kooyah

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Shoshone kuya (“tobacco root, Valeriana edulis”).

Noun

kooyah (uncountable)

1. (US, Great Basin and Northwestern dialects) Valeriana edulis, or the large, internally bright yellow, edible root of this plant, which tastes and smells like tobacco until cooked, when it becomes sweet.

Synonyms

• tobaccoroot, edible valerian