LEXICON LEGACY

10 English Words You Didn't Know Come From Native American Languages

Image: David Trinks

Ever paused a conversation to think about where our words come from? It's not something most people do, right? However, some of the words we use every day have origins that might surprise you. English has terms and expressions with varied germs, with roots from far-off places like Japan! But there are others that originated here in the Americas, like "hurricane," "chocolate," and "raccoon," which all hail from Native American languages.

If you want to know more about the stories behind these terms, join us as we uncover the fascinating origins and meanings of 10 English words rooted in Native American languages!

Image: J D

You are probably familiar with a charming animal known as the Virginia opossum. This unique creature holds the title of being the only marsupial species native to North America, and it was the Powhatan people, early inhabitants of Virginia's Tidewater region, who gave this particular animal its name.

Our word "opossum" comes from the Algonquian Powhatan term apässum****. But what does apässum mean? Well, it simply **translates to "white animal,"**describing some of the color shades of this cute little beast.

Image: Kier in Sight Archives

Who can resist the temptation of a delicious piece of chocolate? Definitely not us! This treat is still the star in confectionery and pastry shops, but did you know its history goes back many centuries?

In fact, we thank the ancient Mesoamericans —Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs— not just for the tasty chocolate itself, but also for giving us the word we use to name it.

In Nahuatl, the Aztec language, xocolātl (translated to "bitter water") referred to the bitter drink they made from the chocolate plant. When the Spanish arrived, they embraced both the delicious product and its name. The Nahuatl word "xocolātl" evolved into the Spanish chocolate, which soon spread across Europe. The name then took on similar forms in various languages, including English (chocolate), German (schokolade), French (chocolat), and Italian (cioccolato).

Image: Eric Lagergren

Have you ever put your feet into a good pair of moccasins? Even if you haven't, we are sure you are familiar with this type of shoes. Whether you wear them indoors as slippers or outdoors as stylish casual footwear, we have Native Americans to thank for these practical shoes.

It was the Powhatan people who gave these shoes their name, using the word makasin, which eventually transformed into the English term "moccasin." Back in the 17th century and earlier, this word specifically described a type of footwear typically made from soft deerskin, with a sole made from a single piece of leather.

Image: Marco Oriolesi

This is another word that reflects the flexible and adaptive nature of language. Although its origin is debated, one theory suggests that "caucus" might come from the Algonquian word caucauasu, which means "counselor" or "advisor."

The word as we know it today first appeared in English in the mid-18th century. In fact, one of its earliest known uses comes from the writings of none other than John Adams in 1763, when he used it to describe a meeting of political party members.

Image: Gary Bendig

The opossum isn't the only creature named by Native Americans. Just like many other animals living near Indigenous communities, the raccoon also owes its name to the Powhatan people.

The original Powhatan word for raccoon is aroughcun or arathkone. It can be translated to "the one that scratches with hands," describing one of the typical behaviors of raccoons.

European settlers adapted the word into English in the 17th century, with early spellings varying from "aroughcun" to "raugroughcun" and "rarowcun" before finally settling on "raccoon."

Image: Alexey Demidov

Did you know that the English word "hurricane" is actually an adaptation of a Spanish term? But wait, there's more! The Spanish word itself comes from a Taino expression.

The Tainos were an Indigenous group from the Caribbean that had their own word for the powerful storms that hit the area: juracán, which also was the name for the god of chaos.

When the Spanish arrived in the Americas and had to face these fierce Caribbean storms, they borrowed the Taino term, which became the Spanish huracán.

Image: silviu bocan

Something similar happened with the word "cigar." This time, it was the Mayans who first named this product, calling it sikar, which translates to "to smoke rolled tobacco leaves." Pretty specific, right? While the Mayan word originally referred to the act of smoking tobacco, the Spanish later adopted it, transforming it into cigarro to describe the rolled tobacco leaves many people smoke.

Subsequently, both the word and the product gained huge popularity in America and Europe. The term was adapted into various languages, resulting in language-specific versions such as "cigar" in English, cigare in French, and Zigarre in German.

Image: Elisa Stone

The Abenakis, who lived in regions now known as the northeastern United States and parts of eastern Canada like Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Quebec, had this word in their language: seganku.

Want to know what this term means? Well, s_eganku_ can be translated as "the one that emits a smell," and it was sometimes interpreted as "the urinating fox"! It sounds like the title of a fun children's tale, right? But that's the fitting name the Abenaki people gave to the skunk.

It was this word that the English borrowed and adapted. It first appeared in English in the early 17th century with spellings like "squuncke" and "skuncke" before finally settling on the "skunk" we know today.

Image: Aurora K

**Pawcohiccora**is the beautiful word used by the Native American Powhatan people to call a type of food made from hickory nuts. The Powhatan would gather these nuts, chop them, and extract their oil to create delicious pastes or drinks.

Some hypotheses claim that when European settlers arrived in North America, they adopted this word, which was later shortened and adapted into English as "hickory," as seen in some 17th-century texts. Over time, the meaning broadened and came to refer to the hickory tree itself, native to North America.

Image: Cameron Stow

The anorak, that trendy and cool garment worn by people of all ages today, has a history that's older than you might think!

The Inuit are indigenous peoples who primarily inhabit the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and even some parts of Russia. Among the words that make up the rich Inuit vocabulary is anoraq, which refers to a type of clothing usually made from caribou or seal skin.

The English took the word and gave it a twist to transform it into "anorak," describing that comfy type of jacket that keeps us cozy and dry, just like the Inuit's anoraq!

NAME ANCESTRY

14 Surprising Origin Stories Behind State Names In The USA

Image: Pin Adventure Map

Ever wondered where most US states’ names come from? From Native American roots to foreign or made-up words, the stories behind many of them are riddled with surprising historical references. Although the origin of some US states’ names is fairly obvious, many derive from unexpected people or places. The origin of names like Colorado, Montana, or Nevada are easy to infer —especially if you know a bit of Spanish— but many others have Native American origins with intriguing meanings. Some are even derived from fiction. If you ever wanted to know where names like Oregon, Connecticut, or Wisconsin come from, you are in the right place. Enjoy the surprising etymologies behind some of the names that make our country.

Image: Joshua Woroniecki

Interestingly, for a state whose main economic activity is agriculture, the word Alabama comes from the Choctaw language and can be translated as "plant-cutters" or "vegetation pickers", recalling the farming practices of the Native Americans that lived in this area.

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Alaska is a corruption of an Aleut word that means "mainland", but can be translated literally as "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed". This is one of those names that manage to bring poetry into a word as simple and down-to-earth as land.

Image: Vital Sinkevich

This one comes from… a Spanish adventure novel! Bet you didn’t expect that. In Las Sergas de Esplandin by Garcia Ordez de Montalvo, a book from the 1500s, there is a fictional place called the "Island of California". Even when the modern state of California is clearly not an island, some die-hard fanatic of the novel decided to bring the name to life here in the U.S.

Image: Juliette Dickens

Derived from the Algonquian word quinnehtukqut, which can be translated as "besides the long tidal river", in reference to the river Connecticut. If you are wondering what the "tidal" part means exactly, this is because the Connecticut River's flow and level are effectively influenced by tides along much of its course. Certainly some amazing insight into the rigorous knowledge of local hydrology that Native Americans managed to accrue over the centuries.

Image: Luke McKeown

Although the origin of this name is disputed, there are two main theories. One suggests that the islands may have been named after Hawaii Loa, their traditional discoverer. However, others have speculated that it is actually derived from the ancient Polynesian word hawaiki, meaning "place of the gods".

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Another crazy one. Although the name was first claimed to be derived from a Shoshone word that meant "Gem of the Mountains", it is highly likely that the word was fabricated by George M. Willing, and meant as a practical joke.

Image: Stéfano Girardelli

Quite literally, "land of Indians", using a Latin suffix. The word Indians originally referred to the ancient dwellers of the shores of the Indus River, in South and Central Asia.

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"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore!" said Dorothy, from The Wizard of Oz, right after a rampant tornado literally lifted her house in the air and took it to God knows where. Well, this US state’s fame for violent winds predates even the first settlers, since Kansas is a Native American word used by the Dakota, strongly related to the idea of "wind".

Image: Drew Beamer

This state owes its name to an Iroquoian word that means "land of tomorrow". Quite a blockbuster-worthy movie title, if you ask me.

Image: Mercedes Mehling

The origin story behind the name of "The Pine Tree State" is still disputed. However, there are some interesting theories. One states that it derives from "mainland", as a form of distinction from the many coastal islands in the vicinity. Other theories propose that it was named in honor of Henrietta Maria, queen of England, or after the province of Mayne in France.

Image: Anthony Cantin

To the Native Americans that lived in this region, Missouri meant "town of the large canoes", as the Missouri tribes were renowned for their skill in making dugout canoes.

Image: Ashley Levinson

A largely disputed one. Many suggest that the name has Spanish origins, being similar to other words like orejón (meaning "big ear") or orégano, in reference to a type of plant (similar to the Mediterranean oregano) that grows in the southern part of the state.

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This is the only state that has a part of its founder’s name in it. It is widely believed that Pennsylvania means "Penn’s Woodland", and was named as such in honor of Sir William Penn, father of its founder William Penn.

Image: Brydon McCluskey

This is probably a French corruption of a native Miami word that meant "it lies red" or "river running through a red place", in reference to the bed of the river Wisconsin.

If our quick dive into the peculiar world of US state names wasn’t enough to quench your curiosity, stay around! We will keep uploading more content related to language and the weird stories and etymologies behind many English and foreign words.