What does Chautauqua mean?

It is speculated that “Chautauqua” (SHəˈtôkwə) means “bag tied in the middle,” “place where fish are taken out,” or “two moccasins tied together.” The reason for the ambiguity is that the name comes from the now-extinct Erie language. The local lore favors “bag tied in the middle,” a reference to the unique shape of Chautauqua Lake, a south and north basin that come nearly together at the halfway point, where the Village of Bemus Point is located and the I-86 Chautauqua County Veterans Memorial Bridge.