o’ga, Kwi’o-gwa. From ku’i, a plant, and o’gwa, river. — [Another source, The Ethno-Botany of the Gosiute Indians of Utah, says that this plant is ku’yi’gwa’nup, or Valeriana sylvatica, which was said to kill horses. An arrow poison was said to have been prepared from the root.]

Echo Canyon – A’n’ka-ho-nup. From An’ka-bit, red, and o’nu’pu, ho’nup, hollow.

Parley’s Canyon – An’ka-so-kup. From an’ka-bit, red, and so’kup, earth. Describing the red color of the rocks and soils at the mouth of the canyon.

Sandy, Salt Lake County – Ka’na-ba’ho-nu-pi, or primrose flat.

Fremont Island, Great Salt Lake – Mo’ko’mom-bitc. From the word for owl.

Red Butte Canyon – Mo’ni-wai-ni. “The name refers to an occurrence after a battle, the hands of certain captives having been cut off and hung up at the mouth of this canyon seemingly as a warning against trespass.”

Willow Creek, Tooele County – Nai’ca-wi-o-gu-pi.

Wood’s Cross, Davis County – Pa’win-tso-ga, “Springy or swampy ground.”

Antelope Island, Great Salt Lake – Pa’ri’bi’na – Elk place, elk breeding place.

Bird Island/Hat Island, Great Salt Lake – Pa’u-hna. “Seagull settlement or breeding place.”

Farmington Canyon and Creek – Pi’a-so-ho-gwa. Big cottonwood creek.

Grantsville, Tooele County – Po’ho-bi. Cottonwood, water.

City Creek and Canyon, Salt Lake County – So’ho-gwa, “cottonwood creek.”

Bountiful, Davis County – Si’hi-da-ro-win.

Salt Lake City – Co’kar-ni. Many houses.

Grouse Creek Mountain – Ta’tsi-yu. “Setting star mountain.”

Provo River – Tim’pin-o-gwut; Tim’pin-o-gwa. “Stony river.”

Mill Creek Canyon, Salt Lake County – Tin’go-u-pi. “Rock trap.” “The name is given in reference to the fact that the Gosiute formerly at favorable times surrounded game and drove them down a gorge to a precipice at one side of this canyon over which the frightened animals were caused to leap to their death.”

Kaysville, Davis County – Tu’kai-ho-gwa. “Big wind creek.” In reference to the strong east winds.