Unless otherwise noted, the etymologies are sourced from the Oxford English Dictionary. The orthography used in the source is retained here. If the Algonquian word is not translated, then it has roughly the same meaning as in English. Corrections are welcome.
Jump to: common nouns | ethnonyms | toponyms
Common nouns
babiche < French babiche < Mi’kmaq àpapìj ‘rope, fishing line (dim.)’
caribou < French caribou < Mi’kmaq qaripu (later qalipu), lit. ‘one who clears away snow’
chipmunk < Ojibwe ajidamoonh, lit. ‘one who eats upside-down (dim.)’
hickory clipped from pohickory < Powhatan pawcohiccora
hominy derived from Powhatan uskatahomen /askəhteːhamən/, lit. ‘that which is ground while uncooked’
mackinaw < French michilimackinac < Ojibwe miššilimaahkinaank ‘at the territory of the Mishinimaki’
moccasin < Powhatan mockasins, cf. Massachusett mokussinash (pl.)
moose < Eastern Abenaki mos, cf. Narragansett moòs
muskeg < Cree maske·k
opossum < Powhatan opassom, lit. ‘white dog-like animal’
papoose < unidentified Algonquian language, cf. Narragansett papoòs
pecan < French pacane < Illinois pakani /pakaːni/ ‘nut’
pemmican < Cree pimihkān, lit. ‘what is made as grease’
persimmon < Powhatan pichamins, pushemins
pone < Powhatan apones, appoans, lit. ‘something baked or roasted’
powwow < Narragansett powwaw, Massachusett pauwau ‘Indigenous priest’, lit. ‘one who dreams’
quahog < Narragansett poquaûhock, lit. ‘mollusc with lump (pl.)’
raccoon < Powhatan aroughcun, aroughcoune
sachem < Massachusett sontim /sʌ̃tʲəm/
sagamore < Eastern Abenaki sὰkəmα
skunk < an unidentified Southern New England Algonquian language, cf. Western Abenaki segôgw, Unami šká:kw
squash clipped from Narragansett asquutasquash
squaw < Massachusett squa, ussqua /əskwaːw/ ‘young, unmarried woman’
succotash < Narragansett msiquatash
terrapin derived from Powhatan tōrəp ‘sea turtle’
toboggan < Maliseet-Passamaquoddy ’tapakon, Mi’kmaq tapaqn
tomahawk < Powhatan tamohake, tomahack /təmahaːk/
totem < Ojibwe -doodem ‘one’s totem, clan’, e.g. nindoodem ‘my totem, my clan’
wampum clipped from wampumpeag < Massachusett wampompeage, cf. Caniba Eastern Abenaki wʌ̃pʌ̃pəyak ‘white strings’
wapiti < Shawnee wa:piti, lit. ‘white rump’
wickiup < Meskwaki wîkiyâpi
wigwam < Eastern Abenaki wìkəwαm (cf. Western Abenaki wigwôm, Ojibwe wiigiwaam), lit. ‘where they dwell’
woodchuck < wuchak in an unidentified Southern New England Algonquian language, cf. Narragansett ockqutchaun, Cree ocêk ‘fisher (mammal)’
Ethnonyms
Assiniboine < French < Ojibwe asiniibwaan, lit. ‘stone Sioux’
Chipewyan < Plains Cree cīpwayān, lit. ‘pointed hide’
Eskimo < Spanish, French < Old Innu aïachkimeȣ /ayaškime:w/, Cree ayaskīmēw
Missouri < French < Illinois misso:ri ‘dugout canoe’
Mohawk < Narragansett mohowawog, lit. ‘cannibals’
Nottoway < an unidentified Powhatan word, cf. Ojibwe na·towe· ‘Iroquois’
Sarcee < Blackfoot saaxsííwa, Cree sasīw
Sioux < French < Ojibwe nātowēssiwak, lit. ‘people a bit like Iroquoians’
Winnebago < Meskwaki wi·nepye·ko·ha, lit. ‘person of the dirty water’
Toponyms
[To be added later.]