Gourt Home::Gourt :: List of English words of Algonquian origin
Words of Algonquian origin have entered American English and thence have been exported to the English language in general and many European languages. Most of these words are the common names for indigenous flora and fauna, or describe items of Native American life and culture.
In addition, a great number of place names in North America are Algonquian names, for example: Mississippi (cf. Illinois mihcisiipiiwi and Ojibwe misiziibi, "great river," referring to the Mississippi River) and Michigan (cf. Illinois meehcakamiwi, Ojibwe Mishigami, "great sea," referring to Lake Michigan).
Some non-place name words include:
- Caribou - From Mi'kmaq kalipu
- Caucus - Possibly from Powhatan caucauasu, "counselor"
- Chipmunk - Originally "chitmunk," from Odawa jidmoonh (c.f. Ojibwe ajidamoo(nh)), "red squirrel"
- Hickory - From Powhatan pawcohiccora
- Hominy - From Powhatan
- Eskimo - From Montagnais âyaskyimêw, meaning "snowshoe-netter" (often incorrectly claimed to be from an Ojibwe word meaning "eaters of raw meat")
- Moccasin - From an Algonquian language (c.f. Ojibwe makizin, Mi'kmaq m’kusun, Powhatan makasin), "shoe"
- Moose - From an Algonquian language (c.f. Narragansett moos, Abenaki mos, Ojibwe mooz)
- Mugwump - From the Natick dialect of Massachusett mugguomp, "war chief, important person"
- Muskellunge - Ultimately from Ojibwe maashkinoozhe, "ugly pike"
- Muskrat - By analogy with "musk" and "rat," from Powhatan muscascus
- Opossum - From Powhatan apasum, "white animal"
- Papoose - From Narragansett papoos, "child"
- Pecan - From an Algonquian language (c.f. Illinois pakani, Ojibwe bagaan), "nut"
- Pemmican - From Cree pimihkân
- Persimmon - From Powhatan pasimenan, "dried fruit"
- Pone - From Powhatan apan
- Powwow - From Narragansett powwaw, "shaman"
- Quahog - From Narragansett poquaûhock
- Raccoon - From Powhatan arahkun
- Sachem - From Narragansett sâchim
- Skunk - From Massachusett squunck
- Squash (fruit) - From Narragansett askútasquash
- Squaw - From Massachusett squa (c.f. Cree skwe, Ojibwe ikwe), "woman"
- Succotash - From Narragansett msíckquatash
- Tamarack, a Canadian larch.
- Terrapin - Originally "torope," from an Algonquian language
- Tomahawk (axe) - From Powhatan tamahaac
- Toboggan - From Mi'kmaq tobakan
- Totem - From Ojibwe odoodeman, "his totem," referring to a kin group
- Tullibee - From Ojibwe odoonibii
- Wampum - Also "wampumpeag," from an Algonquian language
- Wapiti (elk) - From Shawnee waapiti, "white rump"
- Wickiup - From Fox wiikiyaapi
- Wigwam - From Abenaki wigwam or wikiwam
- Woodchuck - Either from Cree ocêk(?) or Ojibwe ojiig, "marten, fisher," or a Massachusetts Algonquian language; by analogy with "wood" and "chuck"
References
- Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. New York: Oxford University Press.
External links
"List of English words of Algonquian origin"