ies , ▁it ▁is ▁often ▁said ▁that ▁Ch ick am aug a ▁is ▁a ▁Ch ero kee ▁word ▁meaning ▁" river ▁of ▁death ". ▁Peter ▁C oz z ens , ▁author ▁of ▁what ▁is ▁arg u ably ▁the ▁definit ive ▁book ▁on ▁the ▁battle , ▁This ▁Ter rible ▁Sound , ▁wrote ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁a ▁" lo ose ▁translation ". ▁Gl enn ▁T ucker ▁presents ▁the ▁transl ations ▁of ▁" st agn ant ▁water " ▁( from ▁the ▁" lower ▁Ch ero kee ▁tongue "), ▁" good ▁country " ▁( from ▁the ▁Ch ick as aw ) ▁and ▁" river ▁of ▁death " ▁( dia lect ▁of ▁the ▁" up country ▁Ch ero kee "). ▁T ucker ▁claims ▁that ▁the ▁" river ▁of ▁death " ▁came ▁by ▁its ▁name ▁not ▁from ▁early ▁war fare , ▁but ▁from ▁the ▁location ▁that ▁the ▁Ch ero kee ▁contract ed ▁small po x . ▁James ▁Mo oney , ▁in ▁M yth s ▁of ▁the ▁Ch ero kee , ▁wrote ▁that ▁Ch ick am aug a ▁is ▁the ▁more ▁common ▁sp elling ▁for ▁Ts ï k ä ma ' g ï , ▁a ▁name ▁that ▁" has ▁no ▁meaning ▁in ▁their ▁language " ▁and ▁is ▁possibly ▁" der ived ▁from ▁an ▁Alg on qu ian ▁word ▁referring ▁to ▁a ▁fish ing ▁or ▁fish - spe aring ▁place ... ▁if ▁not ▁Shaw ano ▁it ▁is ▁probably ▁from ▁the ▁Creek ▁or ▁Ch ick as aw ." ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁pla us ible ▁et ym ology ▁for ▁Ch ick am aug