what were indians called before?

Answer 1

The American tribes were called by the names they established. The Europeans named them Indians by mistake thinking they had reached India not the Americas which were named for Amerigo Vespuchi an Italian map maker. Sound confusing ? It's the truth!

Answer 2

Depends on which Indians you're talking about. Indians from India are only Indians, but Indians from the U.S. are Red Indians and were probably called Native Americans before.

Answer 3

By themselves? In every case I know of, their name for themselves translates into "the people". Of course, the invading Europeans all had words and phrases in their own languages to describe Native Americans. In English, of course, it was/is "Indians". In Spanish, "Los Indios". In French - well, I forget. At least the French were courteous enough to recognize there were distinct differences between family or tribal groups and had distinct names for those they encountered. Some of 'em even were adopted by the tribes, as in Gros Ventres, Nez Perce, Tetons (a Sioux tribe)...

Answer 4

Each different language had a word that usually meant the people. In the book and movie Little Big Man, the Cheyenne are referred to as "human beings". In the midwest, the state of Illinois is named for the Illini, which was a word that translates as "the men".
The pattern is probably similar in other groups, they basically had words that meant "us", as opposed to "them".

Some are known to us by the names their enemies called them. The word Sioux means enemy, for instance.

Answer 5

Before What?

Answer 6

Human Beings

Answer 7

They called themselves and eachother by the names they were known. Lakota, cheerokee, shawnee, arapaho, etc.
The Souix got that name from Europians. but there were Hunkpapa and Ooglala nations that were lumped together as Souix. The Chayane had severl names too.
But dont think their world began with the europians. They had languages and cultures of their own way before the Europians got here so they were called whatever they called themselves.

Answer 8

Before Columbus? If we're talking about Native Americans, I'm going to guess they were just called by their individual tribe names.

Answer 9

Do your reading and you'll find that American Indians were often referred to as savages by both European colonizers and the US government.

Answer 10

future indians