Esselen

E1S1S1E1L1E1N1

noun

An indigenous population native to the region of Big Sur on the Central Coast of California.

Similar
Esselen language
Scrabble 7
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Meanings

nounEsselen pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyAn indigenous population native to the region of Big Sur on the Central Coast of California.
proper noun
  1. The language of this people.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe Hokan language spoken by the Esselen

Similar
Esselen language
Broader
HokanHoka

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

The name Esselen "probably derived from the name of a major native village", possibly from the village known as Exse'ein, or the place called Eslenes, the site of the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. The Spanish extended the term to mean the entire linguistic group (Hester 1978:498-499).

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

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Cite this entry
APA

Esselen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Esselen

MLA

“Esselen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Esselen. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Esselen,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Esselen.

Source: Esselen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.