The name Minneapolis is a combination of a Dakota Sioux word for water and the sound of a mysterious prairie creature.
Minneapolis . The name Minneapolis is attributed to Charles Hoag , the city 's first schoolteacher , who combined mni , a Dakota Sioux word for water , and polis , the Greek word for city . Sioux . The Lakota , also called Teton ( Thítȟuŋwaŋ ; possibly `` Dwellers on the prairie '' ) , are the westernmost Sioux , known for their hunting and warrior culture .