[Thunderwolf]

Taken in its entirety at request of website: http://www.nativecircle.com/iicIndianWords.html



For most people, English is the language you use every day. But did you know that words which contain one syllable are the only original English or Anglo-Saxon words? All of the rest of the words you use have come from other tongues, including American Indian languages. Indian words for animals were adopted into the English language when Europeans first came to America. They had never seen many of the animals and didn’t have names for them. Therefore, they adopted American Indian names like moose, caribou, raccoon, opossum, chipmunk, chigger, cougar, and jaguar. Explorers and English-speaking settlers also adopted Indian words for plants and trees that were new to them: tobacco, tomato, potato, hickory, pecan, mahogany, maize (corn), squash, avocado, papaya and tapioca are are just some examples. All of these names were adopted from different Indian Nations and different American Indian languages. 'Okay' and 'Blizzard' originated with Indians, as did the word 'Yankee' (which meant English snake). Indian geographical names are even more noticeable. Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Arizona were named by Indians. Some names reflect the tribes which lived in the area, such as the Dakota, Illini, Kansa and Massachuset. In fact, 27 of the 50 states get their names from Indian languages. And over 67% of all street and city names are Indian related! Other names describe the land. 'Minnesota' is Dakota for "waters that reflect the sky," 'Michigan' is an Ojibwe word for "great water," and 'Nebraska' means "flat water" in the Omaha language. Chicago is derived from an Indian word for wild onions.


Many 'English' words are actually Indian words
Canoe Totem Pow-Wow Sachem
Potato Raccoon Wapiti Coyote
Massagua Potlatch Pumpkin Tomato
Chinquapin Chipmunk Hurricane Aztec
Succotash Tupelo Pecan Muskelunge
PersimmonMoccasin Mugwump Tom-Tom Muskeg
Papoose Cayuse Maize Sagamore
Moose Indigo Quinine Mohave
Skunk Chinook Llama Ocelot
Opossum Aleut Bison Banana
CaribouHogan Woodchuck Wampum Pone
Toboggan Kinni-Kinnick Skunk Igloo
Yankee Umiak Tamarack Barbecue
Catalpa Mesquite Cannibal Squirrell
Condor Puccoon Squash Skunk
ConestogoHammock Manitou Pemmican Winnebago
Homing Tamale Kyak
Paw-Paw Teton Tomahawk
Wigwam Chinookan Cocoa
Terrapin Aleutian Sequoia
Stogie Tipi
Punk Thousands More!

27 State names are Indian words

Alaska............................. Great Land

Alabama.......................... Thicket Clearers
Arizona............................ Silver Slabs
Arkansas......................... Down Stream People
Connecticut.................... Upon The Long River
Idaho............................... Sunrise, It Is Morning
Illinois.............................. Men Or Great Men
Indiana............................ Land Of The Indians
Iowa................................ Drowsy People
Kansas............................ People Of The South Wind
Kentucky......................... Hunting Ground
Dakota............................. Related People, Allies
Oregon............................. Beautiful Water
Massachusetts................ Great Hill
Michigan.......................... Great Water
Mississippi....................... Father Of Water
Missouri........................... Long Canoe People
Minnesota........................ Sky Tinted Water
Nebraska......................... Flat Water
New Mexico..................... Aztec God Mexitili
Ohio................................. Beautiful Valley
Oklahoma......................... Land Of The Red Man
Texas............................... Tejas - Allies or friends
Tennessee....................... From Chief Tannassie
Utah................................. Those Who Dwell High Up
Wisconsin......................... Where Waters Gather
Wyoming........................... Great Plain



Written by John Two-Hawks