Word originated in america

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Searching for examples of English words that evolved in the New World? Have a look at this list of such terms. In this collection of terms you’ll find English words that originated in America.

English has evolved significantly since migrating to the United States. From New York, to Kansas, to California, new words have developed, including many borrowed from Native American peoples.

Word Origin
abalone From Rumsen aulon.
achiote From Nahuatl āchiotl.
agouti From Tupi akutí.
alpaca From Aymara allpaqa.
anole From Dominica Island Carib anáoli.
apishamore From Ojibwa apishamon.
atamasco lily From Virginia Algonquian attamusco.
atlatl From Nahuatl ahtlatl.
atole From Nahuatl atolli.
avocado From Nahuatl āhuacatl.
axolotl From Nahuatl āxōlōtl.
ayahuasca From Quechua ayawaska.
barbecue From American Spanish barbacoa.
cacao From Nahuatl cacahuatl.
cachua From American Spanish cachúa.
cacique From Taino.
caiman From Carib acayuman.
cannibal From Taino caniba.
capybara From Tupi kapiʔiwara.
caribou From Micmac γalipu.
cashew From Tupi akajú.
cassava From Taino caçábi.
catalpa From Creek katáłpa.
cayenne From Tupi kyinha.
cenote From Yucatec ts’onot.
chayote From Nahuatl chayohtli.
cheechako From Nootka čokʷa·.
chia From Nahuatl chía.
chicha From Cuna chichah.
chicle From Nahautl tzictli.
chili From Nahuatl chīlli.
chinquapin From Virginia Algonquian chechinquamin.
chipmunk From Ojibwa ačitamo·nʔ.
chipotle From Nahuatl *chīlpōctli.
chocolate From Nahuatl chocolātl.
chuckwalla From Cahuilla čáxwal.
chuño From Quechua ch’úñu.
cisco From Canadian French ciscoette.
coca From Quechua kuka.
condor From Quechua kuntur.
coontie From Creek kontí·.
copal From Nahuatl copalli.
coyote From Nahuatl coyōtl.
coypu From Mapuche coipu.
degu From Mapudungun deuñ.
dory From Miskito dóri.
epazote From Nahuatl epazōtl.
eulachon From Chinook Jargon ulâkân.
geoduck From Lushootseed gʷídəq.
guacamole From Nahuatl āhuacamōlli.
guan From Kuna kwama.
guanaco From Quechua wanaku.
guano From Quechua wanu.
guava From Taino guayavá.
hammock From Taino, via Spanish hamaca.
hickory From Virginia Algonquian pawcohiccora.
hoatzin From Nahuatl huāctzin.
hogan From Navajo hooghan.
hurricane From Taino hurakán.
husky From Cree aškime·w.
igloo From Inuit iglu.
iguana From Arawak iwana.
Inca From Quechua inka.
jaguar From Tupi jawára.
jaguarundi From Old Guarani yaguarundi.
jerky From Quechua ch’arki.
jicama From Nahuatl xīcamatl.
kachina From Hopi qacína.
kayak From Inuit qayaq.
kinkajou From Algonquian, via French quincajou.
kiva From Hopi kíva.
kokanee From Shuswap kəknǽxʷ.
lagniappe From American Spanish la ñapa.
llama From Quechua.
macana From Taino.
maize From Taino mahiz.
malamute From Inupiat malimiut.
manioc From Tupi maniʔóka.
maraca From Tupi maraká.
mesquite From Nahuatl mizquitl.
moccasin From Virginia Algonquian mockasin.
moose From Algonquian.
mugwump From Massachusett mugquomp.
mukluk From Yupik maklak.
muskeg From Cree maske·k
muskellunge From Ojibwa ma·skino·še·.
nopal From Nahuatl nohpalli.
ocelot From Nahuatl ōcēlōtl.
opossum From Algonquian aposoum.
pampa From Quechua.
papaya From Arawak papáia.
pecan From Illinois pakani.
pemmican From Cree pimihka·n.
persimmon From Virginia Algonquian pessemmin.
petunia From Tupi petɨ́ma.
peyote From Nahuatl peyotl.
piki From Hopi píki.
pinole From Nahuatl pinolli.
pipsissewa From Eastern Abenaki kpi-pskwáhsawe.
piranha From Tupi pirã́ja.
pogonip From Shoshone paγɨnappɨh.
poncho From Mapuche, via American Spanish.
pone From Virginia Algonquian appone.
potato From Taino, via Spanish batata.
potlatch From Nootka p̓aƛp̓ač.
powwow From Narragansett powwaw or Massachusett pauwau.
puccoon From Virginia Algonquian poughkone.
puma From Quechua.
punkie From Delaware (Munsee) pónkwəs.
quahog From Narragansett poquaûhock.
quetzal From Nahuatl quetzalli.
quinine From Quechua kina, via Spanish quina.
quinoa From Quechua kinua.
raccoon From Virginia Algonquian raugroughcun.
sachem From Narragansett sâchim.
sagamore From Eastern Abenaki sὰkəmα.
saguaro From Mexican Spanish.
salal From Lower Chinook sálal.
sapodilla From Nahuatl tzapotl.
sapota From Nahuatl tzapotl.
savanna From Taino zabana.
seriema From Tupi çariama.
skookum From Chehalis skukm.
skunk From Algonquian *šeka·kwa.
sockeye From North Straits Salish sə́qəy̓.
soroche From Quechua surúchi.
sotol From Nahuatl zōtōlin.
squash From Narragansett askútasquash.
succotash From Narragansett msíckquatash.
tamale From Nahuatl tamalli.
tapioca From Tupi tɨpɨʔóka.
tapir From Tupi tapiʔíra.
tequila From Tequila, a Mexican town.
terrapin From Virginia Algonquian *to·rəpe·w.
tepee From Dakota thípi.
tobacco From Spanish tabaco, probably from Taino.
toboggan From Algonquian, via Canadian French tobogan.
tomahawk From Virginia Algonquian tomahack.
tomato From Nahuatl tomatl.
totem From Ojibwa oto·te·man.
toucan From Tupi tukána.
tuckahoe From Virginia Algonquian tockawhoughe.
tule From Nahuatl tōllin.
tullibee Probably from Cree otonabi, via Canadian French toulibi.
vicuña From Quechua wik’uña.
wampum From Narraganset wampompeag.
wanigan From Ojibwa wa·nikka·n.
wapatoo From Cree wāpatowa.
wapiti From Shawnee wa·piti.
wickiup From Fox (an Algonquian language) wi·kiya·pi.
wigwam From Eastern Abenaki wìkəwαm.
yaupon From Catawba yą́pą.
yuca From Taino yuca.

Источник

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of English language words borrowed from indigenous languages of the Americas, either directly or through intermediate European languages such as Spanish or French. It does not cover names of ethnic groups or place names derived from indigenous languages.

Most words of Native American/First Nations language origin are the common names for indigenous flora and fauna, or describe items of Native American or First Nations life and culture. Some few are names applied in honor of Native Americans or First Nations peoples or due to a vague similarity to the original object of the word. For instance, sequoias are named in honor of the Cherokee leader Sequoyah, who lived 2,000 miles (3200 km) east of that tree’s range, while the kinkajou of South America was given a name from the unrelated North American wolverine.

Words from Algonquian languages[edit]

Since Native Americans and First Nations peoples speaking a language of the Algonquian group were generally the first to meet English explorers and settlers along the Eastern Seaboard, many words from these languages made their way into English.

In addition, many place names in North America are of Algonquian origin, for example: Mississippi (cf. Miami-Illinois: mihsisiipiiwi and Ojibwe: misiziibi, «great river,» referring to the Mississippi River)[1][2] and Michigan (cf. Miami-Illinois: meehcakamiwi, Ojibwe: Mishigami, «great sea,» referring to Lake Michigan).[2][3] Canadian provinces and U.S. states, districts, counties and municipalities bear Algonquian names, such as Québec, Ottawa, Saskatchewan, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Naugatuck, Connecticut, Wyoming, District of Keewatin, Outagamie County, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois, or Algonquian-derived names, such as Algoma.

Furthermore, some indigenous peoples of the Americas groups are known better by their Algonquian exonyms, rather than by their endonym, such as the Eskimo (see below), Winnebago (perhaps from Potawatomi: winpyéko, lit. ‘(people of the) dirty water’),[4] Sioux (ultimately from Ottawa: naadowesiwag),[4] Assiniboine (Ojibwe: asiniibwaan, lit. ‘stone Sioux’)[2] and Chipewyan (Cree: čīpwayān, lit. ‘(those who have) pointed skins or hides’).[5]

Apishamore (definition)
From a word in an Algonquian language meaning «something to lie down upon»[6] (c.f. Ojibwe apishimon).[2]
Atamasco lily (definition)
Earlier «attamusca», from Powhatan.[7][8]
Babiche (definition)
From Míkmaq ápapíj (from ápapi, «cord, thread», Proto-Algonquian *aʔrapa·pyi, from *aʔrapy-, «net» + *-a·by-, «string».[9]
Caribou (definition)
From Míkmaq qalipu, «snow-shoveler» (from qalipi, «shovel snow», Proto-Algonquian *maka·ripi-).[10]
Caucus (definition)
The etymology is disputed: two possible sources are an Algonquian word for «counsel», ‘cau´-cau-as´u’; or the Algonquian cawaassough, meaning an advisor, talker, or orator.[11]
Chinkapin (definition)
From Powhatan chechinquamins,[12] reconstituted as */t͡ʃiːht͡ʃiːnkweːmins/, the plural form.[13]
Chipmunk (definition)
Originally «chitmunk,» from Odawa jidmoonh[14] /t͡ʃɪtmő/ (c.f. Ojibwe ajidamoo(nh)),[2] «American red squirrel».
Cisco (definition)
Originally «siscowet,» from Ojibwe language bemidewiskaawed «greasy-bodied [fish]».[15]
Eskimo (definition)
From Old Montagnais aiachkimeou ([aːjast͡ʃimeːw]; modern ayassimēw), meaning «snowshoe-netter» (often incorrectly claimed to be from an Ojibwe word meaning «eaters of raw [meat]»), and originally used to refer to the Mikmaq.[16][17]
Hackmatack (definition)
From an Algonquian language akemantak (c.f. Ojibwe aagimaandag), «snowshoe boughs».[citation needed]
Hickory (definition)
From Powhatan <pocohiquara>, «milky drink made with hickory nuts».[18][19]
Hominy (definition)
From Powhatan <uskatahomen>/<usketchaumun>, literally «that which is treated», in this case «that which is ground/beaten».[20]
Husky (definition)
Ultimately from a variant form of the word «Eskimo» (see above).[21]
Kinkajou (definition)
From an Algonquian word meaning «wolverine» (c.f. Algonquin kwingwaage, Ojibwe gwiingwa’aage),[2] through French quincajou.[22]
Kinnikinnick (definition)
From Unami Delaware /kələkːəˈnikːan/, «mixture» (c.f. Ojibwe giniginige «to mix something animate with something inanimate»),[2] from Proto-Algonquian *kereken-, «mix (it) with something different by hand».[23]
Mackinaw (definition)
From michilmackinac, from Menomini mishilimaqkināhkw, «be large like a snapping turtle»,[citation needed] or from Ojibwe mishi-makinaak, «large snapping turtle» with French -ile-, «island».[citation needed]
Moccasin (definition)
From an Algonquian language, perhaps Powhatan <mockasin>,[24] reconstituted as */mahkesen/[25](c.f. Ojibwe makizin,[2] Míkmaq mɨkusun,[26] from Proto-Algonquian *maxkeseni).[27]
Moose (definition)
From Eastern Abenaki moz, reinforced by cognates from other Algonquian languages[28][29] (e.g. Massachusett/Narragansett moos,[29] Ojibwe moo(n)z,[2] Lenape mus ‘elk’[30]), from Proto-Algonquian *mo·swa.[29]
Mugwump (definition)
From «mugquomp», a shortening of Massachusett <muggumquomp>, «war chief» (Proto-Algonquian *memekwa·pe·wa, from *memekw-, «swift» + *-a·pe·, «man»).[31]
Muskellunge (definition)
Ultimately from Ojibwe maashkinoozhe,[2] «ugly pike» (c.f. ginoozhe, «pike»).
Muskeg (definition)
From Cree maskēk, «swamp»[32] (Proto-Algonquian *maškye·kwi).[33]
Muskrat (definition)
A folk-etymologized reshaping of earlier «musquash», from Massachusett (c.f. Western Abenaki mòskwas), apparently from Proto-Algonquian *mo·šk, «bob (at the surface of the water)» + *-exkwe·-, «head» + a derivational ending).[33]
Opossum (definition)
From Powhatan <apasum>/<opussum>/<aposoum>, «white dog-like animal»,[34] reconstituted as */aːpassem/[35] (c.f. Proto-Algonquian *waːp-aʔθemwa, «white dog»).[36][37]
Papoose (definition)
From Narragansett <papoòs>[38] or Massachusett <pappouse>, «baby».[39]
Pecan (definition)
From Illinois pakani (c.f. Ojibwe bagaan),[2] «nut», from Proto-Algonquian *paka·ni.[40]
Pemmican (definition)
From Cree pimihkān, from pimihkēw, «to make grease» (Proto-Algonquian *pemihke·wa, from *pemy-, «grease» + -ehke·, «to make»).[41]
Persimmon (definition)
From Powhatan <pessemins>/<pushemins>, reconstituted as */pessiːmin/.[42] While the final element reflects Proto-Algonquian *-min, «fruit, berry», the initial is unknown.[43]
Pipsissewa (definition)
From Abenaki kpipskwáhsawe, «flower of the woods».[38][44]
Pokeweed (definition)
Probably from «puccoon» (see below) + «weed».[38]
Pone (definition)
From Powhatan <poan>/<appoans>, «something roasted» (reconstituted as */apoːn/)[45] (c.f. Ojibwe abwaan),[2] from Proto-Algonquian *apwa·n.[46]
Powwow (definition)
From Narragansett powwaw, «shaman» (Proto-Algonquian *pawe·wa, «to dream, to have a vision»).[47]
Puccoon (definition)
From Powhatan <poughkone>,[38] reconstituted as */pakkan/[48] (c.f. Unami Delaware [pɛːkɔːn], ‘red dye; the plant from which dye is made’).[49][50]
Pung
A low box-like sleigh designed for one horse. Shortened form of «tom-pung» (from the same etymon as «toboggan») from an Algonquian language of Southern New England.[51]
Punkie (definition)
Via Dutch, from Munsee [ponkwəs] (Proto-Algonquian *penkwehsa, from *penkw-, «dust, ashes» + *-ehs, a diminutive suffix).[52]
Quahog (definition)
From Narragansett <poquaûhock>.[53]
Quonset hut (definition)
From an Algonquian language of southern New England, possibly meaning «small long place» (with <qunni->, «long» + <-s->, diminutive + <-et>, locative).[54]
Raccoon (definition)
From Powhatan <arahkun>/<aroughcun>,[55] tentatively reconstituted as */aːreːhkan/.[56]
Sachem (definition)
From an Algonquian language of southern New England,[57] c.f. Narragansett <sâchim> (Proto-Eastern Algonquian *sākimāw, «chief»).[58]
Sagamore (definition)
From Eastern Abenaki sakəma (c.f. Narragansett <sâchim>), «chief», from Proto-Eastern Algonquian *sākimāw.[58]
Scup (definition)
Shortened from scuppaug, which is from Narragansett mishcùppaûog.[59]
Shoepac (definition)
From Unami Delaware [t͡ʃipahkɔ] «shoes» (singular [t͡ʃiːpːakw]), altered on analogy with English «shoe».[60]
Skunk (definition)
From Massachusett <squnck>[citation needed] (Proto-Algonquian *šeka·kwa, from *šek-, «to urinate» + *-a·kw, «fox»).[61]
Squash (fruit) (definition)
From Narragansett <askútasquash>.[62]
Squaw (definition)
From Massachusett <squa> (c.f. Cree iskwē, Ojibwe ikwe),[2] «woman», from Proto-Algonquian *eθkwe·wa.[62]
Succotash (definition)
From Narragansett <msíckquatash>, «boiled whole kernels of corn» (Proto-Algonquian *mesi·nkwete·wari, singular *mesi·nkwete·, from *mes-, «whole» + *-i·nkw-, «eye [=kernel]» + -ete·, «to cook»).[63]
Tabagie (definition)
From Algonquin tabaguia.[64]
Tautog (definition)
From Narragansett tautaũog.[65]
Terrapin (definition)
Originally «torope,» from an Eastern Algonquian language, perhaps Powhatan (reconstituted as */toːrepeːw/)[66] (c.f. Munsee Delaware /toːlpeːw/),[67] from Proto-Eastern Algonquian *tōrəpēw.[68]
Toboggan (definition)
From Míkmaq topaqan[69] or Maliseet-Passamaquoddy /tʰaˈpakən/[70] (Proto-Algonquian *weta·pye·kani, from *wet-, «to drag» + *-a·pye·-, «cordlike object» + *-kan, «instrument for»).[69]
Tomahawk (definition)
From Powhatan <tamahaac> (Proto-Algonquian *temaha·kani, from *temah-, «to cut» + *-a·kan, «instrument for»).[71]
Totem (definition)
From Ojibwe nindoodem, «my totem» or odoodeman, «his totem,» referring to a kin group.[72]
Tuckahoe (definition)
From Powhatan <tockawhoughe>/<tockwhough>/<taccaho>, «root used for bread», reconstituted as */takwahahk/[73] (perhaps from Proto-Algonquian *takwah-, «pound (it)/reduce (it) to flour»).[74]
Tullibee (definition)
From Old Ojibwe */otoːlipiː/[75] (modern odoonibii).[2]
Wampum (definition)
Earlier «wampumpeag», from Massachusett, and meaning «white strings [of beads]» (c.f. Maliseet: wapapiyik,[76] Eastern Abenaki wápapəyak, Ojibwe waabaabiinyag),[2] from Proto-Algonquian *wa·p-, «white» + *-a·py-, «string-like object» + *-aki, plural.[77][78]
Wanigan (definition)
From Ojibwa waanikaan, «storage pit».[79]
Wapiti (elk) (definition)
From Shawnee waapiti, «white rump» (c.f. Ojibwe waabidiy),[2] from Proto-Algonquian *wa·petwiya, from *wa·p-, «white» + *-etwiy, «rump».[80]
Wickiup (definition)
From Fox wiikiyaapi, from the same Proto-Algonquian etymon as «wigwam» (see below).[81]
Wigwam (definition)
From Eastern Abenaki wìkəwam (c.f. Ojibwe wiigiwaam),[2] from Proto-Algonquian *wi·kiwa·Hmi.[82]
Woodchuck (definition)
Reshaped on analogy with «wood» and «chuck», from an Algonquian language of southern New England (c.f. Narragansett <ockqutchaun>, «woodchuck»).[83]

Words from Nahuatl[edit]

Unless otherwise specified, Dictionnaire de la langue nahuatl classique is among the sources used for each etymology

Words of Nahuatl origin have entered many European languages. Mainly they have done so via Spanish. Most words of Nahuatl origin end in a form of the Nahuatl «absolutive suffix» (-tl, -tli, or -li, or the Spanish adaptation -te), which marked unpossessed nouns.

Achiote (definition)
from āchiotl [aːˈt͡ʃiot͡ɬ]
Atlatl (definition)
from ahtlatl [ˈaʔt͡ɬat͡ɬ]
Atole (definition)
from atōlli [ˈaːtoːlli]
Avocado (definition)
from āhuacatl, ‘avocado’ or ‘testicle’ [aːˈwakat͡ɬ], via Spanish aguacate and later avocado (influenced by early Spanish abogado ‘lawyer’)[84]
Axolotl (definition)
āxōlōtl [aːˈʃoːloːt͡ɬ], via Spanish, ultimately from ā-, ‘water’ + xōlōtl, ‘male servant’[85]
Aztec (definition)
from aztecatl ‘coming from Aztlan’, via Spanish Azteca[86]
Cacao (definition) and Cocoa (definition)
from cacahuatl [kaˈkawat͡ɬ]
Chayote (definition)
from chayohtli [t͡ʃaˈjoʔt͡ɬi]
Chia (definition)
from chiyan [ˈt͡ʃi.jan]
Chicle (definition)
from tzictli [ˈt͡sikt͡ɬi]
Chili (definition)
from chīlli [ˈt͡ʃiːlːi][87]
Chipotle (definition)
from chilpoctli ‘smoked chili’, from chili + poctli ‘smoke’[88]
Chocolate (definition)
Often said to be from Nahuatl xocolātl[38] or chocolātl,[89] which would be derived from xococ ‘bitter’ and ātl ‘water’ (with an irregular change of x to ch).[90] However, the form xocolātl is not directly attested, and chocolatl does not appear in Nahuatl until the mid-18th century. Some researchers have recently proposed that the chocol- element was originally chicol-, and referred to a special wooden stick used to prepare chocolate.[91]
Copal (definition)
from copalli[92]
Coyote (definition)
from coyōtl via Spanish[93]
Epazote (definition)
from epazōtl
Guacamole (definition)
from āhuacamōlli, from āhuaca-, ‘avocado’, and mōlli, ‘sauce’, via Mexican Spanish[94]
Hoatzin (definition)
from huāctzin[95]
Jicama (definition)
from xicamatl
Mesquite (definition)
from mizquitl [ˈmiskit͡ɬ], via Spanish mezquite[96]
Mezcal (definition)
from mexcalli [meʃˈkalːi] metl [met͡ɬ] and ixcalli [iʃˈkalːi] which mean ‘oven cooked agave.’[97]
Mole (definition)
from mōlli [ˈmoːlːi], ‘sauce’
Nixtamalization (definition)
from nixtamalli
Nopal (definition)
from nohpalli [noʔˈpalːi], ‘prickly pear cactus’, via American Spanish[98]
Ocelot (definition)
from ocēlōtl [oːˈseːloːt͡ɬ] ‘jaguar’, via French[99]
Ocotillo (definition)
from ocotl ‘pine, torch made of pine’, via Mexican Spanish ocote + diminutive —illo[100]
Peyote (definition)
from peyōtl [ˈpejoːt͡ɬ]. Nahuatl probably borrowed the root peyō- from another language, but the source is not known.[101]
Pinole (definition)
from pinolli, via Spanish
Quetzal (definition)
from quetzalli [keˈt͡salːi], ‘quetzal feather’.[102]
Sapodilla (definition)
from tzapocuahuitl
Sapota (definition)
from tzapotl [ˈt͡sapot͡ɬ]
Shack (definition)
possibly from xahcalli [ʃaʔˈkalːi], ‘grass hut’, by way of Mexican Spanish.[38][103]
Sotol (definition)
from tzotolli[104]
Tamale (definition)
from tamalli [taˈmalːi], via Spanish tamal. The Spanish plural is tamales, and the English derives from a false singular tamale.[105]
Tequila
from téquitl ‘work’ + tlan ‘place’
Tlacoyo (definition)
from tlahtlaōyoh [t͡ɬɑʔt͡ɬɑˈoːjoʔ]
Tomato (definition)
from tomatl [ˈtomat͡ɬ], via Spanish tomate. The change from tomate to tomato was likely influenced by the spelling of potato[106]
Tule (definition)
from tōllin [ˈtoːlːin], ‘reed, bulrush’

Words from Quechua[edit]

Unless otherwise specified, Words in English from Amerindian Languages is among the sources used for each etymology

A number of words from Quechua have entered English, mostly via Spanish, adopting Hispanicized spellings.

Ayahuasca (definition)
from aya «corpse» and waska «rope», via Spanish ayahuasca
Cachua (definition)
from qhachwa
Chinchilla(definition)
possibly from Quechua. May be from Spanish chinche
Chuño (definition)
from ch’uñu
Coca (definition)
from kuka, via Spanish coca
Cocaine (definition)
from kuka (see above), probably via French cocaïne
Condor (definition)
from kuntur, via Spanish cóndor
Gran Chaco (definition)
from chaku, «hunt»
Guanaco (definition)
from wanaku
Guano (definition)
from wanu via Spanish guano
Inca (definition)
from Inka «lord, king»
Jerky (definition)
from ch’arki, via Spanish charquí
Lagniappe (definition)
from yapay, «add, addition», via Spanish la yapa (with the definite article la).
Lima (definition)
from rimay, «speak» (from the name of the city, named for the Rimaq river («speaking river»))
Llama (definition)
from llama, via Spanish
Lucuma (definition)
from lukuma, via Spanish[107]
Mashua (definition)
from maswa
Pampa (definition)
from pampa, «a large plain», via Spanish
Pisco (definition)
from pisqu, «bird»
Puma (definition)
from puma, via Spanish
Quinine (definition)
from kinakina, via Spanish quina
Quinoa (definition)
from kinwa, via Spanish quinoa
Quipu (definition)
from khipu, via Spanish quipo[108]
Soroche (definition)
from suruqchi or suruqch’i, «Altitude sickness»[109][110]
Vicuña (definition)
from wik’uña, via Spanish vicuña
Viscacha (definition)
from wisk’acha, via Spanish vizcacha[111]

Words from Eskimo–Aleut languages[edit]

Anorak (definition)
from Greenlandic Inuit annoraaq[112]
Chimo (definition)
from the Inuktitut word saimo (ᓴᐃᒧ Inuktitut pronunciation: [sa.iˈmo], a word of greeting, farewell, and toast before drinking.[113] Used as a greeting and cheer by the Canadian Military Engineers, and more widely in some parts of Southern Ontario and Western Canada, particularly in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan[citation needed]
Igloo (definition)
from Inuktitut iglu (ᐃᒡᓗ Inuktitut pronunciation: [iɣˈlu])[114]
Ilanaaq (definition)
Inuktitut ilanaaq (ᐃᓚᓈᒃ Inuktitut pronunciation: [ilanaːk]), «friend». Name of the logo for the 2010 Winter Olympics
Inuksuk (definition)
from Inuktitut inuksuk (ᐃᓄᒃᓱᒃ Inuktitut pronunciation: [inukˈsuk])[114]
Kayak (definition)
from Inuktitut qajaq (ᖃᔭᖅ Inuktitut pronunciation: [qaˈjaq])[114]
Malamute (definition)
from Inupiaq Malimiut, the name of an Inupiaq subgroup[115]
Mukluk (definition)
from Yupik maklak ([makɬak]), «bearded seal»[114]
Nanook (definition)
from Inuktitut word for polar bear Nanuq (ᓇᓄᒃ Inuktitut pronunciation: [naˈnuq]),[116] «polar bear», made famous in English due to a 1922 documentary Nanook of the North, featuring a man with this name.
Nunatak (definition)
from Greenlandic Inuit nunataq[117]
Tiktaalik (definition)
from Inuktitut tiktaalik (ᑎᒃᑖᓕᒃ Inuktitut pronunciation: [tiktaːlik]), «large freshwater fish»[118]
Umiaq (definition)

Words from Arawakan languages[edit]

Anole (definition)
from an Arawakan language, or possibly Cariban, via French anolis.[119][120][121]
Barbecue (definition)
from an Arawakan language of Haiti barbakoa, «framework of sticks»,[122] via Spanish barbacoa.[123]
Buccaneer (definition)
from an Arawakan language buccan, «a wooden frame on which Taínos and Caribs slowly roasted or smoked meat»,via French boucane.[124]
Cacique or cassique (definition)
from Taíno cacike or Arawak kassequa «chieftain»[125]
Caiman (definition)
from a Ta-Maipurean language, «water spirit» (c.f. Garifuna [aɡaiumã]),[126][127] though possibly ultimately of African origin.[128]
Canoe (definition)
from Taíno via Spanish canoa.[129]
Cassava (definition)
from Taíno caçabi, «manioc meal», via Spanish or Portuguese.[130]
Cay (definition)
from Taíno, via Spanish cayo.[131]
Guaiac (definition)
from Taíno guayacan via Spanish and Latin.[132]
Guava (definition)
from an Arawakan language, by way of Spanish guayaba.[133]
Hammock (definition)
from Taíno, via Spanish hamaca.[134]
Hurricane (definition)
from Taíno hurakán, via Spanish.[135]
Iguana (definition)
from an Arawakan language iwana.[136][137]
Macana (definition)
from Taíno macana via Spanish.
Maize (definition)
from Taíno mahís, via Spanish.[138][139]
Mangrove (definition)
from Taíno, via Spanish mangle or Portuguese mangue.[140]
Papaya (definition)
from Taíno.[141]
Potato (definition)
from Taíno or Haitian Carib batata ‘sweet potato’, via Spanish patata.[142][143][144][145]
Savanna (definition)
from Taíno zabana, via Spanish.[146]
Tobacco (definition)
probably from an Arawakan language, via Spanish: tabaco.[69]
Yuca (definition)
from Taíno, via Spanish.[147]

Words from Tupi-Guaraní[edit]

Acai (definition)
from Tupi *ɨβasaí, via Brazilian Portuguese assaí, uaçaí, açaí.[148]
Ani (definition)
from Tupi *anúʔí.[149]
Agouti (definition)
from Tupi–Guaraní akutí, via Portuguese aguti through French.[150][151][152]
Cashew (definition)
from Tupí acaîu, via Portuguese caju.[153]
Capybara (definition)
from Guaraní kapibári ‘the grass eater ‘ via Portuguese capivara through French.
Catupiry (definition)
from Guaraní katupyry via Brazilian Portuguese.[154]
Cayenne (definition)
from Tupí kyinha via French.[155]
Cougar (definition)
ultimately corrupted from Guaraní guaçu ara.[156]
Jaguar (definition)
from Tupinambá via Portuguese jaguar through French /jaˈwar-/,.[157][158]
Jaguarundi (definition)
from Guaraní via Portuguese.
Maraca (definition)
from Tupí maraka via Portuguese.
Macaw (definition)
via Portuguese Macau from Tupi macavuana, which may be the name of a type of palm tree the fruit of which the birds eat.[159]
Manioc (definition)
from Tupinambá via Portuguese man(d)ioca through French /maniˈʔok-/.[157]
Petunia (definition)
from Tupí petun ‘smoke’ via Portuguese.
Piranha (definition)
from Tupí pirã́ja, pirã́nʸa, from pirá ‘fish’ + ã́ja, ã́nʸa ‘tooth’, via Portuguese.[160][161]
Seriema (definition)
from Tupinambá siriema ‘the crested one’ via Portuguese
Tapioca (definition)
from Tupinambá /tɨpɨˈʔok-a/[157] ‘juice squeezed out’, from tipi ‘residue, dregs’ + og, ok ‘to squeeze out’,[162] via Portuguese.[163]
Tapir (definition)
from Tupinambá via Portuguese tapir through French /tapiˈʔir-/.[157]
Tegu (definition)
from Tupinambá teiú-guaçú ‘big lizard’ via Portuguese teiú
Toucan (definition)
from Tupinambá via Portuguese tucano through French /tuˈkan-/,[157] via Portuguese and French.[164]

Words from other indigenous languages of the Americas[edit]

Abalone (definition)
from Rumsen awlun and Ohlone aluan, via Spanish abulón.[165]
Alpaca (definition)
from Aymara allpaka, via Spanish.[166]
Appaloosa (definition)
Either named for the Palouse River, whose name comes from Sahaptin palú:s, «what is standing up in the water»; or for Opelousas, Louisiana, which may come from Choctaw api losa, «black body».[167]
Barracuda (definition)
from Spanish, perhaps originally from Carib.[168]
Bayou (definition)
from early Choctaw bayuk, «creek, river», via French.[169]
Camas (definition)
from Nez Perce qémʼes.[170]
Cannibal (definition)
via Spanish Caníbalis, from a Cariban language, meaning «person, Indian»,[171] (Proto-Cariban *karípona),[172] based on the Spaniards’ belief that the Caribs ate human flesh.[173]
Catalpa (definition)
from Creek katałpa «head-wing», with (i)ká, «head» + (i)táłpa, «wing».[174]
Cenote (definition)
from Yucatec Maya dzonot or ts’onot[175] meaning «well».[176]
Cheechako (definition)
from Chinook Jargon chee + chako, «new come». Chee comes from Lower Chinook čxi, «straightaway», and for chako c.f. Nuuchahnulth čokwaa, «come!»[177]
Chicha
via Spanish from Kuna chichab, «maize» or from Nahuatl chichiatl, «fermented water.»
Chinook (definition)
from Lower Chehalis tsʼinúk, the name of a village,[178][179] via Chinook Trade Jargon.
Chuckwalla (definition)
from Cahuilla čáxwal.[180]
Coho (definition)
from Halkomelem k̉ʷə́xʷəθ ([kʷʼəxʷəθ]).[38][181][182]
Coontie (definition)
from Creek conti hetaka.
Coypu (definition)
from Mapudungun coipu, via American Spanish coipú.[183]
Degu (definition)
from Mapudungun deuñ, via Spanish.
Divi-divi (definition)
from Cumanagoto.
Dory (definition)
from Miskito dóri, dúri.
Eulachon (definition)
from a Cree adaptation of Chinook Trade Jargon ulâkân,[184] itself a borrowing of Clatsap u-tlalxwə(n), «brook trout».[185]
Gaucho (definition)
via Spanish, probably from a South American indigenous language, cf. Araucanian cauchu ‘wanderer’.[186]
Geoduck (definition)
from Lushootseed (Nisqually) gʷídəq.[187][188]
Guan (definition)
from Kuna kwama.[189]
High muckamuck (definition)
from Chinook Jargon [ˈmʌkəmʌk], «eat, food, drink», of unknown origin.[190]
Hogan (definition)
from Navajo hooghan.[191]
Hooch (definition)
a shortening of «Hoochinoo», the name of a Tlingit village, from Tlingit xutsnuuwú, «brown bear fort».[192][193]
Kachina (definition)
from Hopi katsína, «spirit being».[194]
Jojoba (definition)
via Spanish, from some Uto-Aztecan language, cf. O’odham hohowai and Yaqui hohoovam.[195]
Kiva (definition)
from Hopi kíva (containing ki-, «house»).[196]
Kokanee (definition)
perhaps from Twana kəknǽxw.[197]
Manatee (definition)
via Spanish manatí, from a word in a Cariban language meaning «(woman’s) breast».[198][199][200]
Ohunka
from Lakota «false», «untrue».[201]
Peccary (definition)
from Galilbi Carib pakira.
Piki (definition)
from Hopi.
Pogonip (definition)
from Shoshone /pakɨnappɨ/ ([paˈɣɨnappɨ̥]), «fog».[202]
Poncho (definition)
from Mapudungun pontho «woolen fabric», via Spanish.[203][204]
Potlatch (definition)
from Nuuchahnulth (Nootka) p̉aƛp̉ač ([pʼatɬpʼat͡ʃ], reduplication of p̉a, «to make ceremonial gifts in potlatch», with the iterative suffix -č) via Chinook Jargon.[205]
Salal (definition)
from Chinook Trade Jargon [səˈlæl], from Lower Chinook salál.[206]
Saguaro (definition)
via Spanish, from some indigenous language, possibly Opata.[207]
Sasquatch (definition)
From Halkomelem [ˈsæsqʼəts].[208]
Sego (definition)
from Ute-Southern Paiute /siˈkuʔa/ ([siˈɣuʔa]).[209]
Sequoia (definition)
from a Cherokee personal name, <Sikwayi>, with no further known etymology.[210]
Sockeye (definition)
from Halkomelem /ˈsθəqəʔj/.[211]
Skookum (definition)
from Chinook Jargon [ˈskukəm], «powerful, supernaturally dangerous», from Lower Chehalis skʷəkʷə́m, «devil, anything evil, spirit monster».[212][213]
Tamarin (definition)
from a Cariban language, via French.[214]
Tipi (definition)
from Lakota thípi, «house».[67]
Tupelo (definition)
Perhaps from Creek ’topilwa, «swamp-tree», from íto, «tree» + opílwa, «swamp».[215]
Wapatoo (definition)
from Chinook Jargon [ˈwapato], «arrowroot, wild potato», from Upper Chinook [wa]-, a noun prefix + [pato], which comes from Kalapuyan [pdóʔ], «wild potato».[216]
Wakinyan (definition)
from Lakota wa, «people/things» + kiŋyaŋ, «to fly».[217]
Yaupon (definition)
from Catawba yąpą, from yą, «wood/tree» + pą, «leaf».[218]

See also[edit]

  • List of placenames of indigenous origin in the Americas
  • List of place names in Canada of Aboriginal origin
  • List of place names in New England of aboriginal origin
  • List of Spanish words of Indigenous American Indian origin
  • List of Spanish words of Nahuatl origin

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  171. ^ «Cannibal». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29.
  172. ^ Campbell (1997:404-405)
  173. ^ «Cannibal». Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  174. ^ Bright (2004:83)
  175. ^ or tz’onot in some secondary sources, such as Sharer & Traxler 2006: 52.
  176. ^ Tim Scoones (producer), Jeff Goodman (photography), Dominique Rissolo (scientific adviser), Tom Iliffe (sci adv), Patricia Beddows (sci adv), Jill Yager (sci adv) (2005). Secrets of the Maya Underworld (Television production). BBC/Discovery Channel. Event occurs at 3:07. Archived from the original on 2014-04-22. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
  177. ^ Bright (2004:91)
  178. ^ Campbell (1997:397)
  179. ^ Mithun, Marianne (1999). The Languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pg. 382
  180. ^ «the definition of chuckwalla». www.dictionary.com.
  181. ^ «the definition of blue jack». www.dictionary.com.
  182. ^ Coho salmon Archived 2006-02-10 at the Wayback Machine
  183. ^ «Definition of COYPU». www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  184. ^ «Help — Oxford English Dictionary».
  185. ^ Bright (2004:172)
  186. ^ «gaucho | Origin and meaning of gaucho by Online Etymology Dictionary». www.etymonline.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  187. ^ «Geoduck». Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  188. ^ «Geoduck». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Yourdictionary.com. Archived from the original on 2006-11-15. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  189. ^ «Definition of GUAN». www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  190. ^ Bright (2004:300)
  191. ^ Bright (2004:169)
  192. ^ «Hoochinoo». Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
  193. ^ «Hooch». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-05-10.
  194. ^ Bright (2004:194)
  195. ^ «Definition of JOJOBA». www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2021-06-05.
  196. ^ «Kiva». Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
  197. ^ Bright (2004:232)
  198. ^ Simpson, George Gaylord (1941). «Vernacular Names of South American Mammals». Journal of Mammalogy 22.1:14
  199. ^ «Manatee». Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2007-04-02.
  200. ^ Harper, Douglas. «manatee». Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2007-04-02.
  201. ^ «Lakota Words Index». Lakota Writings. Archived from the original on 2011-09-08. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
  202. ^ Bright (2004:389)
  203. ^ Harper, Douglas. «poncho». Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  204. ^ «Poncho». Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
  205. ^ «Help — Oxford English Dictionary».
  206. ^ Bright (2004:416)
  207. ^ RHD (1987:1691)
  208. ^ Bright (2004:422)
  209. ^ Bright (2004:429)
  210. ^ Bright (2004:432)
  211. ^ Bright (2004:455)
  212. ^ Bright (2004:452)
  213. ^ «Skookum». Dictionary.com. Retrieved 2007-03-29.
  214. ^ RHD (1987:1939)
  215. ^ RHD (1987:2036)
  216. ^ Bright (2004:547)
  217. ^ Feraca, Stephen E. (Mar 1, 2001). Wakinyan: Lakota Religion in the Twentieth Century. U of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0803269057. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  218. ^ RHD (1987:2200)

Bibliography[edit]

  • Bright, William (2004). Native American Place Names of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press
  • Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press
  • Flexner, Stuart Berg and Leonore Crary Hauck, eds. (1987). The Random House Dictionary of the English Language [RHD], 2nd ed. (unabridged). New York: Random House.
  • Siebert, Frank T. (1975). «Resurrecting Virginia Algonquian from the Dead: The Reconstituted and Historical Phonology of Powhatan». In Studies in Southeastern Indian Languages, ed. James M. Crawford, pp. 285–453. Athens: University of Georgia Press

External links[edit]

  • Words in English from Amerindian Languages
  • Online Etymology Dictionary
  • Dictionary.com
  • Free Dictionary Translation
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English words of Native American origin

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This is a list of English language words borrowed from indigenous languages of the Americas, either directly or through intermediate European languages such as Spanish or French. † indicates a link to a definition of the word. It does not cover names of ethnic groups or place names derived from indigenous languages.

Most words of Native American language origin are the common names for indigenous flora and fauna, or describe items of Native American life and culture. Some few are names applied in honor of Native Americans or due to a vague similarity to the original object of the word. For instance, sequoias are named in honor of the Cherokee leader Sequoyah, who lived 2000 miles east of that tree’s range while the kinkajou of South American was given a name from an unrelated North American animal 2000 miles to the north.

Contents

  • 1 Words from Algonquian languages
  • 2 Words from Nahuatl
  • 3 Words from Quechua
  • 4 Words from Eskimo-Aleut languages
  • 5 Words from Arawakan languages
  • 6 Words from Tupi-Guaraní languages
  • 7 Words from other indigenous languages of the Americas
  • 8 See also
  • 9 References
  • 10 Bibliography
  • 11 External links

Words from Algonquian languages

Since Native Americans speaking a language of the Algonquian group were generally the first to meet English explorers and settlers along the Eastern Seaboard, many words from these languages made their way into English.

In addition, a great number of place names in North America are Algonquian names, for example: Mississippi (cf. Illinois mihsisiipiiwi and Ojibwe misiziibi, «great river,» referring to the Mississippi River)[1][2] and Michigan (cf. Illinois meehcakamiwi, Ojibwe Mishigami, «great sea,» referring to Lake Michigan).[3][2] (See Category:Algonquian toponyms.) Even Canadian provinces and U.S. states, districts, counties and municipalities bear Algonquian names, such as Québec, Wyoming, District of Keewatin, Outagamie County, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois, or Algonquian-derived names, such as Algoma.

In addition, a number of Native American groups are known better by their Algonquian exonyms, rather than by their autonym, such as the Eskimo (see below), Winnebago (perhaps from Potawatomi winpyéko, «(people of the) dirty water»),[4] Sioux (ultimately from Ottawa naadowesiwag),[4] Assiniboine (Ojibwe asiniibwaan, «stone Sioux»)[2] and Chipewyan (Cree čīpwayān, «(those who have) pointed skins or hides»).[5]

Apishamore †
From a word in an Algonquian language meaning «something to lie down upon»[6] (c.f. Ojibwe apishimon).[2]
Atamasco lily †
Earlier «attamusca», from Powhatan.[7][8]
Babiche †
From Míkmaq ápapíj (from ápapi, «cord, thread», Proto-Algonquian *aʔrapa·pyi, from *aʔrapy-, «net» + *-a·by-, «string».[9]
Caribou †
From Míkmaq qalipu, «snow-shoveler» (from qalipi, «shovel snow», Proto-Algonquian *maka·ripi-).[10]
Chinkapin †
From Powhatan <chechinquamins>,[11] reconstituted as */ʧiːhʧiːnkweːmins/, the plural form.[12]
Chipmunk †
Originally «chitmunk,» from Odawa jidmoonh[13] /ʧɪtmő/ (c.f. Ojibwe ajidamoo(nh)),[2] «red squirrel».
Cisco †
Originally «siscowet,» from Ojibwe language bemidewiskaawed «greasy-bodied [fish]».[14]
Eskimo †
From Old Montagnais <aiachkimeou> (/aːjasʧimeːw/) (modern ayassimēw), meaning «snowshoe-netter» (often incorrectly claimed to be from an Ojibwe word meaning «eaters of raw [meat]»), and originally used to refer to the Mikmaq.[15][16]
Hackmatack †
From an Algonquian language akemantak (c.f. Ojibwe aagimaandag), «snowshoe boughs».
Hickory †
From Powhatan <pocohiquara>, «milky drink made with hickory nuts».[17][18]
Hominy †
From Powhatan <uskatahomen>/<usketchaumun>, literally «that which is treated», in this case «that which is ground/beaten».[19]
Husky †
Ultimately from a variant form of the word «Eskimo» (see above).[20]
Kinkajou †
From an Algonquian word meaning «wolverine» (c.f. Algonquin kwingwaage, Ojibwe gwiingwa’aage),[2] through French quincajou.[21]
Kinnikinnick †
From Unami Delaware /kələkːəˈnikːan/, «mixture» (c.f. Ojibwe giniginige «to mix together something animate with something inanimate»),[2] from Proto-Algonquian *kereken-, «mix (it) with something different by hand».[22]
Mackinaw †
From michilmackinac, from Menomini mishilimaqkināhkw, «be large like a snapping turtle», or from Ojibwe mishi-makinaak, «large snapping turtle» with French -ile-, «island».
Moccasin †
From an Algonquian language, perhaps Powhatan <mockasin>,[23] reconstituted as */mahkesen/[24](c.f. Ojibwe makizin,[2] Míkmaq mɨkusun[25], from Proto-Algonquian *maxkeseni).[26]
Moose †
From Eastern Abenaki moz, reinforced by cognates from other Algonquian languages[27][28] (e.g. Massachusett/Narragansett moos,[28] Ojibwe moo(n)z,[2] Delaware mos), from Proto-Algonquian *mo·swa.[28]
Mugwump †
From «mugquomp», a shortening of Massachusett <muggumquomp>, «war chief» (Proto-Algonquian *memekwa·pe·wa, from *memekw-, «swift» + *-a·pe·, «man»).[29]
Muskellunge †
Ultimately from Ojibwe maashkinoozhe,[2] «ugly pike» (c.f. ginoozhe, «pike»).
Muskeg †
From Cree maskēk, «swamp»[30] (Proto-Algonquian *maškye·kwi).[31]
Muskrat †
A folk-etymologized reshaping of earlier «musquash», from Massachusett (c.f. Western Abenaki mòskwas), apparently from Proto-Algonquian *mo·šk, «bob (at the surface of the water)» + *-exkwe·-, «head» + a derivational ending).[31]
Opossum †
From Powhatan <apasum>/<opussum>/<aposoum>, «white dog-like animal»,[32] reconstituted as */aːpassem/[33] (c.f. Proto-Algonquian *wa·p-aʔθemwa, «white dog»).[34][35]
Papoose †
From Narragansett <papoòs>[36] or Massachusett <pappouse>, «baby».[37]
Pecan †
From Illinois pakani (c.f. Ojibwe bagaan),[2] «nut», from Proto-Algonquian *paka·ni.[38]
Pemmican †
From Cree pimihkān, from pimihkēw, «to make grease» (Proto-Algonquian *pemihke·wa, from *pemy-, «grease» + -ehke·, «to make»).[39]
Persimmon †
From Powhatan <pessemins>/<pushemins>, reconstituted as */pessiːmin/.[40] While the final element reflects Proto-Algonquian *-min, «fruit, berry», the initial is unknown.[41]
Pipsissewa †
From Abenaki kpipskwáhsawe, «flower of the woods».[36][42]
Pokeweed †
Probably from «puccoon» (see below) + «weed».[36]
Pone †
From Powhatan <poan>/<appoans>, «something roasted» (reconstituted as */apoːn/)[43] (c.f. Ojibwe abwaan),[2] from Proto-Algonquian *apwa·n.[44]
Powwow †
From Narragansett powwaw, «shaman» (Proto-Algonquian *pawe·wa, «to dream, to have a vision»).[45]
Puccoon †
From Powhatan <poughkone>,[36] reconstituted as */pakkan/[46] (c.f. Unami Delaware [peːkɔːn]).[47]
Pung
A low box-like sleigh designed for one horse. Shortened form of «tom-pung» (from the same etymon as «toboggan») from an Algonquian language of Southern New England.[48]
Punkie †
Via Dutch, from Munsee [ponkwəs] (Proto-Algonquian *penkwehsa, from *penkw-, «dust, ashes» + *-ehs, a diminutive suffix).[49]
Quahog †
From Narragansett <poquaûhock>.[50]
Quonset hut †
From an Algonquian language of southern New England, possibly meaning «small long place» (with <qunni->, «long» + <-s->, diminutive + <-et>, locative).[51]
Raccoon †
From Powhatan <arahkun>/<aroughcun>,[52] tentatively reconstituted as */aːreːhkan/.[53]
Sachem †
From an Algonquian language of southern New England,[54] c.f. Narragansett <sâchim> (Proto-Eastern Algonquian *sākimāw, «chief»).[55]
Sagamore †
From Eastern Abenaki sakəma (c.f. Narragansett <sâchim>), «chief», from Proto-Eastern Algonquian *sākimāw.[55]
Shoepac †
From Unami Delaware [ʧipahkɔ] «shoes» (singular [ʧiːpːakw]), altered on analogy with English «shoe».[56]
Skunk †
From Massachusett <squnck> (Proto-Algonquian *šeka·kwa, from *šek-, «to urinate» + *-a·kw, «fox»).[57]
Squash (fruit) †
From Narragansett <askútasquash>.[58]
Squaw †
From Massachusett <squa> (c.f. Cree iskwē, Ojibwe ikwe),[2] «woman», from Proto-Algonquian *eθkwe·wa.[58]
Succotash †
From Narragansett <msíckquatash>, «boiled whole kernels of corn» (Proto-Algonquian *mesi·nkwete·wari, singular *mesi·nkwete·, from *mes-, «whole» + *-i·nkw-, «eye [=kernel]» + -ete·, «to cook»).[59]
Terrapin †
Originally «torope,» from an Eastern Algonquian language, perhaps Powhatan (reconstituted as */toːrepeːw/)[60] (c.f. Munsee Delaware /toːlpeːw/),[61] from Proto-Eastern Algonquian *tōrəpēw.[62]
Toboggan †
From Míkmaq topaqan[63] or Maliseet-Passamaquoddy /tʰaˈpakən/[64] (Proto-Algonquian *weta·pye·kani, from *wet-, «to drag» + *-a·pye·-, «cordlike object» + *-kan, «instrument for»).[63]
Tomahawk †
From Powhatan <tamahaac> (Proto-Algonquian *temaha·kani, from *temah-, «to cut» + *-a·kan, «instrument for»).[65]
Totem †
From Ojibwe nindoodem, «my totem» or odoodeman, «his totem,» referring to a kin group.[66]
Tuckahoe †
From Powhatan <tockawhoughe>/<tockwhough>/<taccaho>, «root used for bread», reconstituted as */takwahahk/[67] (perhaps from Proto-Algonquian *takwah-, «pound (it)/reduce (it) to flower»).[68]
Tullibee †
From Old Ojibwe */otoːlipiː/[69] (modern odoonibii).[2]
Wampum †
Earlier «wampumpeag», from Massachusett, and meaning «white strings [of beads]» (c.f. Maliseet: wapapiyik, Eastern Abenaki wápapəyak, Ojibwe waabaabiinyag),[2] from Proto-Algonquian *wa·p-, «white» + *-a·py-, «string-like object» + *-aki, plural.[70][71]
Wapiti (elk) †
From Shawnee waapiti, «white rump» (c.f. Ojibwe waabidiy),[2] from Proto-Algonquian *wa·petwiya, from *wa·p-, «white» + *-etwiy, «rump».[72]
Wickiup †
From Fox wiikiyaapi, from the same Proto-Algonquian etymon as «wigwam» (see below).[73]
Wigwam †
From Eastern Abenaki wìkəwam (c.f. Ojibwe wiigiwaam),[2] from Proto-Algonquian *wi·kiwa·Hmi.[74]
Woodchuck †
Reshaped on analogy with «wood» and «chuck», from an Algonquian language of southern New England (c.f. Narragansett <ockqutchaun>, «woodchuck»).[75]

Words from Nahuatl

Words of Nahuatl origin have entered many European languages. Mainly they have done so via Spanish. Most words of Nahuatl origin end in a form of the Nahuatl «absolutive suffix» (-tl, -tli, or -li, or the Spanish adaptation -te), which marked unpossessed nouns.

Atlatl †
from ahtlatl
Avocado †
from āhuacatl, «avocado» or «testicle»
Axolotl †
āxōlōtl, from ā-, «water» + xōlōtl, «male servant»[76]
Cacao † and cocoa †
from cacahuatl
Chayote †
from chayohtli
Chia †
from chiyan
Chicle †
from tzictli
Chili †
from chīlli
Chocolate †
Often said to be from Nahuatl xocolātl[36] or chocolātl,[77] which would be derived from xococ «bitter» and ātl «water» (with an irregular change of x > ch).[78] However, the form xocolātl is not directly attested, and chocolatl does not appear in Nahuatl until the mid-18th century. Some researchers have recently proposed that the chocol- element was originally chicol-, and referred to special wooden stick used to prepare chocolate.[79]
Copal †
from copalli[80]
Coyote †
from coyōtl
Epazote †
from epazōtl
Guacamole †
from āhuacamōlli, from āhuaca-, «avocado», and mōlli, «sauce»
Mesquite †
from mizquitl
Mezcal †
from mexcalli
Mole †
from mōlli, «sauce»
Nopal †
from nohpalli, «prickly pear cactus»
Ocelot †
from ocēlōtl
Peyote †
from peyōtl. Nahuatl probably borrowed the root peyō- from another language, but the source is not known.[81]
Quetzal †
from quetzalli, «quetzal feather».[82]
Shack †
possibly from xacalli, «grass hut», by way of Mexican Spanish.[83][36]
Sapodilla †
from tzapocuahuitl
Sapota †
from tzapotl
Tamale †
from tamalli
Tule †
from tōllin, «reed, bulrush»
Tomato †
from tomatl

Words from Quechua

A number of words from Quechua have entered English, mostly via Spanish

Coca †
from kuka, via Spanish coca
Cocaine †
from kuka (see above), probably via French cocaïne
Condor †
from kuntur, via Spanish cóndor
Guanaco †
from wanaku
Guano †
from wanu via Spanish guano
Inca †
from Inka
Jerky †
from ch’arki, via Spanish charquí
Lagniappe †
from yapay, «add, addition», via Spanish la ñapa (with the definite article la).
Lima †
from rimay, «speak» (from the name of the city, named for the Rimaq river («Speaking River»))
Llama †
from llama, via Spanish
Pampa †
from pampa, «flat», via Spanish
Pisco †
from pisqu, «little bird» (not from [1])
Puma †
from puma, via Spanish
Quinine †
from kinakina, via Spanish quina
Quinoa †
from kinwa
Soroche †
from suruqch’i, «mountain sickness»[84][85] (not from [2])
Vicuña †
from wik’uña, via Spanish vicuña

Words from Eskimo-Aleut languages

Anorak †
from Greenlandic Inuit annoraaq[86]
Igloo †
from Inuktitut iglu ([iɣlu])[87]
Inuksuk †
from Inuktitut inuksuk[87]
Kayak †
from Inuktitut qajaq[87]
Malamute †
from Inupiaq Malimiut, the name of an Inupiaq subgroup[88]
Mukluk †
from Yupik maklak ([makɬak]), «Bearded Seal»[87]
Nanook †
from Inuktitut Nanuq,[89] «polar bear», made famous in English due to a 1922 documentary Nanook of the North, featuring a man with this name.
Umiaq †

Words from Arawakan languages

Anole †
from an Arawakan language, or possibly Cariban, by way of French anolis.[90][91][92]
Barbecue †
from an Arawakan language of Haiti barbakoa, «framework of sticks»,[93] via Spanish barbacoa.[94]
Cacique or cassique †
from Taino cacike or Arawak kassequa «chieftain» [95]
Caiman †
from a Ta-Maipurean language, «water spirit» (c.f. Garifuna [aɡaiumã]),[96][97] though possibly ultimately of African origin.[98]
Canoe †
from Taino via Spanish canoa.[99]
Cassava †
from Taino caçabi, «manioc meal», via Spanish or Portuguese.[100]
Cay †
from Taino, by way of Spanish cayo.[101]
Guava †
from an Arawakan language, by way of Spanish guayaba.[102]
Hammock †
from Taino, via Spanish hamaca.[103]
Hurricane †
from Taino hurakán, via Spanish.[104]
Iguana †
from an Arawakan language iwana.[105][106]
Maize †
from Taino mahís, by way of Spanish.[107][108]
Mangrove †
from Taino, via Spanish mangle or Portuguese mangue.[109]
Papaya †
from Taino.[110]
Potato †
from the Taino word for «sweet potato», via Spanish batata.[111]
Savanna †
from Taino zabana, via Spanish.[112]
Tobacco †
probably from an Arawakan language, via Spanish: tabaco.[63]
Yuca †
from Taino, via Spanish.[113]

Words from Tupi-Guaraní languages

Agouti †
from Tupi-Guaraní akutí, via French and Spanish.[114][115][116]
Cashew †
from Tupí acaîu
Cayenne †
from Tupí kyinha.[117]
Cougar †
ultimately corrupted from Guaraní guaçu ara.[118]
Jaguar †
from Tupinambá /jaˈwar-/,[119] via Portuguese.[120]
Jaguarundi †
from Guaraní.
Maraca †
from Tupí maraka
Macaw †
Manioc †
from Tupinambá /maniˈʔok-/.[119]
Petunia †
from Tupí petun ‘smoke’
Piranha †
from Tupí.[121]
Tapioca †
from Tupinambá /tɨpɨˈʔok-a/,[119] «juice squeezed out».[122]
Tapir †
from Tupinambá /tapiˈʔir-/.[119]
Toucan †
from Tupinambá /tuˈkan-/,[119] via Portuguese and French.[123]

Words from other indigenous languages of the Americas

Abalone †
from Rumsen awlun, via Spanish.[124]
Alpaca †
from Aymara allpaka, via Spanish.[125]
Appaloosa †
Either named for the Palouse River, whose name comes from Sahaptin palú:s, «what is standing up in the water»; or for Opelousas, Louisiana, which may come from Choctaw api losa, «black body».[126]
Bayou †
from early Choctaw bayuk, «creek, river», via French.[127]
Camas †
from Nez Perce qém’es.[128]
Cannibal †
via Spanish, from a Cariban language, meaning «person, Indian»,[129] (Proto-Cariban *karípona),[130] based on the Spaniards’ belief that the Caribs ate human flesh.[131]
Catalpa †
from Creek katałpa «head-wing», with (i)ká, «head» + (i)táłpa, «wing».[132]
Cenote †
from Yucatec Maya.
Cheechako †
from Chinook Jargon chee + chako, «new come». Chee comes from Lower Chinook čxi, «straightaway», and for chako c.f. Nuuchahnulth čokwaa, «come!»[133]
Chinook †
from Lower Chehalis ts’inúk, the name of a village,[134][135] via Chinook Trade Jargon.
Chuckwalla †
from Cahuilla čáxwal.[136]
Coho †
from Halkomelem k̉wə́xwəθ ([kʷ’əxʷəθ]).[137][138][36]
Coontie †
from Creek.
Coypu †
from Mapudungun.
Divi-divi †
from Cumanagoto.
Dory †
from Miskito.
Eulachon †
from a Cree adaptation of Chinook Trade Jargon ulâkân,[139] itself a borrowing of Clatsap u-tlalxwə(n), «brook trout».[140]
Geoduck †
from Lushootseed (Nisqually) gʷídəq.[141][142]
Guan †
from Kuna.
High muckamuck †
from Chinook Jargon [ˈmʌkəmʌk], «eat, food, drink», of unknown origin.[143]
Hogan †
from Navajo hooghan.[144]
Hooch †
a shortening of «Hoochinoo», the name of a Tlingit village, from Tlingit xutsnuuwú, «brown bear fort».[145][146]
Kachina †
from Hopi katsína, «spirit being».[147]
Kokanee †
perhaps from Twana.[148]
Manatee †
via Spanish manatí, from a word in a Cariban language meaning «(woman’s) breast».[149][150][151]
Piki †
from Hopi.
Pogonip †
from Shoshone /pakɨnappɨ/ ([paˈɣɨnappɨ̥]), «fog».[152]
Poncho †
from Mapudungun pontho,[153] «woolen fabric», via Spanish.[154]
Potlatch †
from Nuuchahnulth (Nootka) p̉aƛp̉ač ([p’atɬp’aʧ], reduplication of p̉a, «to make ceremonial gifts in potlatch», with the iterative suffix -č) via Chinook Jargon.[155]
Salal †
from Chinook Trade Jargon [səˈlæl], from Lower Chinook salál.[156]
Saguaro †
via Spanish, from some indigenous language, possibly Opata.[157]
Sasquatch †
From Halkomelem [ˈsæsq’əts].[158]
Sego †
from Ute-Southern Paiute /siˈkuʔa/ ([siˈɣuʔa]).[159]
Sequoia †
from a Cherokee personal name, <Sikwayi>, with no further known etymology.[160]
Sockeye †
from Halkomelem /ˈsθəqəʔj/.[161]
Skookum †
from Chinook Jargon [ˈskukəm], «powerful, supernaturally dangerous», from Lower Chehalis skʷəkʷə́m, «devil, anything evil, spirit monster».[162][163]
Tamarin †
from a Cariban language, via French.[164]
Tipi †
from Lakota thípi, «house».[61]
Tupelo †
Perhaps from Creek ’topilwa, «swamp-tree», from íto, «tree» + opílwa, «swamp».[165]
Wapatoo †
from Chinook Jargon [ˈwapato], «arrowroot, wild potato», from Upper Chinook [wa]-, a noun prefix + [pato], which comes from Kalapuyan [pdóʔ], «wild potato».[166]
Yaupon †
from Catawba yąpą, from yą, «wood/tree» + pą, «leaf».[167]

See also

  • List of placenames of indigenous origin in the Americas
  • List of place names in Canada of Aboriginal origin
  • List of place names in New England of aboriginal origin

References

  1. ^ Klak, Thomas. «Historical Landscapes of the Miami». Myaamia Project. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Nichols, John, and Earl Nyholm. 1995. A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press
  3. ^ Some Illinois Words: Places
  4. ^ a b Campbell (1997:399)
  5. ^ Campbell (1997:395)
  6. ^ Chamberlain, Alexander F. (1902). «Algonkian Words in American English: A Study in the Contact of the White Man and the Indian». The Journal of American Folklore 15 (59): 240-267.
  7. ^ RHD (1987:129)
  8. ^ «Atamasco lily». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  9. ^ «Babiche». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-07.
  10. ^ RHD (1987:315-16)
  11. ^ RHD (1987:361)
  12. ^ Siebert (1975:323)
  13. ^ Rhodes, Richard A. 1985. Eastern Ojibwa-Chippewa-Ottawa Dictionary. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter
  14. ^ «Cisco». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Retrieved on 2007-05-01.
  15. ^ Campbell (1997:394)
  16. ^ Goddard, Ives (1984). «Synonymy». In «Arctic», ed. David Damas. Vol. 5 of Handbook of North American Indians, ed. William C. Sturtevant. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, pp. 5:5-6
  17. ^ RHD (1987:900)
  18. ^ «Hickory». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  19. ^ RHD (1987:915)
  20. ^ «Husky». Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  21. ^ «Kinkajou». Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  22. ^ RHD (1987:1058)
  23. ^ Bright (2004:291)
  24. ^ Siebert (1975:381)
  25. ^ «Moccasin». Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2008-07-07.
  26. ^ RHD (1987:1235)
  27. ^ Bright (2004:297)
  28. ^ a b c RHD (1987:1247)
  29. ^ RHD (1987:1261)
  30. ^ Bright (2004:304)
  31. ^ a b RHD (1987:1268)
  32. ^ RHD (1987:1359)
  33. ^ Siebert (1975:363)
  34. ^ «Comments by Michael McCafferty on «Readers’ Feedback (page 4)»». The KryssTal. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
  35. ^ «Opossum». Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
  37. ^ RHD (1987:1405)
  38. ^ RHD (1987:1427)
  39. ^ RHD (1987:1432)
  40. ^ Siebert (1975:367)
  41. ^ RHD (1987:1445)
  42. ^ RHD (1987:1474)
  43. ^ Siebert (1975:320)
  44. ^ RHD (1987:1503)
  45. ^ Bright (2004:397)
  46. ^ Siebert (1975:369)
  47. ^ RHD (1987:1563)
  48. ^ «Pung». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-11.
  49. ^ RHD (1987:1568)
  50. ^ RHD (1987:1578)
  51. ^ Bright (2004:406)
  52. ^ RHD (1987:1590)
  53. ^ Siebert (1975:370)
  54. ^ RHD (1987:1688)
  55. ^ a b Goddard, Ives (1978). «Eastern Algonquian languages», in «Northeast», ed. Bruce G. Trigger. Vol. 15 of Handbook of North American Indians, ed. William C. Sturtevant. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, pg. 75
  56. ^ RHD (1987:1768)
  57. ^ Bright (2004:452-453)
  58. ^ a b RHD (1987:1850)
  59. ^ RHD (1987:1899)
  60. ^ Siebert (1975:394)
  61. ^ a b Bright (2004:489)
  62. ^ RHD (1987:1960)
  63. ^ a b c RHD (1987:1990)
  64. ^ Bright (2004:499)
  65. ^ RHD (1987:1993)
  66. ^ «Totem». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2008-12-25.
  67. ^ Siebert (1975:397)
  68. ^ RHD (1987:2033)
  69. ^ RHD (1987:2034)
  70. ^ «Wampumpeag». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-31.
  71. ^ RHD (1987:2140)
  72. ^ RHD (1987:2141)
  73. ^ RHD (1987:2172)
  74. ^ RHD (1987:2173)
  75. ^ RHD (1987:2186)
  76. ^ «Axolotl». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-27.
  77. ^ «Chocolate». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  78. ^ Karttunen, Frances (1983). An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl. Austin: University of Texas Press, p. 54.
  79. ^ Dakin, Karen and Wichmann, Søren (2000). «Cacao and Chocolate: An Uto-Aztec perspective.» Ancient Mesoamerica, vol. 11, pp.55–75.
  80. ^ Merriam-Webster Dictionary online
  81. ^ Campbell (1997:403, n. 53)
  82. ^ RHD (1987:1585)
  83. ^ shack
  84. ^ Vocabulario Comparativo Quechua Cuzqueño-Quechua Boliviano(PDF)
  85. ^ «Suruqch’i». Webster’s Online Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-07-02.
  86. ^ Dictionary.com: Anorak
  87. ^ a b c d Foretescue, Michael, Steven Jacobson, and Lawrence Kaplan (1994). Comparative Eskimo Dictionary, with Aleut Cognates. Fairbanks: Alaska Native Language Center
  88. ^ Dictionary.com: Malamute
  89. ^ «nanuq». Asuilaak Living Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
  90. ^ «Anole». Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  91. ^ Campbell (1997:11)
  92. ^ «Anole». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Yourdictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  93. ^ «Barbecue». Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  94. ^ «Barbecue». Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  95. ^ Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cacique, 2008, accessed 1 July 2008
  96. ^ Taylor, Douglas. (1980). «A Note on the Derivation of the Word Cayman.» International Journal of American Linguistics 46:47-48
  97. ^ «Caiman». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. On yourdictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
  98. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary: Caiman
  99. ^ Bright (2004:80)
  100. ^ «Cassava». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
  101. ^ «Key». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
  102. ^ «Guava». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
  103. ^ «Hammock». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
  104. ^ «Hurricane». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
  105. ^ «Iguana». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
  106. ^ «Iguana». Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
  107. ^ «Maize». Oxford English Dictionary.
  108. ^ «Maize». Dictionary.com.
  109. ^ Bright (2004:265)
  110. ^ «Papaya». Oxford English Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-08-06.
  111. ^ Bright (2004:395)
  112. ^ RHD (1987:1707)
  113. ^ «Yucca». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
  114. ^ «Agouti». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Yourdictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  115. ^ «Agouti». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  116. ^ «Agouti». Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  117. ^ Bright (2004:84)
  118. ^ Bright (2004:124)
  119. ^ a b c d e Jensen, Cheryl (1999). «Tupí-Guaraní». In The Amazonian Languages, eds. R. M. W. Dixon and Alexandra Y. Aikhenvald, pp. 125-163. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pg. 126
  120. ^ «Jaguar». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2008-12-25.
  121. ^ RHD (1987:1475)
  122. ^ Bright (2004:480)
  123. ^ RHD (1987:2001)
  124. ^ Bright (2004:19)
  125. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary: Alpaca
  126. ^ Bright (2004:45)
  127. ^ Bright (2004:61)
  128. ^ Alan H. Hartley. The Inland Etymology of Camas
  129. ^ «Cannibal». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  130. ^ Campbell (1997:404-405)
  131. ^ «Cannibal». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  132. ^ Bright (2004:83)
  133. ^ Bright (2004:91)
  134. ^ Campbell (1997:397)
  135. ^ Mithun, Marianne (1999). The Languages of Native North America. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pg. 382
  136. ^ Dictionary.com: Chuckwalla
  137. ^ Dictionary.com: Coho salmon
  138. ^ Coho salmon
  139. ^ Oxford English Dictionary: Eulachon
  140. ^ Bright (2004:172)
  141. ^ «Geoduck». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  142. ^ «Geoduck». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Yourdictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  143. ^ Bright (2004:300)
  144. ^ Bright (2004:169)
  145. ^ «Hoochinoo». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-10.
  146. ^ «Hooch». American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Retrieved on 2007-05-10.
  147. ^ Bright (2004:194)
  148. ^ Bright (2004:232)
  149. ^ Simpson, George Gaylord (1941). «Vernacular Names of South American Mammals». Journal of Mammalogy 22.1:14
  150. ^ «Manatee». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
  151. ^ «Manatee». Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2007-04-02.
  152. ^ Bright (2004:389)
  153. ^ «Poncho». Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved on 2008-07-07.
  154. ^ «Poncho». Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved on 2008-07-07.
  155. ^ Oxford English Dictionary: Potlatch
  156. ^ Bright (2004:416)
  157. ^ RHD (1987:1691)
  158. ^ Bright (2004:422)
  159. ^ Bright (2004:429)
  160. ^ Bright (2004:432)
  161. ^ Bright (2004:455)
  162. ^ Bright (2004:452)
  163. ^ «Skookum». Dictionary.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
  164. ^ RHD (1987:1939)
  165. ^ RHD (1987:2036)
  166. ^ Bright (2004:547)
  167. ^ RHD (1987:2200)

Bibliography

  • Bright, William (2004). Native American Place Names of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press
  • Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press
  • Flexner, Stuart Berg and Leonore Crary Hauck, eds. (1987). The Random House Dictionary of the English Language [RHD], 2nd ed. (unabridged). New York: Random House.
  • Siebert, Frank T. (1975). «Resurrecting Virginia Algonquian from the Dead: The Reconstituted and Historical Phonology of Powhatan». In Studies in Southeastern Indian Languages, ed. James M. Crawford, pp. 285-453. Athens: University of Georgia Press

External links

  • Words in English from Amerindian Languages
  • Online Etymology Dictionary
  • Dictionary.com
  • Free Dictionary Translation

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Источник

Published October 11, 2019

As we all know, before Christopher Columbus landed on the Americas in 1492 the Native Americans had been living with the lush landscape for hundreds of thousands of years. Each tribe had its own traditions, religion, and languages.

Although many Native languages have gone extinct, there are still 150 languages spoken today. When more settlers came to North America, French and English speakers began synthesizing words from Native American languages into their own.

There are many words used today that owe their creation to the beautiful mixture of language. Many US states, indigenous animals, and foods are named using Native American languages.

So, what’s left to do but take a look at everyday words that come from Native languages?!

bayou

Bayous are dotted all across the southern United States. The best known are in Louisiana, home of myths and legends.

A bayou is “a marshy part of a river, lake, or stream in low-lying areas.” The bayous hold diverse wildlife like gators, herons, and raccoons.

The word bayou originates from the Choctaw bayuk, which means “creek.” These Native American people originally occupied land across the Southeastern United States and had alliances with Europeans like the French and Spanish. It’s during this intersection of language that bayuk synthesized into the word we know now: bayou.

raccoon

With their burglar masks and mischievous nature, raccoons are commonly found rifling through trash looking for leftovers (when they’re not in the bayou, that is). But this animal’s name also comes from a Native American tribe.

People belonging to the Algonquin tribe that lived in the area surrounding Virginia spoke Powhatan. The language is extinct now, and while not many words were recorded, linguists have deduced that arahkun was the word that became our raccoon.

kayak

For us, kayaking may be a fun activity to do in the summer, or a dangerous sport done in a treacherous whitewater river, but the Inuit people of Canada and Alaska use the kayak for hunting.

Inuktitut, the written and oral language of the Inuit, phonetically spells kayak as qajaq. They used many different kinds of kayaks, including the cigar-shaped vessel most commonly seen. Some had triple cockpits, and some were completely open. The first kayaks were originally made of animal skin!

barbecue

Who doesn’t love the savory smell of smoke and the salty zing of spices that come with cooking up a barbecue? The barbecue goes past being just a way to cook and is an event where people gather to celebrate with tasty food.

Down in the Caribbean, the Taíno people sure knew what they were doing when they hung up meat and vegetables above a fire and called it barbakoa. This translates to “framework of sticks.” When the Spanish encountered the Taíno in the 1650s, they took the method of cooking onward to mainland America and barbecue took off.

squash

Squash, otherwise known as gourds, are the hard vegetables enjoyed in the fall. They encompass varieties like butternut squash, pumpkin squash, and acorn squash. But, the original meaning of the squash is puzzling.

To be “eaten raw or uncooked” is how the Narragansett people of Rhode Island described the askutasquash. The Pilgrims had a different way of enjoying their gourds and prepared them in various ways. They were popularly baked, pureed, and simmered with other local vegetables. Which is better … that question is still up for debate.

pecan

The hearty pecan, on the other hand, is a nut that can definitely be eaten raw or uncooked. It’s especially delicious baked into a pecan pie bursting with sweetness. Pecans were eaten after the first Thanksgiving Day feast alongside a fire.

This is another word that comes from the Algonquian language, specifically the word pakani (or pakan depending on the region). Pakani, meaning “hard nut,” was used by a group of tribes known as the Illinois Confederation. The French incorporated this word into their own language as pacane, and English borrowed it from there.

Mississippi

A total of 26 states can directly trace their names to the Native American tribes that lived there, and Mississippi is one of them. The Mississippi River weaves through 10 states, all the way from the northern United States to the basin in Louisiana.

The Ojibwe people that lived where the river begins in Minnesota called it the misiziibi for “great river.” The Ojibwe people spoke the Ojibwe language, a branch of the Algonquian group of languages.

caucus

With presidential elections being highly televised, more Americans are aware of the word caucus.A caucus, in US politics, is “a meeting of party leaders meant to select leaders or strategize for elections.” Americans encounter this word in relation to meetings held across the country that determine who will be the party nominee in an election.Caucus possibly comes from the Algonquin word caucauasu  for “counselor” or “advisor.” The first written use of the word was in the Boston Gazette in 1760. Many theorize that the origin of the political usage is from the Caucus Club of Boston, a group of local leaders who had tons of political sway in the 1700s.

moccasin

This one may not be a huge surprise, even though moccasins are typically found in slipper form now, complete with fur on the inside to keep your feet warm. However, the moccasin is a historical to Native American culture.

Different tribes called the mocassin different words. For example: The Powhatan word is makasin. The Mi’kmaq called it a mksin. In Ojibwe, it’s a makizin.

A traditional Native American moccasin is made of leather formed into a U shape around the foot. They can have a hard of soft sole, and can be decorated with embroidery. Designs vary from tribe to tribe.

succotash

Sufferin’ succotash! This is what Sylvester the cat and Daffy Duck would say when they found themselves frustrated or exasperated. But what even is succotash?

Well, it’s a dish with sweet corn as the star ingredient. It usually includes some form of shell beans, okra, or other vegetables. Yum.

The dish is primarily found in New England, where the Narragansett people live. Sohquttahhash is their word for broken corn kernels.

Источник

The English language has a very long history. Like most European languages, it is part of the huge Indo-European language family, which began thousands of years ago in central Asia. Around the 16th century people began to speak something similar to the English that is spoken today. English is considered to be primarily a Germanic language, however, due to many invasions of the British Islands, there are thousands of words of Latin and French origin.

Since the British Empire set foot on the continent of America, there has been a small but interesting selection of words that have become part of the English dictionary. And, many of them are words that people have no idea are originally from native American languages. These are some of the only words that don’t have an Indo-European root that are today part of English.

Avocado

This delicious fruit that is very fashionable in the 21st century, has its origins in Ancient Aztec languages, of which the surviving language is known as Nahuati. The Spanish settlers in Mexico used the word aguacate, copying the Aztec/Nahuati āhuacatl. The English word avocado was derived from the Spanish aguacate. The South American Spanish name palta comes from Quechua.

Skunk

Zorrino. This is a little, furry, black and white animal, famous for it’s bad smell! The word skunk comes from the algonquian languages of Central and Southern United States, and is thought to have meant ‘urinating fox’.

Beef Jerky

Carne asada y ahumada. This dried meat snack is very popular in the United States. This word probably arrived through Spanish as well, but originates from the Quechua language of South America. In Bolivia and Peru ch’arki is commonly made using either llama or horse.

Chocolate

Both the words cocoa and chocolate have Aztec origins. The aztecs used kakawa to make xocolātl. Evidence has shown that Aztec people drank chocolate as far back as 4000 years ago.

Chili

The word Chili also comes from Aztec/Nahuati. All varieties of the capsicum plant, hot or not, come originally from The Americas. It is believed that Christopher Colombus named the local chili plant ‘pepper’ because its spicy heat was similar to the European black pepper.

Coca Cola

Possibly the most popular soft drink in the world. Coca Cola takes its name from its original recipe that included extracts from the coca plant. Coca, or kuka in Quechua and Aymara, is native to central and Western South America and was used for centuries in medicine, tea and in other ways, before being used to make cocaine in the 19th century. Coca Cola removed the coca plant from its recipe in 1903. The word Cola comes from the kola nut native to Africa, that was used for caffeine.

Barbecue

This cooking space and method of cooking takes its name from the Taino people of the Caribbean and Florida. A barabicu is thought to have been a pile of sticks used to cook. In Spanish a barbecue can either be la parrila or the asado itself.

Tomato

Today one of the most common ingredients in all countries of Europe, the tomato didn’t arrive to Europe until the Spanish colonisation of the Americas. People in South and Central America had been cooking with tomatoes for thousands of years. The word tomati was taken from the Aztecs to make the Spanish word tomate, from which the English name was taken.

So the next time you hear someone say that English is a Germanic language, you can amaze them with your anecdote of all the Native – American words that you know. And if you ever thought that avocado doesn’t sound very English, now you know why!

Do you have any questions? Do you know any other words that come Native American languages? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Источник

image748893722

When the English language arrived on the North American continent, the land was already home to hundreds of rich and diverse languages that had been developing there for thousands of years. This list is a sampling of some of the English words borrowed from those languages.

image1305769725

In earliest evidence, this word is spelled squuncke. The creature’s English name is taken from the one the given it by the Massachusett tribe. Their word, in turn, derived from an Algonquian one whose parts translate as «urinate» and «fox» or «fox-like animal.» (Algonquian is a family of Native American languages spoken by peoples from Labrador to Carolina and westward into the Great Plains.)

Other animals not formerly encountered by English speakers also received their English names from the names used by the native people of the continent: chipmunk is thought to come from an Ojibwa term meaning «red squirrel»; opossum traces back to an Algonquian word whose parts translate as «white» and «dog» or «small animal.» Raccoon, moose, and caribou are all borrowings (from Virginian Algonquian, Algonquian, and Micmac, respectively). Woodchuck also comes from Algonquian, with its English-sounding components appearing through a process known as folk etymology.

image1222647011

The word bayou evokes a uniquely southern scene of slow-moving water abounding in greenery. It’s often associated with Louisiana in particular, and the word itself does indeed come to English by way of Louisiana French. But it’s likely that the word’s ultimate source is thought to be the Choctaw bayok, an origin more apparent in the intermediary Louisiana French form bayouque.

image544338144

The hickory tree gets its name from a food the Algonquian speakers of Virginia called pawcohiccora. Pawcohiccora was made with pounded nuts and water. English speakers adapted the name of the food for the tree itself, and dubbed it pokahickory, which was later shortened to hickory.

Other trees get their names from North American indigenous languages as well. Catalpa and tupelo are both connected to Creek, with catalpa coming from katáłpa (itself from two parts: iká, meaning «head,» and táłpa, meaning «wing»), and tupelo possibly from a Creek word whose who roots mean «tree» and «swamp.» And some of these trees are better known for what they produce: pecan has its origin in the Illinois word pakani, and persimmon comes from Virginia Algonquian pessemmin.

image1149254595

No one is surprised that the word tepee comes from a Native American language. The conical structures used especially by some tribes of the Great Plains and made from frames that were historically covered in animal skins have become emblematic in American pop culture of the Plains Native Americans. The word is borrowed from the Dakota thípi, the root of which means «to dwell.» The spellings teepee and, less commonly, tipi are also in use.

image1685435830

Toboggan came to English by way of Canadian French, but its origin is ultimately Algonquian. The word shares an ancestor with the Micmac tobâgun, meaning «drag made of skin.» Though toboggan typically refers to a long flat-bottomed sled, its meaning sometimes extends to what toboggans work best on («a downward course or a sharp decline»). It’s unclear how the word came also to refer to the long knitted cone-shaped cap better known as a stocking cap. That use is mainly limited to the southern and midland US.

image2129338330

Powwow is another term with an unsurprising origin. The word is from either of two Native American languages: Narragansett (the word powwaw) or Massachusett (pauwau). Both languages are members of the Algonquian family, the former having been spoken in what is now Rhode Island and the latter having been spoken in what is now Massachusetts. Although these days the word powwow refers to a multi-day cultural celebration, our earliest uses of the English word powwow refer to a Native American healer.

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When groups of English speakers began to settle on the North American continent, the word squash was already part of their vocabulary. It was a verb used as a synonym of crush, as it still is today, and it was also a noun referring to an unripe pod of peas; Shakespeare used that now-obsolete meaning in several plays (In Twelfth Night Malvolio describes Viola-in-disguise as «Not yet old enough for a man, nor young enough for a boy; / as a squash is before ’tis a peascod.») The zucchini, pumpkins, and their botanical relations that we now know as squash were in the Narragansett language called askútasquash. That word was borrowed into English as isquoutersquash, which was later shortened and altered to match an earlier word the English speakers were familiar with: squash.

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Totem in its original English sense refers to an emblematic depiction of something (such as an animal, plant, or supernatural being) that symbolizes a family or tribe. Nowadays, it more broadly refers to something or someone that is a revered symbol or emblem of something. The word is Ojibwa in origin, borrowed from oto·te·man, meaning «his totem.»

Geographical Terms

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While the English language has adopted a tiny fraction of general vocabulary terms from the extraordinarily diverse and numerous indigenous languages of North America, evidence of these languages is starkly present on any map of the area. From the names of states, cities, and towns to the names of rivers, lakes, mountains, and deserts, the contributions of Native American languages are omnipresent, and too many to catalog here.

For a sampling, the following are names of tribes that have been applied to places, including states (Illinois, Delaware, Massachusett, Iowa, Kansas, Alabama, Missouri), cities and towns (Miami, Montauk, Mobile, Biloxi, Cheyenne, Natchez, Wichita, Spokan, Walla Walla, Yuma), rivers and lakes (Erie, Huron, Missouri), and mountains and deserts (Apalachee, Teton, Mohave, Shasta).

More place names come from other indigenous words. Connecticut, which names both a state and a river, comes from an Algonquian word meaning «land on the long tidal river,» and the state of Wyoming gets its name from a Delaware word meaning «land of vast plains.»

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Monday was Columbus Day in the United States.  Traditionally, American schools taught children that the Italian explorer has a holiday because he “discovered the New World.” That’s not true, of course. But he did ignite a cultural exchange that shaped the world we live in today.

For example, Europeans discovered now-familiar foods like tomatoes and chocolate. Native Americans discovered hard liquor and learned to ride horses. The Europeans brought the deadly gift of smallpox. The natives gave them syphilis in return. The exchange went both ways … but the Native Americans invariably got the short end of the stick.

This pattern continued when it came to language. Many native languages were lost forever. But some words from indigenous languages live on today as loanwords. For example, check out these 12 English words with Native American origins:

English Words That Come From Algonquian

The Algonquian language family consists of about 30 languages spoken by Native Americans across the US and Canada.  Unfortunately, many of these languages are either severely endangered or extinct.  Did you know these four words were originally Algonquian?

Well, now you do.

Caucus:  Wikipedia defines a “caucus” as “a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement.”Although it originated in the British colonies, it’s used across the English-speaking world now.  It may originate from the Algonquian word for “counsel”, which is ‘cau´-cau-as´u’. Another possibility is the Algonquian cawaassough, which means advisor, talker, or orator.

Hickory: Hickory dickory dock, the mouse ran up the clock … Thank the Algonquians for this old nursery rhyme, It wouldn’t be the same without hickory, which comes from the Powhatan word pocohiquara. Pocohiquara was basically hickory nut milk.  The next trendy nut milk at your local supermarket, maybe?

Possum or Opossum: This odd-looking animal known for playing dead when threatened. Its name comes from the Powhatan word apasum, which translates to “white dog-like animal.” When Europeans colonized Australia, they borrowed the word to describe an unrelated but similar marsupial.

Woodchuck: How much wood would a woodchuck chuck? None, if not for Narragansetts, who named this little animal ockqutchaun. This was later anglicized into “woodchuck,” which sounds as if it could have been part of the English language forever.

English Words that Come From Nahuatl

Nahuatl is a family of languages and dialects that hail from Mesoamerica. It was the language of the Aztecs. But you probably speak a few words of Nahuatl, too. Check out these loanwords:

Avocado: Why do we call avocados “avocados?” Because the Aztecs thought they looked like testicles.  No joke, the word avocado originates from the Nahuatl word  āhuacatl, which means “avocado” or “testicle.”

Chili: Chili peppers originated in the New World. Did you know there were no chili peppers anywhere else in the world until after the Columbian exchange? It’s hard to imagine Indian food or Thai food without them! Chili comes from the Nahuatl word chīlli. 

Shack: The word “shack” likely comes from xahcalli, which means “grass hut.”

English Words that Come from Arawakan Languages

Traditionally, the Arawakan language family was spoken throughout South America, in Central America in the Caribbean. When Columbus first landed in the Bahamas, the natives spoke an Arawakan language.

In honour of those long-gone natives and the languages they spoke, here are 5 familiar words that made their way from Arawakan languages into English.

Barbecue: These days, the United States and Australia are both famous for barbeque. But they didn’t invent the word. It comes from the Arawakan word barbakoa,  which means “framework of sticks.”

Canoe: The word canoe comes from the Taíno word kanowa, or “boat.”

Hammock: Hammocks symbolize relaxation around the world today. For that, we can thank the Taíno and their hamaka.

Savanna: When you hear the word “savanna”, do you think of Africa? Africa’s savannas are iconic, but the word itself comes from the Taíno word sabana. 

Cannibal: Cannibalism is one of humanity’s oldest taboos. Accusations of cannibalism (true or not) have also been frequently used to characterise indigenous people as “savages” and fair game to be enslaved or colonised.  You can see this tendency in the origins of the word itself. “Cannibal” comes from the Taíno word kaniba. And kaniba means “person from the Caribbean.”

There’s a movement afoot in the US to reclaim Columbus Day for Native Americans.  Some cities and states have begun to celebrate “National Indigenous Peoples Day” instead of Columbus Day.  Some people call Columbus a courageous explorer. Others call him a deranged, blood-and-gold obsessed lunatic (and no matter what else he was, he was that). Either way, it’s important to honour the native people who lost so much as a result of his “discovery.”

Did any of the words with Native American origins in this list surprise you? Let us know in the comments!

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Here are 8.

Edit:

English Words Coined in America:

Pre-empt, Deregulate, Enthuse, Internalize, Emote, Panhandle, Fuddy-Duddy, Humdinger, Cockamamie, Doohickey, Twister, Dust Bowl, Weatherize, Blizzard, Indian Summer, Nor’easter which is a contraction of North and Eastern, Icky, Murderee which is no longer used, Widget who has gained an additional meaning to its original since the creation of computers, Petting, Wicked in the positive use of the word, Daiquiri, Normalcy, Cowabunga, Dude, Malarky, Ornery, Valedictorian, Lollapalooza, Poppycock, Cattywampus, Highfalutin, Conniption, Discombobulated, Boondoggle, Cahoots,

Nouns that Originate from Native American Languages:

Squash, Skunk, Chipmunk, Raccoon, Hickory, Opossum

Acronyms created in America:

SNAFU — Situation Normal All Fucked Up

RADAR — Radio Detection And Ranging

SCUBA — Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

AWOL — Absent Without Leave

ASAP — As Soon As Possible

FUBAR — Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition

I finally had time to rewatch a lot of Lost in the Pond YouTube videos after work and transcribed a lot of the words I liked in this list.

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The United States has given the English lexicon thousands of words, meanings, and phrases. Several thousand are now used in English as spoken internationally. Some words are only used within North American English and American English.

Creation of an American lexiconEdit

The process of coining new lexical items started as soon as the colonists began borrowing names for unfamiliar flora, fauna, and topography from the Native American languages.[1] Examples of such names are opossum, raccoon, squash and moose (from Algonquian).[1] Other Native American loanwords, such as wigwam or moccasin, describe articles in common use among Native Americans. The languages of the other colonizing nations also added to the American vocabulary; for instance, cookie, cruller, stoop, and pit (of a fruit) from Dutch; angst, kindergarten, sauerkraut from German,[2] levee, portage («carrying of boats or goods») and (probably) gopher from French; barbecue[dubious – discuss], stevedore, and rodeo from Spanish.[3][4][5][6]

Among the earliest and most notable regular «English» additions to the American vocabulary, dating from the early days of colonization through the early 19th century, are terms describing the features of the North American landscape; for instance, run, branch, fork, snag, bluff, gulch, neck (of the woods), barrens, bottomland, notch, knob, riffle, rapids, watergap, cutoff, trail, timberline and divide.[citation needed] Already existing words such as creek, slough, sleet and (in later use) watershed received new meanings that were unknown in England.[citation needed]

Other noteworthy American toponyms are found among loanwords; for example, prairie, butte (French); bayou (Choctaw via Louisiana French); coulee (Canadian French, but used also in Louisiana with a different meaning); canyon, mesa, arroyo (Spanish); vlei, skate, kill (Dutch, Hudson Valley).

The word corn, used in England to refer to wheat (or any cereal), came to denote the plant Zea mays, the most important crop in the U.S., originally named Indian corn by the earliest settlers; wheat, rye, barley, oats, etc. came to be collectively referred to as grain. Other notable farm related vocabulary additions were the new meanings assumed by barn (not only a building for hay and grain storage, but also for housing livestock) and team (not just the horses, but also the vehicle along with them), as well as, in various periods, the terms range, (corn) crib, truck, elevator, sharecropping and feedlot.[citation needed]

Ranch, later applied to a house style, derives from Mexican Spanish; most Spanish contributions came after the War of 1812, with the opening of the West. Among these are, other than toponyms, chaps (from chaparreras), plaza, lasso, bronco, buckaroo, rodeo; examples of «English» additions from the cowboy era are bad man,[clarification needed] maverick, chuck («food») and Boot Hill; from the California Gold Rush came such idioms as hit pay dirt or strike it rich. The word blizzard probably originated in the West. A couple of notable late 18th century additions are the verb belittle and the noun bid, both first used in writing by Thomas Jefferson.[citation needed]

With the new continent developed new forms of dwelling, and hence a large inventory of words designating real estate concepts (land office, lot, outlands, waterfront, the verbs locate and relocate, betterment, addition, subdivision), types of property (log cabin, adobe in the 18th century; frame house, apartment, tenement house, shack, shanty in the 19th century; project, condominium, townhouse, split-level, mobile home, multi-family in the 20th century), and parts thereof (driveway, breezeway, backyard, dooryard; clapboard, siding, trim, baseboard; stoop (from Dutch), family room, den; and, in recent years, HVAC, central air, walkout basement).[citation needed]

Ever since the American Revolution, a great number of terms connected with the U.S. political institutions have entered the language; examples are run (i.e, for office), gubernatorial, primary election, carpetbagger (after the Civil War), repeater, lame duck (a British term used originally in Banking)[7] and pork barrel. Some of these are internationally used (for example, caucus, gerrymander, filibuster, exit poll).

19th century onwardsEdit

The development of material innovations during the Industrial Revolution throughout the 19th and 20th centuries was the source of a massive stock of distinctive new concepts, with their accompanying new words, phrases and idioms. Typical examples are the vocabulary of railroading (see further at rail terminology) and transportation terminology, ranging from names of roads (from dirt roads and back roads to freeways and parkways) to road infrastructure (parking lot, overpass, rest area), and from automotive terminology to public transit (for example, in the sentence «riding the subway downtown«); such American introductions as commuter (from commutation ticket), concourse, to board (a vehicle), to park, double-park and parallel park (a car), double decker or the noun terminal have long been used in all dialects of English.[8]

Trades of various kinds have endowed (American) English with household words describing jobs and occupations (bartender, longshoreman, patrolman, hobo, bouncer, bellhop, roustabout, white collar, blue collar, employee, boss [from Dutch], intern, busboy, mortician, senior citizen), businesses and workplaces (department store, supermarket, thrift store, gift shop, drugstore, motel, main street, gas station, hardware store, savings and loan, hock [also from Dutch]), as well as general concepts and innovations (automated teller machine, smart card, cash register, dishwasher, reservation [as at hotels], pay envelope, movie, mileage, shortage, outage, blood bank).[citation needed]

Already existing English words—such as store, shop, dry goods, haberdashery, lumber—underwent shifts in meaning; some—such as mason, student, clerk, the verbs can (as in «canned goods»), ship, fix, carry, enroll (as in school), run (as in «run a business»), release and haul—were given new significations, while others (such as tradesman) have retained meanings that disappeared in England. From the world of business and finance came break-even, merger, delisting, downsize, disintermediation, bottom line; from sports terminology came, jargon aside, Monday-morning quarterback, cheap shot, game plan (football); in the ballpark, out of left field, off base, hit and run, and many other idioms from baseball; gamblers coined bluff, blue chip, ante, bottom dollar, raw deal, pass the buck, ace in the hole, freeze-out, showdown; miners coined bedrock, bonanza, peter out, pan out and the verb prospect from the noun; and railroadmen are to be credited with make the grade, sidetrack, head-on, and the verb railroad. A number of Americanisms describing material innovations remained largely confined to North America: elevator, ground, gasoline; many automotive terms fall in this category, although many do not (hatchback, sport utility vehicle, station wagon, tailgate, motorhome, truck, pickup truck, to exhaust).[citation needed]

In addition to the above-mentioned loans from French, Spanish, Mexican Spanish, Dutch, and Native American languages, other accretions from foreign languages came with 19th and early 20th century immigration; notably, from Yiddish (chutzpah, schmooze, tush) and German—hamburger and culinary terms like frankfurter/franks, liverwurst, sauerkraut, wiener, deli(catessen); scram, kindergarten, gesundheit;[9] musical terminology (whole note, half note, etc.); and apparently cookbook, fresh («impudent») and what gives? Such constructions as Are you coming with? and I like to dance (for «I like dancing») may also be the result of German or Yiddish influence.[10]

Finally, a large number of English colloquialisms from various periods are American in origin; some have lost their American flavor (from OK and cool to nerd and 24/7), while others have not (have a nice day, for sure);[11][12] many are now distinctly old-fashioned (swell, groovy). Some English words now in general use, such as hijacking, disc jockey, boost, bulldoze and jazz, originated as American slang. Among the many English idioms of U.S. origin are get the hang of, bark up the wrong tree, keep tabs, run scared, take a backseat, have an edge over, stake a claim, take a shine to, in on the ground floor, bite off more than one can chew, off/on the wagon, stay put, inside track, stiff upper lip, bad hair day, throw a monkey wrench/monkeywrenching, under the weather, jump bail, come clean, come again?, it ain’t over till it’s over, and what goes around comes around.[citation needed]

MorphologyEdit

American English has always shown a marked tendency to use nouns as verbs.[13] Examples of verbed nouns are interview, advocate, vacuum, lobby, pressure, rear-end, transition, feature, profile, spearhead, skyrocket, showcase, service (as a car), corner, torch, exit (as in «exit the lobby»), factor (in mathematics), gun («shoot»), author (which disappeared in English around 1630 and was revived in the U.S. three centuries later) and, out of American material, proposition, graft (bribery), bad-mouth, vacation, major, backpack, backtrack, intern, ticket (traffic violations), hassle, blacktop, peer-review, dope and OD, and, of course verbed as used at the start of this sentence.

Compounds coined in the U.S. are for instance foothill, flatlands, badlands, landslide (in all senses), overview (the noun), backdrop, teenager, brainstorm, bandwagon, hitchhike, smalltime, deadbeat, frontman, lowbrow and highbrow, hell-bent, foolproof, nitpick, about-face (later verbed), upfront (in all senses), fixer-upper, no-show; many of these are phrases used as adverbs or (often) hyphenated attributive adjectives: non-profit, for-profit, free-for-all, ready-to-wear, catchall, low-down, down-and-out, down and dirty, in-your-face, nip and tuck; many compound nouns and adjectives are open: happy hour, fall guy, capital gain, road trip, wheat pit, head start, plea bargain; some of these are colorful (empty nester, loan shark, ambulance chaser, buzz saw, ghetto blaster, dust bunny), others are euphemistic (differently abled (physically challenged), human resources, affirmative action, correctional facility).

Many compound nouns have the form verb plus preposition: add-on, stopover, lineup, shakedown, tryout, spin-off, rundown («summary»), shootout, holdup, hideout, comeback, cookout, kickback, makeover, takeover, rollback («decrease»), rip-off, come-on, shoo-in, fix-up, tie-in, tie-up («stoppage»), stand-in. These essentially are nouned phrasal verbs; some prepositional and phrasal verbs are in fact of American origin (spell out, figure out, hold up, brace up, size up, rope in, back up/off/down/out, step down, miss out, kick around, cash in, rain out, check in and check out (in all senses), fill in («inform»), kick in or throw in («contribute»), square off, sock in, sock away, factor in/out, come down with, give up on, lay off (from employment), run into and across («meet»), stop by, pass up, put up (money), set up («frame»), trade in, pick up on, pick up after, lose out).[citation needed][14]

Noun endings such as -ee (retiree), -ery (bakery), -ster (gangster) and -cian (beautician) are also particularly productive.[13] Some verbs ending in -ize are of U.S. origin; for example, fetishize, prioritize, burglarize, accessorize, itemize, editorialize, customize, notarize, weatherize, winterize, Mirandize; and so are some back-formations (locate, fine-tune, evolute, curate, donate, emote, upholster, peeve and enthuse). Among syntactical constructions that arose in the U.S. are as of (with dates and times), outside of, headed for, meet up with, back of, convince someone to, not about to and lack for.

Americanisms formed by alteration of some existing words include notably pesky, phony, rambunctious, pry (as in «pry open», from prize), putter (verb), buddy, sundae, skeeter, sashay and kitty-corner. Adjectives that arose in the U.S. are for example, lengthy, bossy, cute and cutesy, grounded (of a child), punk (in all senses), sticky (of the weather), through (as in «through train», or meaning «finished»), and many colloquial forms such as peppy or wacky. American blends include motel, guesstimate, infomercial and televangelist.[citation needed]

English words that survived in the United States and not in the United KingdomEdit

A number of words and meanings that originated in Middle English or Early Modern English and that have been in everyday use in the United States dropped out in most varieties of British English; some of these have cognates in Lowland Scots. Terms such as fall («autumn»), faucet («tap»), diaper («nappy»), candy («sweets»), skillet, eyeglasses and obligate are often regarded as Americanisms. Fall for example came to denote the season in 16th century England, a contraction of Middle English expressions like «fall of the leaf» and «fall of the year».[15]

During the 17th century, English immigration to the British colonies in North America was at its peak and the new settlers took the English language with them. While the term fall gradually became obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America. Gotten (past participle of get) is often considered to be an Americanism, although there are some areas of Britain, such as Lancashire and North East England, that still continue to use it and sometimes also use putten as the past participle for put (which is not done by most speakers of American English).[16]

Other words and meanings, to various extents, were brought back to Britain, especially in the second half of the 20th century; these include hire («to employ»), quit («to stop», which spawned quitter in the U.S.), I guess (famously criticized by H. W. Fowler), baggage, hit (a place), and the adverbs overly and presently («currently»). Some of these, for example monkey wrench and wastebasket, originated in 19th century Britain.

The mandative subjunctive (as in «the City Attorney suggested that the case not be closed«) is livelier in American English than it is in British English. It appears in some areas as a spoken usage and is considered obligatory in contexts that are more formal. The adjectives mad meaning «angry», smart meaning «intelligent», and sick meaning «ill» are also more frequent in American (these meanings are also frequent in Hiberno-English) than British English.[17][18][19]

Regionally distinct vocabulary within the United StatesEdit

Linguist Bert Vaux created a survey, completed in 2003, polling English speakers across the United States about the specific words they would use in everyday speech for various concepts.[20] This 2003 study concluded that:

  • For a «long sandwich that contains cold cuts, lettuce, and so on», the most common term found in the survey, throughout the country (preferred by 77% of the participants), was the word sub (an abbreviation for submarine sandwich). The New York metropolitan area shows the greatest variety of terms for this idea in one single region, largely counting for the 5% of the survey who preferred the term hero, nearly 7% (which is even more prevalent in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, including southern New Jersey as well as eastern Pennsylvania) who preferred hoagie, and just less than 3% (also notably prevalent throughout New England, except Maine) who prefer grinder.
  • The U.S. is largely divided about the «generic term for a sweetened carbonated beverage». Nearly 53% of the surveyed sample preferred soda, particularly in the Northeast, eastern Wisconsin, Greater St. Louis, the far West, and some of South Florida, with it also called tonic in some parts of southeastern New England. Over 25% preferred pop, particularly around the Midwest (including the Great Lakes region) and the Western regions along the Canada–United States border. Over 12% preferred coke (which is also trademarked for a specific cola product), particularly scattered throughout the South. Urban, coastal California speakers use all three terms, though especially soda. Speakers of the West generally use soda or pop.[21]
  • The most common word or phrase «to address a group of two or more people» (in the second person) was you guys at almost 43%, particularly throughout the Northeast and Great Lakes region (along with simply you at nearly 13%). Y’all was preferred by 14%, particularly in the South, but reaching somewhat noticeably into the Northern regions as well. Yous(e) was largely confined to the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas, at just over 0.5%. The expression «yinz» is a distinctive feature of Western Pennsylvania speech.
  • The most common term for generic, rubber-soled shoes worn for athletic activities is sneakers as said by 46% of those surveyed throughout the country, but particularly in the Northeast. 41%, particularly outside the Northeast, said tennis shoes. Several much rarer other terms were also documented in various regions of the country.
  • Nearly 68% of the participating speakers make no distinction between dinner and supper, or simply never use the term supper.
  • 64% of the participants said they use «Where are you at?» to mean «How are you coming along?» This also incorporated the 34% who use «Where are you at?» in any context, for example, to even mean «Where are you physically located right now?»
  • Freshwater «miniature lobsters» were identified by 40% of polled speakers as crawfish, 32% as crayfish, and 19% as crawdads within no particular regional boundaries, except that crayfish was especially uncommon in the South. 5% reported having no term for this animal.
  • The most common nicknames for grandparents were grandpa/grampa and grandma/gramma.
  • Nearly all American English speakers called the lampyrid insect a firefly or lightning bug, with nearly 40% using the two terms interchangeably.
  • The use of the word anymore with a positive sense, simply as a synonym for nowadays (e.g. I do only figurative paintings anymore), was reported as sounding acceptable to 5% of participants. However, in example sentences with a clearly disheartened tone or dismissive attitude, the positive use of anymore sounded acceptable to as many as 29% of participants (e.g. Forget your baby wearing nice clothes anymore). This rare use of the word was observed much more around Pennsylvania and going westward into the Midland region.
  • The «wheeled contraption» for carrying groceries was identified by 77% of participants as a shopping cart and by nearly 14% as a grocery cart. 4% preferred the term buggy: a clearly Southern phenomenon.

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ a b Principles of English etymology: The native element — Walter William Skeat. At the Clarendon Press. 1892. p. 1. Retrieved 2015-06-01 – via Internet Archive. moose etymology.
  2. ^ «You Already Know Some German Words!». Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  3. ^ ««The history of Mexican folk foodways of South Texas: Street vendors, o» by Mario Montano». Repository.upenn.edu. 1992-01-01. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
  4. ^ Gorrell, Robert M. (2001). What’s in a Word?: Etymological Gossip about Some Interesting English Words — Robert M. Gorrell. ISBN 9780874173673. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
  5. ^ The Pocket Gophers of the United States — Vernon Bailey. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy. 1895. p. 9. Retrieved 2015-06-01 – via Internet Archive. gaufre .
  6. ^ Mencken, H. L. (January 2010). The American Language: A Preliminary Inquiry Into the Development of English … — H. L. Mencken. ISBN 9781616402594. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
  7. ^ «Lame Duck». Word Detective.com. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  8. ^ A few of these are now chiefly found, or have been more productive, outside the U.S.; for example, jump, «to drive past a traffic signal»; block meaning «building», and center, «central point in a town» or «main area for a particular activity» (cf. Oxford English Dictionary).
  9. ^ «The Maven’s Word of the Day: gesundheit». Random House. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  10. ^ Trudgill, Peter (2004). New-Dialect Formation: The Inevitability of Colonial Englishes.
  11. ^ «Definition of day noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary». Oup.com. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  12. ^ «Definition of sure adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary». Oup.com. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  13. ^ a b Trudgill, p. 69.
  14. ^ British author George Orwell (in English People, 1947, cited in OED s.v. lose) criticized an alleged «American tendency» to «burden every verb with a preposition that adds nothing to its meaning (win out, lose out, face up to, etc.)».
  15. ^ Harper, Douglas. «fall». Online Etymology Dictionary.
  16. ^ A Handbook of Varieties of English, Bernd Kortmann & Edgar W. Schneider, Walter de Gruyter, 2004, p. 115.
  17. ^ «angry». Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  18. ^ «intelligent». Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  19. ^ «Definition of ill adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary». Oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. Archived from the original on 2013-05-27. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  20. ^ Vaux, Bert and Scott Golder. 2003. The Harvard Dialect Survey Archived 2016-04-30 at the Wayback Machine. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Linguistics Department.
  21. ^ Katz, Joshua (2013). «Beyond ‘Soda, Pop, or Coke.’ North Carolina State University.
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They say that Britain and America are separated by a common language. While they are essentially the same, British and American English also differ a great deal, with some words holding completely different meanings depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on.

British English borrows plenty of words and phrases from American English, and vice versa, and this helps to create an even richer array of words and phrases for us to liven up our conversations and writing with. It’s fascinating to see American words travel from some of the most unexpected places, and into the mainstream use of people on the other side of the ocean.

Here we take a look at some of our favourite typical American words and explore their meanings.

1. Cool

No word is more American than cool, and the word has come a long way. It’s said to have first appeared in 1930s America as a Black English slang word for fashionable. The tenor saxophonist Lester Young is credited with making the word popular in jazz circles, and by the 1950s it was in wide circulation thanks to the success of jazz stars like Miles Davis and his Birth of the Cool. Back then it meant a laid back style, or something that was great – even then the word cool was incredibly flexible, and had several meanings. Similar words that were popular at the time, like groovy, rad or fly are no longer around in mainstream conversation in the same way, but for some reason cool survived. Today it has even more meanings – a person or thing that’s hip or trendy, to be aloof or stand-offish with someone, to be socially adept, to be highly skilled or clever. It’s a word that has intrigued linguists for decades, and even today articles appear trying to get to grips with all of the word’s meanings and its rich history.

2. Awesome

Here’s another word whose meaning has changed a great deal over the years. Originally this word meant to cause awe or terror, to inspire wonder or excitement. Nowadays it has been accepted into American and British English slang as a word that means excellent, exciting or remarkable. You’ll hear this word used a lot in teen movies, where it became increasingly popular in the 80s and 90s along with words like excellent, radical, and totally extreme.

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3. Gosh

Gosh is an exclamation that’s surprisingly old, and a great example of one of the most popular euphemisms in English. As it is a euphemism, the word gosh has no real meaning – it’s not supposed to. Euphemisms are invented words that are used in place of words that are taboo, that should not be said. In this case, Gosh is a common euphemism for the word God in phrases such as Oh My Gosh or By Gosh or just Gosh. Because it was considered blasphemous to say the Lord’s name in vain, people avoided using the word God and invented many substitute words, or euphemisms, to use in its place in order to be polite and not offend God. It seems people have been trying to keep on the right side of God for a long time, as the Oxford English Dictionary lists the earliest known use of the word Gosh as 1757. Some other similar examples that you’ll still hear all over America are Golly and Gee, which is a euphemism for Jesus.

4. Dude

Here’s another informal American English word you’re bound to have come across. No one knows precisely where and when this word first appeared, but we do know it’s American. Originally the word dude was used to describe man who was overly concerned with his clothes, fashion and appearance, and also in the Western US as a term for a rich man from the city who vacations on a ranch – so originally it was used as a put-down, to make fun of a certain type of gentleman. But today the meaning is almost reversed, describing a man you think is cool, or great. As Bill and Ted do a great job of explaining, it’s also used all the time as a greeting – “Hi dude, how’s it going?” But women can and do call each other dude now too. It’s also used as an exclamation, to show shock or surprise – “Dude! That’s really expensive!”

5. Faucet

In American bathrooms and kitchens you’ll find plenty of faucets. A faucet is ‘a device by which a flow of liquid or gas from a pipe or container can be controlled’, or, you’ll know it more simply as a tap. This word has been around since the 19th century and can be traced back to a late Middle English word given to a bung for the vent-hole of a cask, or a tap for drawing liquor from a container, and in turn from the Old French fausset meaning to bore. So this is an example of the wide array of words that have been incorporated into the American language from all over the world, in this case, French settlers.

faucet

6. Diaper

You won’t ever hear of people changing their baby’s nappy in America, you’ll hear about them changing their baby’s diaper. This word for a nappy has a surprisingly romantic origin too! Diaper has been around since the 12th century and comes from the Middle English word diapre meaning made of diaper. This doesn’t help us understand too much, but when we trace that Middle English word back to its Ancient Greek origin it all becomes clear: di means of, and aspros means white. This became diaspros, and then diaper, meaning pure white (at least they are until a baby has worn them for a while…!)

7. Bangs

This is an unusual one, and it shows you just how different American and British English can be. In British English, bangs would be used to describe a load sound, like a gun going off. In American English, however, bangs are a fringe of hair that’s cut straight across the forehead. This use of the word comes from one meaning of the word ‘bang’ which means ‘abrupt’, as a full fringe cuts across the forehead quite abruptly, creating a strong line.

8. Booger

This is an American word for what the British would more often call a bogey – a piece of nasal mucus. It turns out people have been picking their noses for boogers for a long time, as the word has been traced all the way back to 1866!  But the term can also be used as a name for a bogeyman, a spook, hobgoblin or scary apparition. It most likely comes from the Old English word boggard meaning goblin – which is another slimy green thing!

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9. Antsy

Ever feel agitated? Impatient? Restless? Then you’ve definitely been antsy. This word originated in North America and can be traced back to the mid-19th century. It’s believed to have come from the popular phrase ‘to have ants in your pants’ – something that would understandably make you feel very agitated!

10. Benjamins

Have you ever heard the phrase ‘Money makes the world go round?’ Then you’ll definitely understand the phrase ‘All about the Benjamins’. This Puff Daddy and Notorious B.I.G. hit helped popularise this word outside of American hip-hop and street culture. A ‘Benjamin’ is a slang term for an American $100 dollar bill, because these bills feature the face of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of America. So if something is all about the Benjamins, it’s all about the money.

Wil

Wil is a writer, teacher, learning technologist and keen language learner. He’s taught English in classrooms and online for nearly 10 years, trained teachers in using classroom and web technology, and written e-learning materials for several major websites. He speaks four languages and is currently looking for another one to start learning.

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