I. noun
or Ku·te·nai ˈkü-tə-ˌnā, -ˌnē
( plural -nai or -nais )
Etymology: ultimately from Kootenai ktunaxa, a self-designation of some Canadian Kootenai
Date: 1801
1. : a member of an American Indian people of the Rocky Mountains in both the United States and Canada
2. : the language of the Kootenai people
II. geographical name
or (in Canada) Koo·te·nay ˈkü-tə-ˌnā, -tə-nē
river 407 miles (655 kilometers ) SW Canada & NW United States in British Columbia, Montana, & Idaho flowing through Kootenay Lake (65 miles or 104 kilometers long, in British Columbia) into Columbia River