Etymologies of English ethnonyms for Algonquian peoples

Will Oxford, 21 June 2023 | how to cite | home

Unless otherwise noted, the etymologies are sourced from the Oxford English Dictionary. Corrections are welcome.

Abenaki < French < Old Innu < Eastern Abenaki wαpánahki, lit. ‘dawn land’ (autonym)

Algonquin < 1600s French Algoumequin, possibly from Maliseet [ɛlægómogwik] ‘they are our relatives, allies’ (Day 1972)

Cheyenne < French < Dakota Šahi′yena

Chippewa < Ojibwe očipweː (autonym)

Cree < French < Old Algonquin kirištinō

Illinois < French < Illinois irenȣeȣa /irenweːwa/, lit. ‘s/he speaks the ordinary language’

Mahican < Munsee màːhíːkan < Mahican muhheakunneuw (autonym)

Maliseet < French < Mi’kmaq maliːsit, lit. ‘one who speaks poorly or incomprehensibly’

Massachusett < Massachusett Massachusêuck (autonym)

Menominee < Ojibwe manoːminiː ‘people of wild rice’

Meskwaki < Meskwaki meškwahkiːha ‘red earth person’ (autonym)

Mi’kmaq < French < Mi’kmaq miːkmaq ‘allies’ (autonym)

Miami < French < Illinois miamioua /myaːmiːwa/ ‘person from downstream’

Mohegan < Mohegan moyahegan, moya[u]hegunnewog ‘people of Mohegan’ (or ‘people of the hill-fort’, proposed by Ives Goddard in a presentation at the 46th Algonquian Conference)

Munsee < Munsee mə́n’siːw ‘person of Minisink Island’

Nanticoke < Powhatan Nautaquake, cf. Munsee wənéhtkoːw ‘Nanticoke person’

Naskapi < French < Innu unaskaːhpiːw

Ojibwe < Ojibwe očipweː (autonym)

Ottawa/Odawa < French outaouan < Ojibwe otaːwaː (autonym)

Passamaquoddy < Maliseet-Passamaquoddy pestəmohkatíyək, lit. ‘people from the place where pollock are plentiful’

Penobscot < Penobscot pɑnáwɑhpskek ‘where the rocks open out’

Peoria < French < Illinois peȣareȣa /peːwaːreːwa, peːwaːria/

Pequot < Narragansett pequttôog, perhaps lit. ‘people of the shoals’

Potawatomi < Ojibwe poːteːwaːtamiː

Sauk < French < Ojibwe osaːkiː, cf. Sauk asaːkiːwa ‘person of the outlet’

Shawnee < Munsee šawanow < Shawnee šawanoki ‘people of the south’