Appalachian

[ ap-uh-ley-chuhn, lach-uhn, -ley-chee-uhn, -lach-ee-uhn ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

of or relating to the Appalachian Mountains.
of or relating to the region of Appalachia, its inhabitants, or their culture.
Geology. of or relating to the orogeny and accompanying intrusion that occurred in eastern North America during the Pennsylvanian and Permian periods.

noun

a native or inhabitant of Appalachia, especially one of predominantly Scotch-Irish, English, or German ancestry who exemplifies the characteristic cultural traditions of this region.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of Appalachian¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from Spanish Apalchen, Apalachen, perhaps from Apalachee (an extinct Muskogean language) abalahci “other side of the river” or from Hitchiti (an extinct Muskogean language) apalwahči “dwelling on one side”; the Spanish transcription of the name of a Muskogean village near Tallahassee in the Florida panhandle, recorded on the expedition led by Pánfilo de Narváez (1478?–1528), later altered by the Spanish to Apalachee and applied to the Indian tribe, the surrounding area and the hinterland north to the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains

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Example Sentences

Reading the Encyclopedia Brittanica while walking the Appalachian Trail!

From The Daily Beast

Rep. Mark Sanford, the Appalachian trail-hopping ex-governor who now represents the city in Congress, spent the day in Washington.

From The Daily Beast

At 19, she hiked the Appalachian Trail with friends and went to work on a cattle ranch in Texas.

From The Daily Beast

To have something like that come out of a small Appalachian town and go somewhere so different is just fantastic.

From The Daily Beast

With his campaign in turmoil, the former governor might be itching to hit the Appalachian Trail again.

From The Daily Beast

The Appalachian Ridge consists primarily of a narrow strip of land thirty-five to one hundred miles wide.

From Project Gutenberg

I am glad to hear you applaud the proposition for the Appalachian and White Mountain forests—we need them (applause).

From Project Gutenberg

The Blue Ridge is the most easterly range of the Appalachian mountain system.

From Project Gutenberg

The Appalachian range trends southwesterly and its influence upon the expansion of the colonies is most significant.

From Project Gutenberg

The eastern part of this valley is hilly, and rapidly acclivous towards the Appalachian mountains.

From Project Gutenberg

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April 18, 2024petrichor

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Appalachia Appalachian dulcimer

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