Illinois Definition

ĭlə-noi

noun

A member of a confederacy of North American Indian peoples that lived in N Illinois, S Wisconsin, and parts of Iowa and Missouri.

Webster's New World

The Algonquian language of this people.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

pronoun

A state of the United States of America Capital: Springfield. Largest city: Chicago.

Wiktionary

adjective

Of or relating to the Miami-Illinois language.

Wiktionary

Origin of Illinois

French variant of earlier ilinoüek of Algonquian origin perhaps meaning “those who speak normally” and ultimately from Proto-Algonquian elen- regular, ordinary, in Algonquian fashion we·- make sound, speak

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From French adaptation of an Algonquian (perhaps Ojibwe) term ilenweewa, meaning "they speak normally."

From Wiktionary