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Glite Dictionary
League of Iroquois

League of Iroquois

8.5
A group of five Iroquois tribes in eastern North America that formed a political alliance and later added a sixth
  • proper noun
  • /liːɡ əv ˈɪrəkwɔɪ/
translation icon : Liga de Iroquois
  • The political system of the League of Iroquois inspired aspects of American democracy.

Examples

  • The League of Iroquois was formed to promote peace among the tribes.

  • The League of Iroquois played a central role in the colonial history of North America.

  • Historians often study the structure of the League of Iroquois to understand Indigenous governance.

  • Did the League of Iroquois influence American democracy?

  • Historians often study the structure of the League of Iroquois to understand Indigenous governance.

  • The League of Iroquois played a central role in the colonial history of North America.

  • The political system of the League of Iroquois inspired aspects of American democracy.

Synonyms

Haudenosaunee
vsLeague of Iroquois
5 9.9

A group of Indigenous nations in northeastern North America

is the English-language equivalent commonly used in history writing
Iroquois League
vsLeague of Iroquois
8.6

A group of Native American tribes in northeastern North America that joined together

is the standard alternative name for that same confederation
Six Nations
vsLeague of Iroquois
7.4

A group of six Native American tribes including Mohawk and Oneida

is the same group but named without stressing the later addition
Five Nations
vsLeague of Iroquois
8.2

A group of five Iroquois tribes in northeastern North America that make rules and fight together when needed

is the broader name that also accepts the later sixth member

Surface Forms

League of Iroquois main

Morphology

league + of + Iroquois

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'league' (an organized alliance) with 'Iroquois' (the named people); a B1 learner who knows both words will understand this refers to an alliance or confederation of the Iroquois tribes. The 'X of Y' naming pattern is literal and cross-linguistically common, so no idiomatic knowledge is needed.

Etymology

League of Iroquois comes from a story about several Iroquois nations joining together for peace. One popular story says the leaders put their weapons under a 'tree of peace' and met in a shared council or longhouse, so the name came to mean a united group of nations that make rules and protect each other.