Iroquois means "real snakes" in Algonquinian. Iroquoian languages were spoken over a vast land, from Ontario to the Carolinas, and from New York to the Great Lakes. The Iroquois or Haudenosaunee had five original languages: Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, and Cayuga. The language of the Tuscarora was added later. Most scholars agreed that there are 6 main languages, while others say there are as many as 16 languages. Are they languages or dialects? The important men learned to speak Mohawk. They did this because Mohawk was the language of the Great Council. All of these languages have similarities. These are two similar words: Ahsenh and Ahsen. They both mean "three". Unfortunately, these languages are dying out. Estimated less than five people speak Tuscarora. Twenty-five hundred people speak Mohawk, and eighty people speak Onondaga.
