NZB7 
 
 IC-NRLF 
 
 177 
 
WITH THE COMPLIMENTS OF 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 >rrtt 
 
 SM </U,. 
 
INDIAN 
 
 LOCAL NAMES, 
 
 WITH 
 
 THEIE INTERPRETATION. 
 
 By STEPHEN G. BOYD. 
 
 YORK, PA. : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR: 
 1885. 
 
COPYRIGHT SECURED BY 
 STEPHEN G. BOYD. 
 1885. 
 
 INQUIRER PRINTING Co.. 
 LANCASTER, PA. 
 
TO THE COMMON SCHOOL TEACHERS, 
 
 A CLASS WHOSE DUTIES ARE 
 
 ARDUOUS AND OFTEN PAINFUL, 
 
 AND WHOSE LABORS ARE 
 RARELY APPRECIATED OR ADEQUATELY COMPENSATED, 
 
 THIS LITTLE BOOK, 
 
 WITH THE HOPE 
 
 THAT IT MAY OCCASIONALLY DROP A FLOWER IN THEIR 
 PATHWAY, IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY 
 
 THE AUTHOR, 
 
 M122954 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 WHILST engaged in teaching many years ago, I became impressed with the 
 idea that the signification of local names might be used by teachers not 
 only in imparting in many cases a better idea of the object named, but also 
 in enlivening the too frequently dull monotony of class recitation. 
 
 With this impression, I commenced the collection of the signification of 
 local names, found in all parts of the world, of all classes and in all languages. 
 Of course the work progressed slowly, especially as I rejected all definitions 
 known to be merely conjectural in their character, and received even tradi 
 tional ones with extreme caution. 
 
 As the work progressed, however, my interest in the subject increased, and 
 in order to avail myself of the very best authority on the subject in the Eng 
 lish language, I even ordered for my library from England during the Civil 
 War, when the rate of exchange was well nigh at its highest point. 
 
 Some years subsequent to this, whilst spending some months in Harrisburg, 
 Pa., in a position which gave me free use of the State library, I procured 
 from its shelves the nucleus of my present collection of Indian names. 
 
 It was no part of my purpose at the outstart to collect material for publica 
 tion, but such has been the pleasure derived from the study of the subject, 
 and such the evident advantage of a knowledge of the signification of local 
 names, not only to the teacher, but to all persons making any pretensions to 
 culture, indeed even to casual readers of the current literature of the day 
 that I have concluded to publish the result of my labors, especially as, so far 
 as known to me, the matter I have on hand is not now within reach of the public 
 in any practical form, but scattered through many volumes, and much of it 
 indeed, especially that relating to Indian names, not in print at all. 
 
 Upon concluding to publish my collection, my first thought was to print it 
 all in one volume, merely placing the Indian names in a separate vocabulary, 
 for greater convenience of reference. As the subject of local names in gen 
 eral, however, is a very broad and instructive one, from the study of which 
 can be learned not only very much concerning the object named, but also 
 much of the history and peculiarities of different peoples, and as I have not 
 now the time, nor all the data desirable, to enable me to bring to press 
 my contemplated work on local names in general, and as the present seems 
 as well suited for the introduction of the Indian names to the public, as any 
 future period is likely to be, I have concluded to publish my Indian collec 
 tion separately, and without further delay, hoping to be able to put the other 
 work through the press during the coming year. 
 
 (v) 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 In presenting this matter to the public, and especially to teachers, it is 
 due to all parties to say, I I ave acted merely the part of a compiler I hope a 
 careful one. But whilst this has been all it was in my power to do, I can 
 safely say I have spared no labor or pains to obtain my information from the 
 most reliable sources. 
 
 In the preparation of the work, I have availed myself of the writings of 
 Schoolcraft, Rev. John Heckewelder, Hon. J. II. Turnbull of Hartford, 
 Conn., Hon. Albert Gallatin, Hon. Albert G. Gatschet of the U. S. Bureau 
 of Ethnography, L. H. Morgan, Esq , Wm. C. Reichel, Esq., and others, 
 and I acknowledge myself greatly indebted for personal aid to Judge G. W. 
 Stidham of Eufala, I. T., N. T. True, Esq., of Bethel, Me., J. K. Simms, 
 Esq., of Fort Plain, N. Y., Rev. S. G. Wright of Leech Lake, Minn., Rev. 
 Thomas S. Williamson of St. Peter s, Minn., and Rev. J. Ross Ramsey of 
 Wewoka, I. Ty. 
 
 Notwithstanding the compiler has exercised every reasonable precaution to 
 insure accuracy, he cannot hope his little work is free from errors. Whilst 
 he freely admits that a knowledge of the score or more of Indian languages 
 and dialects of languages from which those words are derived, would have 
 enabled him to avoid errors into which he may have fallen, he is nevertheless 
 impressed with the thought that if we wait for a work of this kind, until some 
 one acquainted with all those languages shall write it, this generation will 
 have passed away before such an event is likely to happen, since he knows of 
 no one now living familiar with more than three or four of them. As before 
 stated, he has sought the very best sources of information, both in books and 
 in living persons, and has compiled the work with all possible care, rejecting 
 many words, the definitions of which were not well authenticated/. 
 
 Having done this, he commits his little volume to the public with the hope 
 that it may not only afford entertainment and instruction to its readers, but 
 that it will awaken a deeper interest in the subject of which it treats, and in 
 the history, habits and manners of the aboriginal races of America. 
 
 S. G. B. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 SCATTERED all over our continent are to be found scores upon 
 scores of local names standing as silent but most eloquent memorials 
 of the previous existence of aboriginal races which will return to 
 dwell among us no more forever. 
 
 To all appearances those names are almost as imperishable as the 
 objects to which they are attached, and whilst the sweet melody of 
 their sounds is the subject of unceasing admiration, their signifi 
 cation though known to comparatively few persons, are no less 
 entitled to the attention of those who admire the exercise of good 
 judgment in the practical affairs of life, and the beautiful in thought 
 and sentiment. 
 
 Possibly in those particulars the Indian local names in Ameri 
 ca, as given by themselves, will compare favorably with those given 
 by any other people in any country or at any known period of the 
 world s history. 
 
 To bring into clearer relief some of those characteristics of our 
 aboriginal races, as illustrated in their local nomenclature, as well 
 as to give greater zest to the study of our local history and geogra 
 phy, is the chief purpose of this compilation. 
 
 Whilst the writer fully recognizes the very great value of treatises 
 on the grammatical structure of our Indian languages, for several 
 reasons he has not deemed it proper to introduce matter of that 
 character into those pages. He rather recognizes the fact that 
 whilst such works are well suited to the wants and tastes of the few 
 who have the time and inclination for extended research into the 
 grammatical forms and etymological peculiarities and < haracteristics 
 of those languages and their very numerous dialects, the masses 
 must be content with a knowledge merely of the signification of 
 the local names scattered so profusely around them, and with which 
 they are brought into* daily contact. 
 
 In the preparation of the present work, my purpose has been to 
 produce as large a collection as possible of those names with their 
 signification, stripped of all dispensable verbiage. 
 
 Somewhat singular as it may appear, I have striven to make a 
 small book ra her than a large one. 
 
 The book having been intended for convenient referenc, nothing 
 has been incorporated in it that conld possibly be dispensed with. 
 
 True in many cases remarks more or less extended might have 
 
 (vii) 
 
Vlll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 been added to definitions, and innumerable foot notes could have 
 been added to swell the size and increase the cost of the work, 
 neither of which it was desirable to do, especially not the latter, as 
 I wish to place it within reach of every one interested in the sub 
 ject to which it relates. 
 
 It will be seen that in some cases two and sometimes even three 
 definitions are given to a word. In most cases these have been 
 obtained from entirely different sources, each entitled to more or 
 less credit, and may arise from a misappehension of the origin of 
 the word, owing to the very great phonetic corruption which has 
 taken place, or from translating from a different dialect, or in 
 cases of great similarity of elementary sounds from translating 
 from a root found in another language altogether, which would not 
 only change the shade of meaning, but give an entirely different 
 signification. 
 
 In many instances, too, when doubts existed as to the correct 
 ness of a definition, it has been so worded as to caution the reader 
 against its unqualified acceptance. 
 
 Whilst there might have been included in this connection with 
 out impropriety some remarks on the geograpical distribution of 
 the different Indian families whose local names appear in those 
 pages, the writer is free to admit that no matter how ably written 
 such an article might be, the maps on this subject, now found in 
 nearly every school history of the United States, will give a much 
 better idea of the geograpical position of those families and tribes 
 than any mere verbal description can possibly do. 
 
 Moreover, it is not my purpose to duplicate in this work infor 
 mation within easy reach elsewhere. 
 
 It will be seen, too, I have in many cases seemingly departed 
 from the correct orthography of words defined. 
 
 In those cases I have merely given the orthography of an earlier 
 day, or the orthography of the original translators, some of whom 
 are alluded to in the preface. Even Mr. Gatschet, recently trans 
 lating names in the Gulf States, departs widely from the orthogra 
 phy found there. 
 
 Although I have mainly followed the orthography of the present, 
 fearing, unless I did so, the names in many cases could not be iden 
 tified with the present ones, there are very good reasons why the 
 original orthography should be retained. The fact is we are fast 
 drifting away, by phonetic corruption, from those beautiful Indian 
 words, and the time may come when many of the names standing 
 for those given by the aborigines will contain hardly one sound 
 embraced in the original word ; in which case those words could 
 no longer be traced to their origin, by their phonetic elements. 
 Were it of any avail, we would say stop this mutilation. But it goes 
 on, and will continue to go on until the last element of the original 
 word, like the last remnant of the race that used it, shall have 
 forever departed. 
 
INTRODUCTION. IX 
 
 Already whilst many words like Paxton, Port Tobacco and Yel 
 low Breeches have metamorphosed so completely their origin would 
 not be suspected, others are following in their train to hasten the 
 time when the English tongue giving forth purely English sounds, 
 onlv, shall encircle the globe. 
 
 Nothing is more evident than that all Indian local names have, or 
 had a signification, and that in m >st case^ those names were given 
 with rare good judgment ; at any rate, that they exercised quite as 
 much judgment and good taste in such matters as did any of the 
 races in Europe or Asia in former times. A very large majority of 
 their names convey an idea of some property, quality or character 
 istic of the object named, and not a few are commemorative of 
 events which took place at or near the object, to which the names 
 belong, and therefore may be said to be historical in their char 
 acter. Whilst, however, the Indians frequently embalm events in 
 their local names, they rarely honor their great men by giving 
 their names to geographical objects, differing in this particular very 
 greatly from our own people ; and they quite as rarely manifest any 
 religious sentiment or predilection in their local names. 
 
 Nor did they often give names having a metaphorical rather than 
 a literal meaning. True they bestowed such beautiful names as 
 Minnehaha and Suwanee, but they were descriptions of what was 
 real in nature. 
 
 This circumstance would seem to indicate that they were not an 
 imaginative people, notwithstanding many of their great men have 
 been noted for their eloquence. Judging, too, from their names, 
 we should think they were rather grave than gay, although several 
 of those names record their places of drinking and feasting. 
 
 What strikes us very forcibly, is the uniformity, in character, of 
 their nam<?s over the entire area of our continent, from which we 
 must infer about the same degree of intellectual development, if 
 not indeed great similarity in mental characteristics. No one sec 
 tion seems to show more intellectual culture than another, or more 
 fancy, or more of the aesthetic element, or more religious veneration, 
 or more of the sentiment of patriotism. 
 
 Whilst comparatively little of their history prior to the arrival of 
 Europeans can be learned from their local names, mainly because 
 they were destitute of letters, they prove unerring landmarks in 
 determining the territorial limits not only of different families, but 
 very often of different tribes of the same family, since many tribes 
 had dialects of their own. 
 
 I need hardly say the Indians are not responsible for the very 
 free use which has been made of their local nomenclature by 
 European settlers in this country, who have been using them with 
 out any regard whatever to their signification rivers taking the 
 names of mountains, and mountains of rivers, and the names of both 
 given to cities, towns, political divisions, post-offices, and corner 
 groceries. Nor are they responsible for the transplanting of those 
 
X INTRODUCTION. 
 
 names to localities where they could not possibly have been pro 
 nounced by the indeginous population. 
 
 It is to be deeply regretted that the signification of so many of 
 those names are lost, we fear beyond all hope of recovery. Inde 
 pendent of the very great change, phonetically, which many words 
 have undergone, where idiomatic constructions occur even a fair 
 knowledge of the language will not always insure a correct trans 
 lation. This being the case, it is all-important that those transla 
 tions be made whilst the Indian is yet a living language. 
 
 Indeed, even now some of those dialects are unknown to their 
 few mongrel descendants. But much can yet be done to save our 
 rich Indian nomenclature from oblivion, especially if it be quickly 
 done. 
 
 It will be seen I have appended a few words to the general vo 
 cabulary. These were not obtained in time for insertion in their 
 proper place. They have been procured mainly from Mr. Morgan s 
 League of the Iriquois, a work now out of print, but richly entitled 
 to republication. 
 
 I have also included in this volume in a miscellaneous vocabulary 
 a few words from my coming work on local names in general, 
 selecting mainly from those which I have not seen published in any 
 work easily accessible to the general reader. 
 
VOCABULARY, 
 
 A. 
 
 ABAQUA GE ; i. e., "a flaggy meadow:" the name of a pond in 
 Conn., near the source of Little River. 
 
 ABENA KES, ABANA KEK, or ABENA KISS, wabanung the east, or 
 place of light, and akee land ; i, e., " the east land"; the name 
 given to a large tribe of Indians, formerly inhabiting the extreme 
 northeastern part of the U. S. 
 
 ABRIGA DA, abrigaut ; i. e., "shelter," "hiding-place;" the 
 name of a hill in Waterbury, Conn., having on its side a deep 
 cavern-like cliff called "the Indian house;" whence the name. 
 
 ABSF/CON, ABSE CUM, wabisee a swan, and ong for ink place; 
 i. e., " the place of the swan;" the name of a creek in New Jersey. 
 
 ABWOI NA, or ABWOINAC, abwoin a Sioux, and akee land ; i. e., 
 " the land of the Sioux ; a term formerly applied in a general way 
 to the country lying between the Miss, and the Mo. rivers, and 
 north of the St. Peters river, formerly occupied by the Sioux. 
 
 AC COMAC, acaiun-anke ; i. e., "on the other side," or "the 
 other side land ;" the name of a peninsula east of Chesapeake Bay. 
 This name was given by the Nanticoke Indians. Other authorities 
 say the word is derived from aco limit, auk wood, and alike e 
 land, and means, " the limit of the wood-land." 
 
 ACE YEDAN; i. e., " place of weeping ;" so called by the Dakotah 
 Indians, because of weeping there the death of some of their rela 
 tives; the name of a large creek in N. W. Iowa. See Oce yedan. 
 
 ACH V AFALAY A, hucha river, falaya long; i. e., " long river ;" 
 the name of the principal western outlet of the Miss, river. The 
 word is sometimes spelled Atchafalaya. 
 
 (O 
 
2 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 ACH\>UAKENU NA, tach quach acan mena; i. e., " where pounding 
 blocks are made," or "where we get the wood for pounding 
 blocks," namely gum, which wood the Indians call tachquaha 
 caniminschi. 
 
 ACHQUANSCH ICOLA, ach quoanch icola / i. e., "the place from 
 which we take fish by means of the bush nets." This spot is near 
 the Lehigh Water Gap, west side of the river. 
 
 ACHSIN NINK ; i. e., "standing stone;" the name of a place in 
 Western Penna. The word is said to allude to a large rock stand 
 ing separate, and where no others are near. 
 
 ACH WICK, ACHWEEK; i. e., "bushy," "difficult to pass;" the 
 name of a creek in Central Penna. 
 
 ACKEEKSEE BE, akuk kettle, and sipi stream; i. e., "kettle 
 stream;" the name of a northern tributary of Rum River, which 
 enters the Miss, a few miles north of the Falls of St. Anthony. 
 
 ACOM EQUES; i. e., "the land on the other side ;" the name of 
 a district on the east side of the Thames river, in Conn., and near 
 its mouth. 
 
 ACOMES. This word is supposed to be derived from aco a 
 bound, or point; and is thought to mean "a rest," or " a place of 
 stopping ;" the name of a fall in the Amariscoggin river in Maine. 
 
 ACQUAC KANONCK\ aco limit, misquak red cedar, auk wood, 
 (stump, or trunk of tree;) i. e., " the limit of the red cedar stumps, 
 or trunks ;" or possibly a better translation would be " the limit of 
 the red cedar wood;" the name of a village on the Passaic river in 
 N. J. 
 
 ACQUI A, equiwi ; i. e., "between, or in between" (something.) 
 Others say the word is derived from akki earth, and means liter 
 ally " earthy, or muddy creek ;" the name of a creek in Va. 
 
 AHIKI, or OUHEGEE, dhiiki; i. e., "Sweet potato mother:" the 
 name of an eastern tributary of the Chattahoochee river. 
 
 AISAHATCHA, itchi, or itche deer, and hatcha river; i. e., 
 " Deer River. * This was formerly the name of a river in Fla. now 
 ca AT hvr 1 isrwedi edlores from the Creek and Seminole. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 3 
 
 ALABAM A, alba thicket, and ayalmu place cleared (of trees or 
 underbrush;) i. e., " thicket clearers." The name was first applied 
 to a tribe of Indians who formerly resided at the junction of the 
 Tombigbee and the Coosa, or Alabama. 
 
 ALGAN SEE, gan-lake, mushco-dainsee prairie; i.e., " the lake 
 prairie," or the prairie resembling a lake;" the name of a town- 
 township in Branch Co., Michigan. 
 
 ALGONAC , algonkm akee ; i. e., "Algonquin Land;" the name 
 of a village in St. Clair county, Michigan. 
 
 ALGON KIN, ALLEGAN, sagiegan a lake : the name of an agricul 
 tural and mining county in Michigan. 
 
 ALLEGHE NY, welhik-hanne, or oolik-hanne ; i. e., the best, or 
 the fairest stream." The foregoing is supposed to be the correct 
 definition, derived from the language of the Delaware Indians. 
 
 AL LUM, or WALLUM S POND; i. e., "the fox pond;" the name 
 of a pond in the N. E., part of Conn. 
 
 AMAKAL LI, or AMACALLEE, ama water, and kalola sliding, 
 tumbling ; i. e., "the sliding or tumbling water;" the name of a 
 tributary of the Flint Driver in Miss. 
 
 AM BOY ; called by the Indians who dwelt there embote, which 
 sig., if Indian, " round and hollow ;" the name of a town in N. J. 
 
 AMENONOOSUC, namaes fish, hussan stone, uc place; i. e., 
 " the stony fish place," or " the stony fish brook ;" the name of a 
 western tributary of the Androscoggin River in N. H. 
 
 AMIC WAYS, or AMICAWAES, amik a beaver. 
 AMIKAIN DAND ; i. e., "beaver house;" the name of the most 
 eastern of the Beaver Islands in Lake Michigan. 
 
 AN DES, anta copper. This name was applied by the Indians 
 to the mountains near Cuzco, the ancient capital of Peru. 
 
 ANNEMO SING, annemose a young fox, ing (ink.) place; i. e., 
 " the place of the young fox ;" the Indian name of the Fox Islands 
 in Lake Michigan. 
 
 ANO KA ; i. e., " on both sides;" the name of a village in Minn, 
 on both sides of Rum River. 
 
4 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 APACH KS. This word is said to mean "men;" the name of a 
 tribe of Indians. 
 
 APPALA CHEE; supposed to be derived from apalatchi okli ; i. e., 
 those (people) on the other side/ or " the people on the other 
 side;" the term was formerly applied to a town on Appalachee 
 Bay, Fla. It is now the name of a river in the northern part of 
 Ga. 
 
 APVALA V CHICO LA, cipalatchukla ; i. e., old town." This river 
 was named after an Indian town formerly standing on its banks. 
 
 APPOL KCON, apelogacan, or apillochgacan ; i. e., " from whence 
 the messenger returned," possibly the way by which the messen 
 ger returns." This word is from the Minsy a dialect of the Len- 
 appe language. 
 
 AQUAPAUK/SIT. This word probably means "at the end of a 
 small pond ;" the name of a place in Conn. 
 
 AQUAS QUIT, achowasquit ; i. e., "grassy," "overgrown with 
 grass." 
 
 AQUEB APAUG, AQUAB EPAUG. This word may mean either " be 
 fore the pond," or the "pond before" some other pond; the 
 name of a pond near the head of Pawcatuck river in R. I. 
 
 ASH AWOG, ASSAWAUG, NASHAWOG ; i. e., the "place between 
 two rivers," or the crotch of a river. This word is said to occur 
 frequently in New England in various combinations. 
 
 ASH OWUGH CUMMOCK E ; i. e., "the half way place," or "the 
 place between ;" that is, " the island between the large island and 
 the main land;" the name of an island near New London, Conn. 
 
 ASPET UC, ASPAT OCK ; i. e., "a height ;" the name of a river in 
 New Milford, Conn. There is a ridge dividing the two principal 
 branches of this river, called Aspatuck Hill, and the probability is 
 the river took its name from the hill. 
 
 ASP ROOM ; i. e., "high," "lofty" or "elevated;" the name of 
 a mountain in Conn. 
 
 ASSAWAS SUC, assawa suck, or nashuae suck ; i. e., "the fork of 
 the brook," or better " the place between the forks of the brook," 
 the name of a place in E. Glastenbury, Conn. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 5 
 
 ASSIN ABOINA, ossin a stone or stony, abwoina Sioux, akee 
 earth or country; i. e., "the stony country of the Sioux." 
 
 ASTEN ROGEN, osteura rock, oge in the water ; i. e., "the rock 
 in the water; the Indian name for Little Falls, Herkimer Co., 
 N. Y. 
 
 A TE SI, a 1 tassa ; i. e., " war club ;" the name of a town in the In 
 dian territory, called after an old town on the Tallapoosa River. 
 
 ATTACAP AS ; i. e., " men eaters." This word was originally the 
 name of an Indian tribe in the gulf states, and would indicate that 
 its members practiced cannibalism. 
 
 ATTAPUL GUS, itu pulga ; i. e., "boring holes into wood to make 
 fire;" the name of a village in Decatur Co., Ga. 
 
 B. 
 
 BALD EAGLE CR., PA., was called by the Indians wapalanne was 
 chiech hanne, i. e., " the stream whereon is the bald eagle s nest." 
 
 BANT AM. This word may be derived from peantum, and if so 
 it sig. "he prays," or "praying," meaning a Christian Indian ; at 
 present the name of a small river in Conn. 
 
 BEAVER DAM CREEK, in W. Penna., was called by the Indians 
 amochk pah as ink ; i., e., " the place where the beaver have shut 
 up the stream." 
 
 BIG BEAVER RIVER was called by the Indians amochkwi sipu, or 
 amochk hanne ; i. e., "beaver stream;" the name of a river in W. 
 Penna. 
 
 BIGTOOTH CREEK, Centre Co , Pa. , was called by the Indians 
 mangipi sink ; i. e., "the place where big teeth are found." 
 
 BILOX I, B LUKSI, luktchi turtle. The sig. of the particle B is 
 lost, but the word has some allusion to the catch of turtles ; the 
 name of a bay and town on the coast of Miss. 
 
 BLACK LICK CREEK, in W. Penna., was called by the Indians 
 naskaishoni ; i. e., "the lick of a blackish color." 
 
 BROOK LYN, N. Y., or rather the place where that city stands, 
 was called by the Indians mereychawick, from me the, reckwa 
 sand, ick place or locality; i. e., " the sandy place." 
 
6 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 BUF FALO CREEK, W. Penna., was called by the Indians sisilic- 
 hanne ; i. e., "the stream resorted to by the buffaloes." 
 
 BUSHY CREEK, in W. Penna., was called by the Indians achemek ; 
 i. e., "bushy," "difficult to cross." 
 
 c. 
 
 CAN ADA, kanata, or kanada ; i. e., " a village " or " a town." 
 
 CANAJOHAR IE, kanada village, oquari a bear; i. e., " the -vil 
 lage of the bear," others say the word means " the pot that washes 
 itself;" the name of a town on the Mohawk river, N. Y. 
 
 CANDOT O, candatowa ; i. e., "high land;" the name of the 
 ridge upon which the town of Ridgefield, Conn, stands. 
 
 CANKAPO/A ; i. e., "light wood ;" the name of a small lake at 
 the head of Vermillion river, Dakota. 
 
 CANNON PA ; i. e., "two woods;" the name of a chain of small 
 lakes in E. Dakota ; so called on account of having two small groves 
 of timber on their banks. 
 
 CANNOUCH EE, from the Creek word ikano dshi ; i. e., "graves 
 are there ;" the name of a river in Ga. 
 
 CAPA GE, kuppaug, or kobpog; i. e., "an enclosed place." Pos 
 sibly the name may have originally been applied to the Narrows, 
 in the Naugatuck river at Beacon Hill, Conn. 
 
 CASSACUB QUE, kussukobske ; i. e., "high rock;" the name of a 
 great ledge of rocks in Colchester, Conn. 
 
 CATASAU QUA, gattoshacki; i. e., "the earth is thirsty," "wants 
 rain ;" the name at present of a town in Lehigh Co., Penna. 
 
 CATAWIS SA, gatta wissi ; i. e., "becoming fat;" the name of a 
 creek in Columbia Co., Penna., emptying into the Susquehanna 
 near Bloomsburg. 
 
 CAUCOMGO MIC, kau-kon-gumik ; i. e., "at the big gull lake;" the 
 name of a lake in Me. 
 
 CAUGH V NAVAG A ; i. e., "stone in the rapid water." Some 
 writers say this word means coffin-shaped stone in the water ; the 
 name of a town on the Mohawk river in N. Y. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 7 
 
 CAW AN SHAN OCK, gawunscli-hanne ; i. e., "green briar stream;" 
 the name of a creek in Armstrong Co., Pa. 
 
 CAYUGA, or CYUGA, kaouhiokwen ; i. e., "canoes pulled out of 
 water." Other authorities say this word sig. "long lake;" the 
 name of a lake in N. Y. 
 
 CEGA IYEYAP I; f. e., " kettles are found ;" the name of the lakes 
 and country near Fort Wadsworth, Dakota. 
 
 CHANHAS AN; i. e., "pale bark wood," "sugar tree;" the name 
 of several small rivers in Minn, and Dakota. 
 
 CHANK A ; i. e., "fire stone;" the name of a western tributary 
 of the Dakota, formerly Jaques or James river ; so called from a 
 very hard rock consisting of semifused or vitrified sand-stone, found 
 near its mouth. 
 
 CHAN V SHA V YAP I ; i. e., "red wood," literally "a post painted 
 red ;" the name of a western tributary of the Minn. 
 
 CHAN-SHU -SHKA ; i. e., "box elder;" the name of a tribe of 
 Dakotas. 
 
 CHANSSNSAN ; i. e., "tumbling," or "rapid;" the Dakota name 
 for what is now called Dakota river. 
 
 CHA PA ; i. e., "beaver;" the name of a river in Minn. 
 
 CHASKE. This word is the name of a village on the Minn, river 
 in Carver Co., Minn., and is the name of the first child of a woman, 
 if a son ; if a daughter, the name would be Winona. 
 
 CHASMU NA ; i. e., "sandy;" the name of a tribe of Dakotas. 
 CHATTAHATCH EE ; i. e., "rock river, or rocky river." 
 
 CHATTAHOO CHEE, CHATAHUCHI, tchatu rock, stone, hutchi 
 marked, provided with signs; i. e., "pictured rocks;" the name 
 of a large river of Ga. 
 
 CHATTANOO GA, said to mean "crow s nest;" the name of a 
 creek in Ga. ; also the name of a city in Tennessee. 
 
 CHAUTAU QUA; i. e., "foggy place;" the name of a lake in the 
 S. W. part of N. Y. Probably the name was first applied to some 
 portion of its shores. 
 
8 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 CHEESECHANKAM UCK ; i. e., "the great fishing place at the 
 wier;" the name of the east branch of Farmington river, Conn. 
 
 CHEH TAN BEH, or CHETAN BE; i. e., "sparrow hawk s nest;" 
 the name of a tributary of the Minn, river. 
 
 CHES APEAKE, che or f chi great, sepe or sipi water stretched 
 out, ahki place; i. e., " the place where there is a great body of 
 still water stretched out." Another definition from pretty good 
 authority, is "superior saltish bay." 
 
 CHEPACH ET; i. e., "a place of separation," as where a stream 
 divides ; the name of a creek and village in R. I. 
 
 CHEYENN E, SHAIENNA or SHYENNE ; i. e., "speaking a different 
 language;" the name originally of a tribe of Indians recognized as 
 a part of the great Dakota family, although their language indicated 
 that they sprang from the Chippewa or Algonkin stock. 
 
 CHICA GO, chicagowunzh; i. e., "the wild onion or leek." 
 Kaug, in the Algonkin, sig. "porcupine," and she-kaug "pole 
 cat." The analogy between those words is apparent; but whether 
 the onion was named before or after the animal we leave our read 
 ers to investigate for themselves, that field of inquiry lying beyond 
 the scope of the present work. 
 
 The probability is, however, that where the great city of Chicago 
 now stands the wild onion once held undisputed sway. 
 
 CHICKAHOM INY, chik-amaw-hony ; i. e., "turkey lick," or "the 
 lick at which the turkeys are plenty ; " the name of a river in Va. 
 
 CHICKAMAU GA ; said to mean " river of death;" the name of a 
 small river of Ga. and Tenn. 
 
 CHICKEMAX EN, chicke -big, maxen or moxen a moccasin; i. e., 
 big moccasin. 
 
 CHICONES SE, chic-onas-ink ; i. e., "the place where it was forci 
 bly taken from us, against our will." 
 
 CHICK HANSENK\ tschink hansink , i. e. , "where we were robbed," 
 or " the place where the robbery was committed." 
 
 CHICOM ICO, che great, comaco house, or enclosed place ; i e , 
 "the great house;" possibly the house of a Sachem. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 9 
 
 CHIK NICOM IKA now CHICACOMICO, tschik enumike ; i. e., "the 
 place of turkeys," or "the place where turkeys are plenty;" the 
 name of a stream on the eastern shore of Maryland. 
 
 CHIKISALUN GA, chik is walunga ; supposed to mean " place of 
 crabs, or crab-fish," or "the creek on which the ground is full of 
 holes made by the crab-fish." Others say the word means "long 
 piece of land where rabbits burrow." The word is now the name 
 of a creek in Lane. Co., Pa. 
 
 CHILESQUA QUE, chelesuage ; i. e., "resort of snowbirds;" the 
 name of a creek in Northumberland Co., Pa. 
 
 CHIN KE CLA MOO SE, aehts-chingi-clamme ; i. e., "it almost meets 
 together," or "nearly joins." 
 
 CHIP^PAQUID DICK, or CHIPPOQUIDDICK, cheppi-aquidne ; i. e., 
 "separated island: " the name of an island separated by a narrow 
 strait from Martha s Vineyard. 
 
 CHIP PEWAY, oshib wah; i. e., " he overcomes," not in battle 
 only, but in any undertaking, or " he surmounts obstacles." 
 
 CHISSENES SICK, chuessenesik ; i. e., "the place of blue birds," 
 or "the place where blue birds flock together;" the name of a 
 river in Va. 
 
 CHOHWAJ ICA ; i. e., "willow;" the name of several streams and 
 lakes in Minn. 
 
 CHO KIN ; i. e., "roasting," or "the place of the roasting;" the 
 name of a lake in Minn., near the Mayauakan River, probably so 
 called from the Dakotas roasting here, teepoinna, a root much used 
 by them for food, and found in great abundance on its banks. 
 
 CHOWAN , chawwanoke ; i. e., "south, or southern country." 
 The name was applied to this stream by Capt. John Smith. It 
 was, however, applied by the Powhatans and neighboring tribes of 
 Va., to the country south of them; the name of a river of Va. and 
 N. C. flowing into Albemarle Sound. 
 
 CHUQUISA CA; i. e., "bridge of gold" in the Quinchua Indian 
 dialect. This word is the name of the present capital of Bolivia 
 on the Rio de la Plata, a small tributary of the Cachimayo. 
 There is a ford on the river at this point across which vast treas- 
 
10 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 ures were formerly carried by the Incas of Peru, on their way to 
 Cuzco. From this circumstance the name is supposed to have been 
 derived. 
 
 CHY GOES, tschich ohaiki ; i. e., "the oldest planted ground;" 
 the Indian name of the place where Bennington, N. J., now 
 stands. 
 
 CICOUES SING, kikous fish, ink place ; i. e., " the fishing place ;" 
 the Indian name of Lewis Creek, Del. 
 
 COAQUAN NOK; i. e., "grove of tall pine trees;" I think this 
 name was applied by the Indians to the spot where Philad. now 
 stands. This place was subsequently called by them quak al nunk ; 
 i. e., "place of Quakers." 
 
 COASSAT TUCK, kowas htugk ; i. e., "pine wood;" the name of 
 a hill in N. Stonington, Conn. 
 
 COCAL ICO/ i. e., "where snakes gather together in holes or 
 dens" to pass the winter; the name of a creek in Lancaster Co., 
 Pa. 
 
 COCHABAM BA ; i. e., "the granary;" a department of Bolivia 
 rich in agricultural products, lying east of the Andes. 
 
 COCH IKU ACK; i. e., "a wild, dashing stream." 
 
 COCOO SING, gok-hos-ing, or gok-hos-ink ; i. e., "place of owls;" 
 the name of a small stream that rises in Montville, Conn., and flows 
 into the Thames river. 
 
 CODO RUS. It is said this word means "rapid water." It is 
 probably of Iriquois origin; the name of a stream in southern 
 Penna. on which the town of York is located. An older orthog 
 raphy is C adores. 
 
 COHOCK SINK, cuwen-hack-ink ; i. e., "at the fine pine lands." 
 
 CONCHAR DEE, kanshade ; i. e., "red dirt," "red earth;" a word 
 of Creek origin and now the name of a place a few miles west of 
 Talladega, Alabama. 
 
 CON EAUET LAKE ; i. e., " snow lake;" the name of a lake in W. 
 Penna. 
 
 CON EDOGWIN IT, or CONODOGUINIT ; i. e., "for a long way noth- 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. I I 
 
 ing but bends," "continual bends;" the name of a stream in 
 Cumbl d Co., Pa. 
 
 CON EMAUGH; i. e., otter creek :" a stream in W. Penna. flow 
 ing into the Kiskeminets River. 
 
 CONEQUENES SING; i. e., "for a long way straight," or "run 
 ning a straight course;" the name of a creek in Butler Co., Pa. 
 
 CONESTO GO. It may be that this word which is generally sup 
 posed to be of Iriquoi origin, is a corruption of canastagiowne ; i. e., 
 "the great magic land;" the English settlers applying the name 
 to the stream ; the name of a creek flowing through a most charm 
 ing section of Lan. Co., Pa. 
 
 CONEWA GO, gune uage ; i. e., a " long strip," or " long reach ;" 
 the name of a large creek in Dauphin Co., Pa. The probability is 
 the name was first applied to a district near Middletown, in Dau 
 phin Co., Pa., now also the name of rapids in the Susquenanna 
 near Middletown, and also the name of a creek in York Co., Pa., 
 flowing into this river near those rapids. 
 
 CONEWAN GO ; i. e., "they have been long gone;" the name of 
 a creek flowing into the Alleghany river in Warren Co., Pa. 
 
 CONEWAN TA, guneunga ; i. e., " they staid long time away." 
 
 CONNECT ICUT, Quinmtuk ; i. e., " land on the long tidal river," 
 or "land on the river without end, with tides." 
 
 CONECOCHEAGUE, (KonVko-cheeg ) ; i. e., " indeed a long way." 
 The word seems to refer to some occasion when a party of Indians 
 became impatient of travel ; the name of a stream in Franklin Co., 
 Pa. 
 
 COOKQUA GO, kekoa, okowa an owl, and goa big; i. e., "big 
 owl ;" the name of the west branch of the Delaware river. 
 
 Coos ; a Lenappe word, sig. "pines," or " the pines." 
 
 CORAPECH EN, cola pechen ; i. e., "fierce running stream ;" the 
 name of a creek in Md. 
 
 COSHEC TON; supposed to sig "finished small harbor." 
 
 Cow AMPS, COWOMPSQUE, can ompsk ; i. e., "a whet-stone," or 
 
12 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 rock suitable for that purpose ; the name of a place on the south 
 side of Potatuck river in Conn. 
 
 COWANES QUE; i. e., "briery," " thornbushy ;" the name of a 
 creek in N. Penna. 
 
 COWAS SIT, COWISSECK ; i. e., a "place of small pine trees." 
 The name is now applied to a small stream in Conn. 
 
 COWAUT ACUCK, kowaw-lugk-auk ; i. e., "pine wood land." 
 The word is at present the name of a small river in Conn. 
 
 COW WAUS ; i. e., "pine land;" the name of a rugged tract in 
 Conn., near New London. 
 
 CROOKED CREEK, PA., was called by the Indians woak-hanne ; 
 i. e., "crooked stream." 
 
 CROSS CR. IN WASH. Co., PA. The Indian name of this stream 
 was wewunsschi saquik ; i. e., "two streams emptying themselves 
 into a river on opposite sides." 
 
 CUN NEYAUT, CUNNEAUT, gunneate ; i. e., "it is long since they 
 went ;" the name of a creek in N. Penna. 
 
 CUP PACOM MUCK ; i. e., " a close place," "a hiding place ;" the 
 name of a swamp in Conn. 
 
 CUPSUP TIC; i. e., "the act of drawing a sieve while fishing;" 
 the name of the most northern of the Umbagog chain of lakes in 
 Maine. 
 
 CUSSAWA GO ; i. e., "snake with big belly;" the name of a 
 creek in Crawford Co. , Pa. 
 
 CUSSE TA, hasi hta; i. e., "coming from the sun." The word 
 is at present the name of a town in Ala. 
 
 D. 
 
 DAHLON EGA, tau-lau-ne-ca ; i. e., "yellow money;" the name 
 of a village in Ga., near the richest gold mines in the State. 
 
 DAKO TA; i. e., " many in one government." It will be ob 
 served this word is the equivalent of our E pluribus unum. This is 
 the name by which the largest tribe or nation of Indians in the 
 U. S. call themselves. They were formerly better known by the 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 13 
 
 name of the Sioux. The name is said to have been assumed be 
 cause the nation consists of many tribes. 
 
 DEL AWARE RIVER. The Indians are said to have called this 
 stream the kit-hanne ; i. e., " the largest stream." 
 
 DETROIT was called by the Indians teuch sa grandie, also wa-we- 
 tun ong, both words sig. "the place of the turned channel." It 
 has been remarked by many visitors who reached this place by boat 
 at night, or in dark weather, or who were inattentive to the cur 
 rents, that owing to the extraordinary involutions of those currents, 
 the sun appears to rise in the wrong place. 
 
 E. 
 
 EEL RIVER, IND. This river was called by the Indians shoa- 
 maque ; i. e., " slippery fish," possibly equivalent to a translation. 
 
 ELK CREEK, WASH. Co., IND., was called by the Indians moos- 
 hanne ; i. e., "elk stream." Moos is the name for elk in the Del 
 aware language. 
 
 ELK LICK CREEK, in Penna., called by the Indians mosi-mahon- 
 hanne ; i. e., "elk lick stream." 
 
 E QUINUNK ; i. e., " the place where the wearing apparel is dis 
 tributed ;" the name of a town in Wayne Co., Pa., on the Dela 
 ware river. 
 
 ES QUIMAUX, from the Algonkin word eskimautick^; i. e., "eaters 
 of raw fish." 
 
 ES^TABO GA, isti people, apokita to reside; i. e., "where peo 
 ple reside ;" the name of a town on the Coosa river, Alabama. 
 
 EYOTA . It is probable this word is a corruption of lyotan, a 
 Dakota word sig. "greatest," or "the greatest;" the name of a 
 village near the boundary line between Iowa and Minn. 
 
 F. 
 
 FINHOL OWAY, fin-hd-lui; i. e., "high bridge," or "high foot 
 log ;" the name of a swamp in Ga. 
 
 FISHING CREEK, IN CENTRE Co., PA., was called by the Indians 
 namaes-hanne ; i. e., " fish stream." 
 
14 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 FRANKFORD CREEK in E. Penna., was called by the Indians win- 
 gohocking, or wingehocking ; i. e., "choice spot of ground for culti 
 vation," "a favorite spot for planting." Of course allusion is had 
 to the fertile banks of the stream. 
 
 G, 
 
 GANGAS COE, shin-gas-cui ; i. e., "level and boggy." 
 
 GASCON SAGE ; i. e., " the perpendicular falls," now Rochester, 
 N. Y. 
 
 GICHTH HANNK ; " largest stream in the place or parts." 
 GOOKHO SING ; i. e., "habitation of owls," or "place of owls." 
 GUKNT ICO, guentican ; i. e., "dancing," place of frolicking." 
 
 H. 
 
 HACK ENSACK, supposed to be derived from haucquan-sauk ; i. e., 
 "hook mouth;" the name of the channel by which the waters of 
 Newark Bay find their way around Bergen Point to New York 
 Bay. Shok or sank is a root denoting "to pour out," or "pour 
 ing out." Others say this word is derived from hack-ink-sa-quink t 
 and sig. "a stream which unites with another stream in a low place 
 or on low ground, that discharges almost imperceptibly into anofher 
 stream." 
 
 HACK INGSACK, hacking low, aki land; i. e., "low land." 
 
 HANNE, HANNA, HANNOK generic terms in the Delaware lan 
 guage for stream. 
 
 HAS ACK, ossum stone, ack place; i. e., "the place of the 
 stones," or " the stony place." 
 
 HAT CHIE or HAT CHEE, a generic term in the Creek and Chero 
 kee languages sig. stream (creek or river). In the Seminole dia 
 lect it is said to mean "little river." 
 
 HAT TERAS. I am inclined to the opinion that this word was 
 originally the name of a tribe of Lenappe Indians, and was given 
 to the Cape by the English. 
 
 HAY TI, said to mean " high land," " mountainous country." It 
 was called by Columbus, its discoverer, Hispanola i. e., "Little 
 Spain." 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 15 
 
 HEHDO KA, or REHDOKA; i. e., "gap in the mountain;" the 
 name of a place where there is a depression or gap in the contour 
 of the prairie near the line between Minn, and Iowa. 
 
 HEI PA or REI PA ; i. e., "head of the mountain." 
 
 HIGGAN UM ; i. e., "at the ax or tomahawk rock ;" the name of 
 a brook and village in Haddam, Conn. 
 
 HO BO KEN, hopecan ; i. e., " smoke pipe," others say "tobacco 
 pipe," the name of a town on the Hudson, in New Jersey. 
 
 HOCCAN UM or HOCKAN UM, hocquaum ; i. e., " hook," or " hook 
 shaped ;" the name of a river in E. Hartford, Conn. 
 
 HOCK^ENDOC QUE ; "searching for land." 
 
 HO KA; i. e., "horn;" the name of a small tributary of the 
 Miss, near its source. 
 
 HOCK HOCK ING ; i. e., "place of the gourd which resembles a 
 bottle;" Achsinmmk or standing stone ; the name of a locality in 
 Bradford Co., Pa.; also the name of a river in eastern Ohio. 
 
 HOK AMAN ; i. e., "where herons set, or breed;" the name of 
 several lakes in Minn. 
 
 HOP PENY CREEK, hoblenisink ; i. e., "potato creek, or the creek 
 where the wild potato grows ;" the name of a creek in N. E. Penna, 
 
 HOUSATON IC, wnssi aderic nk ; i. e., "the river beyond the 
 mountain." This river is in the western part of Conn, immediately 
 west of a mountain range. 
 
 HUDSON RIVER. This stream was called by the Delaware In 
 dians Mohicannet tuck ; i. e., the river of the Mohicans. 
 
 I. 
 
 I DAHO; said to mean " the gem of the mountain." 
 
 IMNIJ A, or EMNEJ A ; i. e., "rock," properly "a rock washed 
 by water :" the name of a village in Dakota on the Big Sioux river. 
 
 IMNIJ A-SKA\ or EMNIJASKA ; i. e., "white rock;" the Dakota 
 name for the city of St. Paul, Minn. 
 
 INK PA, eenk-pah ; i. e., "end," or "point ;" the name of a trib- 
 
1 6 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 utary of the Minn., entering from the southwest near Lac qui 
 Parle, which was formerly considered the head or end of the Minn, 
 river. 
 
 IN YAN-BOSDA TA, or ENYAN-BOSDATA ; i. e., "stone standing 
 on end;" the Dakota name for Cannon river in Neb., and the 
 name of a village near it. 
 
 INYAN REAKAH ; i. e., " river of the rock;" the name of a river 
 in Minn. 
 
 IN YAN-SHAH-SHAH-WAK PA ; i. e., "river of red stones;" the 
 Dakota name for the Des Moines river. 
 
 IN YAN-TANK-INK-IN YAN-AIDE ; i. e., "lake of big stones;" so 
 called from the rocky mounds found near the lower end of the lake; 
 the name of a lake in Minn. 
 
 IN YAN-YAN KE; i. e., "stones there;" the Indian name of the 
 Little Sioux river. 
 
 IO WA. The sig. of this word is obscure, but it is supposed to 
 be derived from the Dakota word ayuhba ; i. e., "drowsy." The 
 name was applied by the Dakotas to several Indian tribes. 
 
 IPAK SHAN; i. e., "crooked;" the Dakota name for the Big 
 Sioux. 
 
 ISAX , inyan-sa pa, or isanyati ; i. e., "pale stone;" the name of 
 a small lake near the head of Rum river in Minn., upon the banks 
 of which probably were found the flint from which the Dakotas 
 made their knives and hatchets, as the word isan is now said to 
 sig. knife in their language. 
 
 IZTACCIHUATL, ees-tahk-see-hwcih? I ; i. e., "White Lady." This 
 mountain with the mountain of Popocatepetl forms the twin vol 
 canic mountains of Mexico. 
 
 IZU ZA; i. e., "white stone;" the name of a tributary of the 
 Minnesota entering that stream a short distance below Big Stone 
 Lake. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 17 
 
 J- 
 
 JAMAI CA; a corruption of Xayamaca; i. e., "land of wood and 
 water;" the name of one of the most delightful of the W. I. 
 islands. 
 
 JAMES RIVER, VA. The Indians called this stream pawat-hanne, 
 i. e., "the river of pregnancy." The noted chief Powhatan is 
 supposed to have been named after the stream. 
 
 K. 
 
 KANDIZO HI, kandi buffalo-fish, izohi come to, or come into ; 
 i. e., "that which the buffalo-fish come into;" the name of a lake, 
 and now of a county in Minn. 
 
 KATAH DIN, kata-adeni; i. e. , " the greatest, or chief mountain ;" 
 the name of the highest mountain in Maine. 
 
 KATCH ENAHA ; i. e., "turkey lake;" the name of a lake in 
 Florida. 
 
 KEAR SARGE, koowass-adchu ; i. e., "sharp or pointed pine 
 mountain," or merely "the notched, or peaked mountain;" the 
 name of a mountain in N. H. 
 
 KEHT HAN NE ; i. e., "principal or greatest stream." This 
 name was given by the Lenappe Indians to the Delaware river. 
 The same .name is said to have been given by the Delawares on the 
 banks of the Ohio, to that stream. 
 
 KEN NEBEC V , quinni-nippi-ohke, or quinni-pi-ohki ; i. e., "long 
 water place;" the name of a river of New England. 
 
 KENOS HA ; i. e., "a pickerel;" the name of a town on the 
 western shore of Lake Michigan. 
 
 KENTUCK Y. Some suppose this word to be derived from kentake- 
 kowa ; i. e., " the prairies. "Other authority says that the word is 
 from the Shawnee language and sig. "at the head of a river." 
 
 KEN ZUA, or KENJUA, kents-chuak ; i. e., " they gobble;" that 
 is, "the wild turkeys gobble;" the name of a creek in central 
 Penna. 
 
 2 
 
1 8 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 KEWEE NAW, kewa-ue-nau ; i. e., " the place where we cross by 
 land carrying the canoe ;" the name of a peninsula in the north 
 ern part of Mich. It is probable the name was first applied to 
 some narrow portage on this peninsula. 
 
 KIGISCHGOT UM, or KIGISCHKOTUM ; the Indian name for the 
 katydid. 
 
 KIKITSCH IMUS, kik-itsch-emuis ; i. e., "deer creek." 
 
 KISCHICOQUIL IS, gischi already, achgook snakes, walicu in 
 dens; i. e., "the snakes have already got into their dens;" the 
 name of a creek in MifHin Co., Pa. 
 
 KISKATA^MEN AKOOK, keskatonunakanke ; i. e., "the place of 
 shelled nuts;" the name of a locality near the Catskill mountains, 
 N. Y. 
 
 KIS^KIMIN ETAS, giesh-gumanito ; i. e., "make daylight." Tra 
 dition says a warrior encamping on its banks said this during the 
 night to his comrades, so impatient was he to move forward ; the 
 name of a stream in Armstrong Co., Penna. 
 
 KITCH^I GAM I, or KECHE GUMMIE ; i. e., "the great or chief 
 lake;" the Chippewa name for Lake Superior. 
 
 KITCHOPATAKI, kitchu maize-pounding (block of wood,) pataki 
 spreading out; i. e., "where the Maize Wood river is spread 
 out;" the name of a tributary of the Tallapoosa river. 
 
 KIT TA ; a generic term in the Delaware language sig., " great," 
 or "very great," or "large/ E. G. Kish-an-ink large place. 
 
 KIT N TAHIC AN ; i. e., "the great ocean." 
 
 KITTAN NING, kit-hanne ; i. e., "large stream," or "the place 
 on the largest stream ;" the name of the capital of Armstrong Co., 
 Penna. 
 
 KIT TATIN NY, kit-adini, or kata-adini ; i. e., "the greatest, or 
 chief mountain ;" the name of an extensive mountain range in E. 
 Penna., containing the Delaware and Lehigh water gaps. 
 
 KIT TATON, kitchc great, or big, otan town or village; i. e., 
 " the great town or village ;" at present the name of a creek in 
 Va., entering the Potomac opposite Point of Rocks; probably so 
 named on account of an Indian village on its banks. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 19 
 
 KIT TEMAUG\ kehte-amaug; i. e., great fishing place;" the 
 name of a locality on the east bank of the Thames river in Conn. 
 
 KO KOMO ; i. e., "young grandmother; " the name of a town in 
 Indiana. 
 
 KUT TUCK, kehtetuk ; i. e., "great river;" the Indian name of 
 the Blackstone river in Conn, 
 
 KU WEN-HAN NE ; i. e., "stream running through pine trees." 
 
 L. 
 
 LACKVMIS SA ; leganimksa ; i. e., "the sandy ground." 
 
 LACK AWAN NA, techau-hanne ; i. e., "forked stream," or "the 
 stream that forks; " the name of a creek in Eastern Penna. flowing 
 into the Susquehanna above Wilkesbarre. 
 
 LACK AUWAX EN, lachauweksink ; i. e., "at the forks of the 
 road ; " the name of a river in Pike Co., Pa.; named probably by 
 the English after a locality, now a town, of the same name, where 
 it empties into the Delaware. 
 
 LACK^AWAN AK, LACK\AWAN NOCK, lechau-hannock ; i. e., "the 
 forks of the two streams," or "the place of the fork." The Lacka- 
 wannock mountain in Eastern Penna. originates at the junction of 
 the Lackawanna river with the Susquehanna, and from its location 
 at the fork of those streams may be said to have an appropriate 
 name. 
 
 LAP^PAHAN INK ; i. e., " the place where the tide water comes to 
 and where it runs off again." Compare with Rappahannock. 
 
 LAWUN AK HAN NOK; i. e., " middle stream." 
 
 LECHAU HAN NE ; i. e., "the forks occasioned by the confluence 
 of two streams," as is the case where the Lehigh (Jechaii) falls into 
 the Delaware. The place where Easton, Pa., now stands, was called 
 by the Delaware Indians lechau wit auk; i. e., "the town within 
 the fork." 
 
 LEECH LAKE, MINN. The Indian name for this lake is gah-suh- 
 gus-gwah-che-ma-kang ; i. e., " the place of leeches." 
 
 LE HIGH, or LECH A. Neither of these words is the proper Indian 
 
20 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 name for this river, although the first is generally supposed to be. 
 The words Icchauweki and lech-au-wicch-ink, or lechauwekink, point 
 to and are descriptive of a crossing place on the Lehigh river much 
 used by the Indians in their journeyings to and from the lower parts 
 of the Delaware. 
 
 LEN NI LENAP PE ; i. e., " original, or unmixed men," originally, 
 perhaps " manly men ;" the name of a very large family of Indians, 
 in general terms inhabiting the eastern portion of the U. S., from 
 Maine to South Carolina. 
 
 LICKING CREEK, PA., was called by the Indians mahonink ; i. e., 
 " the place of the lick." 
 
 LITTLE BEAVER CREEK, in Western Penna., was called by the 
 Indians tankamock-hanne ; i. e., "little beaver stream." 
 
 LITTLE BRIAR CREEK, PA., was called by the Indians tanga- 
 wunseh-hanne ; i. e., "little briar stream." 
 
 LITTLE CON EMAUGH, in W. Penna., was called by the Indians 
 sangi-guna-mochki ; i. e., "little otter creek." 
 
 LITTLE MASHAN ON ; tank-imos-hanne ; i. e., " little elk stream;" 
 the name of a creek in Centre Co,, Pa. 
 
 LOA V CHAPO KA, lutcha terrapin, poka killing-place i. e., "the 
 place where terrapins are killed ; at present the name of a town in 
 Macon Co., Ala. 
 
 LONOT O CREEK, in Ga.; from lonoto flint; i. e., " Flint creek," 
 an affluent of Flint river, Ga. This word is the Indian name for 
 that river. 
 
 LQOSH TOOK; i. e., "long river;" the name of the principal 
 river of New Brunswick; better known as St. John s river. 
 
 LOYALHAN NA, laweel-hanne ; i. e., " middle stream ;" the name 
 of a creek in Westmoreland Co., Penna., which, uniting with the 
 Conemaugh, forms the Kiskiminetas river. 
 
 LOY ALSOCK CREEK, LYCOMING Co., PA.; from lawi-saquik ; 
 i. e., "the creek that empties itself between others," or "middle 
 creek." 
 
 LYCOM ING, legaui-hanne ; i. e., "sandy creek," or "sandy 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 21 
 
 stream," more properly; the name of a creek in Central Penna. 
 flowing into the West Branch of the Susquehanna. 
 
 M. 
 
 MACH EMOOD US, matche-mddose ; i. e., "there is a bad noise," 
 or " the place of bad noises ;" the name of a locality in East Had- 
 dam, Conn. 
 
 MACH HAN NE ; i. e., "the large, or largest stream;" the name 
 given to the largest of the three streams which unite to form the 
 Lehigh river. 
 
 MACHIGAM MI ; i. e., "large lake;" the name of a lake in north 
 ern Wisconsin. 
 
 MACHIGAM IG, witchi-gaming ; i. e., " large lake," or " large lake 
 stream;" the name of the stream flowing from Lake Michigammi, 
 in Wis. 
 
 MACKIAPIER, machkkeabi ; i. e., middle water. 
 
 MACUN GY, mack-hein schi; i. e., " the harboring, or feeding place 
 of bears;" at present the name of a township in Lehigh Co., Pa. 
 
 MAC OPANACK HAN, muchop-pen-ackhan ; i. e., "the large potato 
 stem." 
 
 MAGATANKA MDE; i. e., "swan lake;" the name of a lake in 
 Nicollet Co., Minn. 
 
 MAGOT TY or MAGOTHY, mequkty ; i. e., "a small plain or prai 
 rie devoid of timber ; " the name of a river in Md. 
 
 MAHANOY ; a corruption from mahoni a lick; the name of a 
 stream in Central Pa. 
 
 MAHANTAUGO; from mohantaugo ; i. e., "where we had plenty of 
 meat to eat;" the name of a stream in Dauphin Co., Pa. 
 
 MAHMAN SUCK; i. e., "a place where two streams meet," or pos 
 sibly " a brook containing two ponds." 
 
 MAHON ING, or MAHO NY, mahonink ; i. e., "the place of the 
 lick," or "at the lick;" the name of a creek emptying into the 
 Allegheny river in Armstrong Co., Pa. 
 
22 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 MAKA GI ; i. e., " brown earth ;" the name of a western triubu- 
 tary of the Minn. 
 
 MAK A MDE ; i. e., "sunk lake;" the name of a lake in Dakota. 
 
 MAK IAP IER, machkiabi ; i. e., "water of a reddish color;" the 
 name of a pond in N. J. 
 
 MAKU A ; i. e., "bear," or " a bear;" the name of a town on 
 the shore of Lake Michigan. 
 
 MAMAR ONECK ; named from Mamaronock, a chief of the Wiqua- 
 eskeck Indians ; the name of a town in Westchester Co. N. Y. 
 
 MAN ADY, or MANADA, menathey ; i. e., "an island;" the name 
 of a creek in Dauphin county, Pa. 
 
 MAN AHAN, menehund ; i. e., "where liquor has been drunk;" 
 the name of a place in Centre Co., Pa. 
 
 MANAL TON, menaltink ; i. e., "at the place where we drank 
 liquor to excess;" the name of a place in Western Pa. 
 
 MAN ATAUCK ; i. e. , a place of observation," a "look-out place;" 
 the name of a high hill in Waterford, Conn., in full view of L. I., 
 Sound. 
 
 MANATAW NY, menhaltanink ; i. e., " where we drank" (liquor); 
 the name of a creek and town in Berks Co., Pa. 
 
 MANHAN NOCK, munnohan-auke ; i. e., "island place;" a section 
 of Gastonbury, Conn., formerly an island in the Conn, river. 
 
 MANHAT TAN, munnohan, or mandates; i. e., "the island." 
 This word munnohan is a generic term sig. island. New York 
 island was sometimes spoken of by the Indians as the island. 
 
 MANHUMS QUEEG ; i. e., "in the whetstone country;" the name 
 of a locality in Conn. 
 
 MANITOW AH ; i.e., " the spirit bow." 
 
 MANKA TO; i. e., "earth blue," or more properly "earth 
 green ;" the name of a river and town in Minn. 
 
 MAN OKIN, msnach-ink ; i. e., "an enclosed place ;" the Indian 
 name of a river in Md. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 23 
 
 MANON IETY, mahonitty ; i. e., "quite small lick."- 
 
 MANUS SING, munnohan ; i. e., "an island," or " the island ;" 
 the name of an island in Long Island Sound, N. Y. 
 
 MANAYUNK , mene-iunk ; i. e., "place of rum," or "place of 
 drinking liquor;" a locality within the present limits of Philad., Pa. 
 
 MASGEEK^HAN NE ; i. e., "a stream flowing through swampy 
 ground;" the name of a stream on Broad Mountain south of 
 Scranton, Pa. 
 
 MASHOPE, masch-api ; i. e., "beads of glass;" the name of a 
 locality in Pike county, Pa., present orthography masthope. 
 
 MASSA CHAUG V ; This word is probably derived from muskechoge ; 
 i. e., " place where rushes grow ; " the name of a pond in R. I. 
 
 MAS SAPAUG, MASHAPAUG, MASHPAUG, MASSAPOGUE, MUSSAPOG, 
 mash or mass great or large, paug water at rest; i. e., "the 
 great standing water;" occurring frequently as Indian names of 
 ponds in Conn, and R. I. 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS, massa great, adchu mountain, et near, in 
 the vicinity; i. e., "near the great hill or mountain." It is said 
 Roger Williams obtained from the Indians the phrase, "the blue 
 hills," as a definition to this word, which was suggested by the 
 appearance of an island off the coast. 
 
 MAS SAPEAG, MASHPEAG, massa-peauk ; i. e., " great water land," 
 or " land on the great cove ; " the name of a locality in Montville, 
 Conn. 
 
 MASHAMOQ UET, massa-amaug-ut ; i. e., "at the great fishing 
 place;" at present the name of a brook in Pomfret, Conn. 
 
 MAS SAWAM ASOG, massa-womussuk ; i. e., "great declivity," 
 "steep hillside or bank." This name is now applied to a brook 
 and cove west of the Thames river in Montville, Conn. 
 
 MATCH ACH PONE; i. e., "bad bread." The English word pone, 
 a bread made from ground corn, may have been derived from this 
 Indian word pone. 
 
 MATACOM ACOK : i. e., "bad place land," or possibly "where 
 the path is bad ;" the name of a locality in Windsor Bounds, Conn. 
 
24 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 MATCH ACOMOCA, matachgenimoah ; i. e., "they are counselling 
 about war/ " a council of war." 
 
 MATCHOPUNGO, matschipungo ; i. e., "bad powders," or "bad 
 ashes" (unfit for baking bread). 
 
 MATOMKIN, mattemikin ; i. e., " to enter a house." 
 
 MATTAPOI SET ; supposed to be derived from massabeset ; i e., " a 
 place at a great rivulet or brook ;" the name of a river and town in 
 Mass. 
 
 MATTAP ONY, mattah-pona ; i. e., "no bread at all to be had;" 
 the name of a river in the S. E. part of Va. 
 
 MAT TAWAKS, meteaukock ; i. e., "the periwinkle;" the Indian 
 name for Long Island. Here the Indians are said to have obtained 
 the material for their wampum. 
 
 MAT TITUCK ; i. e., "place without wood," or "land not 
 wooded ;" the name of a village on Long Island. 
 
 MAUCH CHUNK , machk bear, tschunk at or near the moun 
 tain ; i. e., "the bear mountain," or "at, or on the bear moun 
 tain;" the name of the county seat of Carbon Co., Pa. 
 
 MAX ITAW NY, or MAXITAWENY, machkset-hanne ; i. e., "bear s 
 path stream ;" the name of a creek in Berks Co., Pa. 
 
 MAY AIMI ; supposed to be derived from the Creek words, mahi 
 very large, and uiwa, (guevu) water; i. e., "very large 
 water;" the name of a lake in Fla. 
 
 MVva WAK EN ; i. e., " sacred, or mysterious banks;" the name 
 of the largest northern tributary of the Minn., more frequently 
 called the Chippewa river. 
 
 MAY LUCK; a corruption from the Indian words namareek-roake, 
 or namelake derived from name auke ; i. e., "fishing place;" the 
 name of a small stream in East Windsor, Conn. 
 
 MAZOMAN I ; i. e., "walks in metal;" the name of a town in 
 Wisconsin named after an Indian chief. 
 
 MEECH-HANNE; i. e., "main stream;" the name applied by the 
 Indians to the largest arm of the Lehigh river flowing between 
 Monroe and Lackawanna counties, Pa. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 25 
 
 MENAL TIN, menaltink ; i. e., " the place where we drank liquor 
 to excess." 
 
 MEN AN, (Grand Menan), munnohan ; i. e., " the island." The 
 word grand is an English prefix ; the name of an island opposite 
 Pas samoquoddy Bay. 
 
 MENASH A; i. e., "a thorn ;" the name of a town in Winnebago 
 Co., Wisconsion. 
 
 MENHEE RING, or MENHERRIN, menhattink ; i. e., "on the 
 island ; " the name of a stream in S. E. Va. 
 
 MENUN KETUCK, munnahquohteau ; i. e., "that which fertilizes 
 or manures land." The word menhaden is supposed to be a corrup 
 tion of the same word. The word menunhetuck is the Indian name 
 for Guilford West River, in Conn. From a tradition we learn that 
 some of the Indian tribes of Conn, residing on the larger streams 
 used fish, when obtainable, for fertilizing purposes. 
 
 MEREY CHA WICK, me the, reckwa sand, ick place, or lo 
 cality; i. e., "the sandy place;" the Indian name of the place 
 where Brooklyn, N. Y., now stands. The probability is the name 
 was first applied to the sandy beach. 
 
 MESHOPPEN, from maschapi ; i. e., " glass beads ; " the name of 
 a stream flowing into the Susquehanna in Wyoming Co., Pa. It is 
 said the name was given to commemorate a distribution of such 
 trinkets, as glass beads among the Indians. 
 
 MESON GO, or MESON GE, meschaugo, or me s change ; i. e., "where 
 we killed deer," "good hunting ;" the name of a creek in Md. 
 
 MEX ICO; named after Mexitli, the Aztec war-god. 
 
 MIAN US; i. e., "he who gathers together." The little river in 
 Conn, to which this name is now applied, and the neck of land at 
 its junction with the Coscob cove, were so called from the Indian 
 proprietor, Mayan no, or Mayen e. 
 
 MICH IGAN; i. e., "great water;" the name of one of the largest 
 lakes in N. A. 
 
 MILWAU KEE, me-no-ah-ke ; i. e., "good land;" the name of a 
 city of Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Michigan. 
 
26 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 MINISENK, mins-ink ; i. e., "the place of the Minsies" or " the 
 home of the Minsies." The original seat of the Minsi tribe of the 
 Lenappe Indians was in the upper valleys of the Delaware river. 
 
 MIN NAHAUOCK , menahan an island, uck place; i. e., "at the 
 island," or "the island home." This was the Indian name of 
 Blackwell s Island near the city of New York. 
 
 MIN NECHAUG, minne-adchu-auke ; i. e., "huckleberry hill ;" the 
 name of a district of Glastonbury, Conn. 
 
 MIN NEHA HA, minni water, ihaha to smile; i. e., "smiling 
 water." This word is usually, but erroneously, translated laugh 
 ing water. Ha sig. "to curl," and ihaha, to smile. In smiling, 
 the lip curls. The name of falls in the Miss, river in Minn. 
 
 MIN NESO TA, minni water, sofa slightly whitish; i. e., 
 "slightly whitish water." This word, however, is usually defined 
 "clear water." Originally this word was the name of several lakes 
 in Minn. It is supposed these waters owe their slightly whitish hue 
 to the presence of carbonate of lime. 
 
 MINNI SKA; i. e., "clear water;" the name of a tributary of the 
 Minnesota river. 
 
 MINNI SNI; i. e., "cold water;" the name of a town in Minn., 
 so called from a cold spring near by. 
 
 MIS PAU, me the, espau raccoon; i. e., "the raccoon;" the 
 name of a tributary of the Delaware river. 
 
 MIS QUAM ICUK, SQUOM ACUK, mishquamaug; i. e., "a place for 
 taldng salmon;" the name of a locality in Westerly Township, 
 R. L, near the mouth of the Pawcatuck river. 
 
 MISSINI PI, missi all, whole, entire, nipi water; i. e., "the 
 whole water;" the name of a river near the sources of the Miss., 
 flowing into Hudson s Bay. 
 
 MISSISSIPPI, mtsi, or mishi great, sipi river; i. e., "great 
 river." The foregoing derivation is from the Ojibwa tongue. 
 Others entitled to much credit say the word comes from me-ze-wa 
 everywhere, and seebe river; i. e., " the vast or everywhere river." 
 
 MISSOU RI ; it is supposed this word comes from minni-shosha 
 the Dakota name for this river, and sig. " muddy water." 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 27 
 
 MITCHAWON ; i. e., "an obstruction," "a. turning back;" the 
 Indian name for the falls of the Housaton ic river at New Milford, 
 Conn. 
 
 MENDO TA, mdota ; i. e., "the mouth," or "the mouth of a 
 river;" the name of the town at the junction of the Minnesota with 
 the Miss, in Minn. 
 
 MOHAWK RIVER ; the Dutch called this river Maquaas river ; 
 i. e., "muskrat river," and the probability is the present name is 
 a corruption from the latter word. The historian, Trumbull, how 
 ever, on the authority of Roger Williams, derives it from the 
 Indian word moho to eat, and says the word sig. "cannibal 
 river;" the name of a large river of N. Y. flowing into the Hudson 
 above Albany. 
 
 MOHE GAN, muhhekanneuk ; primarily from maingan a wolf; 
 the name of a tribe of Indians formerly residing in R. I. and Conn. 
 
 MOHUL BUC TISON, mocholpakison ; i. e., "where canoes are aban 
 doned." The word is said to sig. " the head of navigation." 
 
 MON ACAN, from the Delaware word monhacan ; i. e., " a spade," 
 or any implement for digging the soil. 
 
 MON^TAUK POINT. Probably derived from manati-auke ; i. e., 
 "the island country," or "the country of the islanders;" the name 
 of a promontory on Long Island. 
 
 MONTOWES E. This name is derived from Mantowese the 
 name of an Indian of some local prominence, whose name is a 
 diminutive of Manito, and sig. "little god." The word is now 
 the name of a railroad stat. and P. O. in East Haven, Conn. 
 
 MONOCRACY, or MONOCKISY, menagassi ; i. e., " stream containing 
 many large bends;" the name of a river in Md. flowing into the 
 Potomac ; also the name of a creek in Butler and Northampton 
 counties, Pa. 
 
 MONON^GAHE LA, menaungihella ; i. e., " high banks breaking off 
 in some places and tumbling down ;" the name of a river in south 
 western Pa. 
 
 MUNCY, MONSEY, minsink or menesink ; i. e., "habitation of the 
 Minsi tribe," or the place of the Minsi;" the name of a creek in 
 Lycoming Co., Pa. 
 
28 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 MOOSE LEM or MOSELEM CREEK, maschil-amek-hanne ; i. e., 
 " trout stream ;" the name of a creek in Berks Co., Pa. 
 
 MOOSHAN NE, MOSHANNIE, or MQSHANNON ; i. e., " elk stream;" 
 the name of a creek in Centre Co., Pa. 
 
 MOOS UP ; so called from Maussup, the name of a chief of the 
 Narraganett Indians ; the name of a river in Conn. 
 
 MOUNT MARCY, NEW YORK, was called by the Indians ta-ha-was ; 
 i. e., " he splits the sky." 
 
 MOUNT TOBY, MASS., was called by the Indians Quunk-wat-chu ; 
 i. e., " high mountain." 
 
 MOY^AMEN SING, mo the, sowhamen maize, ink place; i. e., 
 " the place for maize," or " the maize land ;" the name of a dis 
 trict within the limits of Philada., Pa. 
 
 MUDDY CREEK, in York Co., Pa., is said to have been called by 
 the Indians achsees-pagkoh ; i. e., "muddy water." 
 
 MUN NOMIN; i. e., "rice ;" the name of a locality in Mich. 
 
 MUSCONET CONG, MUSCON ECON, mask-hann-cunk ; i. e., "rapid 
 running stream ;" the name of a river in the northern part of N. 
 ]., flowing into the Delaware below Easton, Pa. 
 
 MUSCO DA, mus-co-da ; i. e., "a prairie;" the name of a town 
 on the Wisconsin river, Wisconsin. 
 
 MUSKING UM, or MOOSKING UM ; i. e., "Elk s eyes." The Dela- 
 wares when they took possession of the country west of the Ohio 
 river found it abounding in elk or deer, so tame they could be ap 
 proached near enough to see their eyes; whence the name; the 
 name of a river in Ohio. 
 
 MYS TIC, missi great, tuk or ittuk stream; i. e., "the great 
 stream;" the name of the principal river flowing into Boston bay. 
 Tuk or ittuk is more especially the name of a stream whose waters 
 are driven in waves by tides or winds. 
 
 N. 
 
 NAN SEMOND, or NAN SAMOND, nauns-chim-end ; i. e., "from 
 whence we fled," "from whence we were driven ofT;" the name of 
 a county in Va. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 29 
 
 NAN TICOKES; i. e., "tide water people;" the name of a tribe 
 of Indians who, when first known to the English, had their seat on 
 the eastern shore of Maryland. They were, however, of Inquoi 
 origin, and finally joined the Five Nations in New York, making 
 the Six Nations. 
 
 NANTIHALAH ; i. e., "maiden s bosom;" the name of a river 
 in Macon, co., N. C. 
 
 NAR RAGAN SET, acawmen-oake, and with tuk it forms acawen-tuk; 
 i. e., " other side river." Others say this word is a corruption of 
 naiaganset and sig. "at or about the point." 
 
 NATCH EZ, naksh-asi ; i. e., "a hurrying man," "one running 
 as to war." The name formerly belonged to a tribe of Indians 
 that settled where Natchez now stands, about the beginning of the 
 eighteenth century. It is the opinion of some that this word is de 
 rived from naksika aside, away from, owing to the site of their 
 village, which was away from the "great water road," the Miss. 
 
 NAUB UC; said to be a corruption of dupatik, and to sig. 
 "flooded" or "overflowed;" the name of a village in Conn. 
 
 NAU GATUCK . This word is said to be derived from nequt-tugk, 
 and to sig. "one tree." The word is now the name of a small 
 river in Conn. The probability is the tree, which perhaps stood 
 on its banks, was of great note or interest. 
 
 NAWBESET UCK ; a corruption of nuppeeit-ohke ; i. e., "land at 
 the pond ;" the name of a locality in Mansfield, Conn. 
 
 NAYAUG, naiag ; i. e., "the point," or "the corner;" the name 
 of a point at the junction of Roaring Brook and the Conn, river, 
 in Glastonbury, Conn. 
 
 NEBRAS KA; i. e., "flat or broad water;" from the Omaha or 
 Punka language. 
 
 NEMATTAN O, nimmattima; i. e., "our brother." 
 
 NEP AUG ; supposed to be a corruption of either nunnepaug fish 
 pond, or wunnepaug good pond; the name, at present, of a vil 
 lage in Conn. 
 
 NES COPECK, or NES COPEC, naesk-choppek ; " blackish colored and 
 
30 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 deep still water;" the name of a creek in eastern Penn., flowing 
 into the North Branch of the Susquehanna. 
 
 NESHAM INY, nischam-hanne ; i. e., two streams making one by 
 flowing together;" the name of a creek in Bucks Co., Pa. 
 
 NESHAN NOCK, neshannok ; i. e., " two adjoining streams ;" the 
 name of a creek in Lawrence Co., Pa. 
 
 NESHO BA, or NASHO BA, neshoba ; i. e., "gray wolf;" the name 
 of a tributary of the Yazoo river in Miss. 
 
 NES QUEHON ING, naska-honi ; i. e., "black lick," or "a lick 
 the waters of which have a blackish color ;" the name of creek in 
 Carbon Co., Pa. 
 
 NIAG ARA, o-ne-aw-ga -ra ; i. e., " the neck." The term is derived 
 from an Iriquoi word for the human neck, and was applied to the 
 entire Niagara. river, which connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario, 
 as the human neck connects the head with the body. It is said on 
 good authority that this word is not the Indian name for the 
 great falls. These falls were called by the Senecas date-car-sko- 
 sasa; i. e., ".the highest falls." 
 
 NIAN TIC ; said to sig. "at a point of land on a tidal river." The 
 name occurs several times in Conn. 
 
 NIOBRA RA, ni water, obrara broad or large; i. e., "the broad 
 or large water ;" the name of a river in Neb. 
 
 NIP PENOSE, nipenowi ; i. e., " like unto the summer;" a warm 
 situation "where the cold does not penetrate;" the name of a re 
 markable valley in Lycoming Co., Pa.; also the name of a creek in 
 the same Co. 
 
 NIP PISSING\ nippe water, or still water, ing or ink place ; i. e., 
 "the place of still water." The name seems more particularly to 
 apply to a wide place in a river where the current slackens. Possi 
 bly Nipissing Lake, in Canada West, may derive its name from the 
 same root. 
 
 NIP SIC, NIP SUCK, nips a pool, auke place; i.e., " the place 
 of a pool;" a location in Glastonbury, Conn., so named from a 
 magnificent spring of water which here bursts forth. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 3! 
 
 NIS OPACK, neeshapaug , i. e., " two ponds;" a name frequently 
 occurring in Conn. 
 
 NOCK AMIX ON, nochanixink ; i. e., "at the three houses ;" the 
 name of a township in Bucks Co., Pa. 
 
 NOLAMAT TINK ; i. e., "the silk worm place," or "the silk-worm 
 land;" the name of a tract of land in Northampton Co., Pa., 
 which formerly abounded in mulberry trees. 
 
 NOR WALK ; the word is supposed to be derived from nayaug 
 a point of land ; the name of a river in Conn. 
 
 o. 
 
 OAK SIS OKIE, OAKSUS KIE, woakassisku ; i. e., " winding, marshy 
 ground," "winding boggy swamp." 
 
 OANAN COCK or ONAN COCK, auwannaku ; i. e., " foggy place;" 
 the name of a town in Accomac Co., Va. 
 
 OB SCOB: This word means either "at the white rock," or "at 
 the narrow passage of the rocks;" the name of a village in Conn., 
 near the mouth of Oyster river. 
 
 OC CAPOGUE, accup a creek ; the name of a stream on Long 
 Island. 
 
 OC^COHAN NOCK, woak-hanne ; i. e., "crooked, winding stream," 
 " a stream with large bends ;" the Indian name of a stream in Va. 
 
 OC COQUAN, okhucquoan, woakhucquon, or huckquoan ; i. e., "a 
 hook," or " anything bent to the form of a hook." Some say the 
 word is derived from shacqohocan a stone, and means "stony 
 creek." This, however, is very doubtful. The word is the name 
 of a stream in Prince William s Co., Va. 
 
 OCE YEDAN, or ACEYEDAN ; i. e., "place of weeping." So called 
 by the Dakotas because of weeping there the death of some of their 
 relatives ; the name of a creek in Iowa which flows into the Little 
 Sioux river. 
 
 OCHISHAT CHEE ; i. e., " hickory leaf river." 
 
 OCKLOCKO NEE ; i. e., " yellow water ;" the name of a river in 
 Fla. 
 
32 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 OCK LOWAHA ; i. e., " muddy, or miry place." 
 
 OCMUL GEE or OKMUL GI, oki water, mulgis it is boiling; i. e., 
 "boiling water;" the name of a river in Ga. 
 
 OHI O, ohui very, opeek white with froth, hanne stream; i. e., 
 " the stream very white with froth," or " the stream abounding in 
 white caps." The foregoing definition is given by Revd. John 
 Heckewelder. Revd. Christian Fred Post, also a missionary among 
 the Indians, and who lived with the Senecas for many years says 
 this word is derived from ohee-ye-ga-hun-da, and sig. "good river," 
 or "beautiful river." This definition being identical with the 
 name given the Ohio by the French, I am inclined to believe Mr. 
 Post merely took the French name and translated it into Indian, 
 thinking it a French translation from the Indian language. Cer 
 tainly Mr. Heckewelder, who was perfectly familiar with the 
 Delaware language, and who resided with the Indians many years 
 on the banks of this stream could not be mistaken. Doubtless the 
 mineral oils which are now so important an item of trade in West 
 ern Penna., were then finding their way to the surface of the earth 
 and floating on the fair bosom of the Ohio, liable at any moment 
 to be blown into white caps by southwesterly winds. 
 
 OHI OPYLE or OHIOPLE, ohiopihelle \ i. e., "white froth upon the 
 water;" the name of a cataract on the Youghiogheny River in 
 Fayette Co., Pa. 
 
 O KECHO BEE, or OKITCHO BI; i, e., "large water;" the name of 
 a lake in the southern part of Florida. 
 
 O KI ; the generic term for water in the Creek language, also in 
 the Seminole language which is essentially the same as the Creek. 
 The word very frequently, as a suffix, takes the form okee, kee or 
 ee. 
 
 O KIFENO KEE; i. e., " weaving, shaking water;" the name of 
 an extensive swamp in Ga. 
 
 OK LOKON EE, OCK LOCKON NEE, oki water, lakni yellow; i. e., 
 "yellow water;" the name of a river in Ga. 
 
 OKO NI, or OCO NEE, ekuoni ; i. e., "great, large water;" the 
 name of a river in Ga. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 33 
 
 O LEY, olink, wahlink, olo, wahlo ; i. e., "a cavern or cell," 
 also "a. tract of land encompassed by hills;" now the name of a 
 township in Berks Co., Pa. 
 
 O MAHA; from the Dakota language and sig. "up stream;" the 
 name of a city in Neb. 
 
 ONEYAGI NE, oneya ; i. e., "a stone;" the Indian name of Stone 
 Creek, Schoharie Co., N. Y. 
 
 ONONDA GA; i. e., "a. swamp at the foot of a hill;" the name 
 of a shallow lake in the state of New York. 
 
 ONTA RIO ; This word is from the Wyandot language, and is 
 supposed to mean " how beautiful is the hill or rock standing in 
 the water." It is thought to have been first applied to some spot 
 near Kingston, where the Wyandots resided many years. The 
 Mohawks and their confederates generally called this lake cad-ar- 
 acqui. The term Ontario, however, being more euphonious, was 
 finally applied by Europeans to the entire lake. Others say this 
 word is derived from the Mohawk word ska-no-da-rio, and sig. 
 "beautiful lake." I incline to the latter opinion. 
 
 ONTON AGON, nin-do-nau-gon ; i. e., "my dish." This name is 
 said to have been derived in the following somewhat singular man 
 ner : At the mouth of this river, which flows into Lake Superior, 
 there is a small bay and dead water. Into and out of this bay the 
 water of the lake alternately flows, according to the direction ot 
 the wind and perhaps other causes. On one occasion an Indian 
 woman had left her wooden dish or onagon, on the sands of the 
 shore where she had been employed, to find it, upon her return, 
 carried away by the swelling tide. Nai nin do nau gon ! she ex 
 claimed. That is to say: Alas ! my dish. 
 
 OPEEHAN EANAUGH\ opeek-hanne ; i. e., "stream of whitish 
 color." 
 
 OPELI KA, opilua swamp, laikata to be stretched out; i. e., 
 "large swamp," or " great swamp ;" at present the name of a town 
 in Russell county, Ala. 
 
 OPELOU SAS, OPELU SA. This word is said to mean " black leg 
 gings or moccasins ;" the name of a town in La. 
 
34 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 OP ICON, or OP QUAN, opeekhan ; i. e., "a stream of a whitish 
 color;" the name of a stream in Va., flowing into the Potomac. 
 
 OPIL LAKO, opilua swamp, lako large; i. e., "large swamp;" 
 the name of a stream flowing into Flint river, Ga. 
 
 OPILOUS S^S, OQUELOUS SAS; i. e., " black water." 
 
 ORINO CO; said to mean "coiled serpent;" the name of one of 
 the largest rivers in South America. 
 
 OSTANAU LA, or ESTAN ULA; i. e., " the place of overtaking." 
 
 OSWE YA CREEK, utschija; i. e., "place of flies;" the name of 
 a tributary of the Allegheny river in McKean county, Pa. 
 
 OT TAWA, ah-tah-way] i. e., "a trader," or "he trades;" the 
 name of a river in Canada. 
 
 OUHE GEE, ahiki ; i. e., "to look up stream." 
 
 OWOB OP TA ; i. e., " where they dig roots ;" the name of one of 
 the largest northern tributaries of the Minnesota, called by the 
 French Pomme de Terra, and by the Dakotas Teepsinna, which 
 words are the names in those languages of the roots dug there for 
 food. 
 
 OWOTAN NA WAK PA ; i. e., " straight river;" the name of a trib 
 utary of the Cannon river in Minn., commonly written owaton na. 
 
 OXOBOX O, OXYBOX Y, ogusse-paug small pond, suck outlet ; i. 
 e., "the brook which flows out of the small pond ;" the name of a 
 small stream near Montville, Conn. 
 
 P. 
 
 PACH AUG, flat/iatt-au&e ; i. e., "a turning place;" the name of 
 a river in Conn. 
 
 PAHAWAK AN; i. e., " the sacred hills," or "the sacred round- 
 topped hills." This name is applied to several high^mound-like 
 hills in Dakota, called also medicine hills. 
 
 PAINT CREEK, IN Cambria Co., Pa., was called by the Delawares 
 wallamink ; i. e., " where there is paint." 
 
 PA JUTAZEE; i. e., "yellow root;" the name of a western branch 
 of the Minn., often called " Yellow Medicine." 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 35 
 
 PAKIO MA; i. e., " where the cranberries grow." 
 
 ink, or paki omink ; i. e., " at the cranberry 
 
 place." 
 
 PALATKA or PILATKA ; i. e., "spilled," "thrown down;" the 
 name of a town in Fla., on the St. John s river. 
 
 PAMUN KY \pihmunga; i. e., "where we were sweating," or "in* 
 the sweat-house where we sweated ;" the name of a stream in Va^ 
 
 PAS CAGOU LA, paska bread, ogoulas, from ok/a nation; i. e., 
 " bread nation." The name was first applied to a tribe of Indians 
 who settled near Mobile ; the name of a river in the S. E. part of 
 Miss. 
 
 PASSA IC, passajeek ; i. e., "a valley;" the name seems to refe 
 rather to the country through which the river flows than to the river 
 itself; the name of a river of N. J. 
 
 PASSAMAQUOD DY. This word has been variously translated. In 
 1828, Revd. Elijah Killroy gave as its meaning "pollock fish," and 
 Revd. Mr. Rara translates peshemoo-kwoddy as "pollock ground;" 
 the name of a bay at the S. E. extremity of Maine. 
 
 A.iAT?s co,patapsqut ; i. e., "back water," or " tide water con 
 taining froth," or "a long deep stretch in a stream caused by back 
 or tide water containing froth ;" the name of the river upon which 
 the city of Baltimore stands. 
 
 PATCHOG UE, (pathdg 1 ,} pauochauog ; i. e., "the place where they 
 gamble and dance;" a town of Suffolk Co., N. Y., near the south 
 ern shore of Long Island. 
 
 PATKASK ADEN ; i. e., " the tortoise or turtle;" the name of a 
 western tributary of the Dakota. 
 
 PAT TAQUONK; i. e., "round place," meaning an Indian s wig 
 wam or sweating-house, or possibly only " round hill." At pres 
 ent the name of a hill near Saybrook, Conn. 
 
 PATUXENT or PATUXET ; from the same root as Pawtuxent, which 
 see ; the name of a river in Md. 
 
 PAUPON AMING, papennamink; i. e., "at the place where we were 
 grazing." 
 
36 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 PAU TIKAUG. This word is supposed to sig. "boggy meadows," 
 " miry land ;" the name of a district in Conn. 
 
 PAWAT ING was the Chippewa name for the falls of Sault St. Marie, 
 and means " the falls," or "at the place of the noise." 
 
 PAWHATAN , or PAWATAN , pauat-hanne ; i. e., at or near the 
 falls of the stream." From the falls of the James river, near where 
 Richmond now stands, named as above, Capt. John Smith says the 
 great king Powhatan took his name. 
 
 PAWTUCK ET; i. e., "the falls," or " at the falls;" the name of 
 a river of Rhode Island having on it a fall of 50 ft., from which it 
 is supposed it took its name. Above this fall the river takes the 
 name of the Black Stone, and below the fall, the Seekonk. 
 
 PAWTUX ET, or PAUTUXKT ; i. e., "at the little falls ;" the name 
 of a river in Rhode Island abounding in valuable mill-seats. 
 
 PAX TON, peeks- tunk ; i. e., " place of standing or dead water;" 
 the name of a creek in Dauphin Co., Pa. 
 
 PEGU MOCK, peek-hanne : i. e., "dark stream;" the name of a 
 creek in N. J. 
 
 PEM APACK ; supposed to be derived from pemmapecka, which 
 see 
 
 PEMMAPKCK A, A 1 ^ 7 /^ / i- e., "a pond, lake or bog," or "water 
 not having a current." 
 
 PEN NEPACK ; supposed to be a corruption of Pemmapecka, which 
 see; the name of a creek in Philad. Co., Pa., flowing into the Dela 
 ware. 
 
 PENOB SCOT, panaooa-bskek, or pe-noom-ske-ook : i. e., "at the 
 falls of the rock," or " at the descending rock." The name was 
 originally applied by the Knglish to a locality on the river, and 
 probably the Indian name of the river is lost. The word seems to 
 have been the Indian name of Old Town Falls, a village en the 
 river. It would seem a better corruption of the Indian name would 
 be Penobscook ; the name of one of the largest rivers in Me. 
 
 PENSACO LA, pan-sha-okla ; a Choctaw word sig. " hair people ;" 
 at present the name of a city and bay in Fia. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 37 
 
 PEQUAB UCK, supposed to mean " clear or open pond ;" the name 
 of a river in Conn. The name was doubtless transferred from the 
 pond at its source. 
 
 PEQTJAN NOCK ; i. e., "a clearing," or " cleared land ;" the name 
 of a town in Morris Co., X. J. 
 
 PEOUOD, or PEQUOT, pcquttoog, or paquatauog ; i. e., " the de 
 stroyers ;" the name of a warlike tribe of Indians that formerly in 
 habited New England. 
 
 PER KIO MEN, pakihm-ink ; i. e., "cranberry-place;" the name 
 of a creek in Montgomery Co., Penna. 
 
 PESCAT TAWAY, wapees white, kowat or quaat a pine tree, or 
 the place of the pine tree; i. e., "the place of the white pine 
 tree;" the name of a town in Middlesex Co., X. J. 
 
 PEWAK PA; i. e.. "Elm river;" the name of a western branch 
 of the Dakota river. 
 
 PICCOWAX EN, pixuwaxen ; i. e., "torn shoes;" the name of a 
 creek in Md. 
 
 PINE CREEK, in Penna. was called by the Indians cuwen-hanne ; 
 i. e., "the stream that flows through pine trees," or "Pine Creek." 
 
 PISCAS SET, wapees white, asstn, or quassin a stone; i. e.., 
 " white stone ; " the name of a stream in Me. 
 
 PISCAT AWAY, pisgattauwi ; i. e., "it is darkening," " growiiug 
 dark ;" the name of a river in Prince George s Co., Md. 
 
 PIS TEPAUG, pishaggua-paug ; i. e, "muddy or miry pool." 
 This name has been transferred to a mountain in Conn. Doubt 
 less originally the name of a lake or pool in the vicinity. 
 
 PITTSKURG, PA. This place was called by the Indians, after its 
 occupation by the French, menachk-sink ; i. e., "where there is a 
 fence," "an enclosure," in allusion to the fortifications. 
 
 PLAY WICKY, phieuwikcchtit ; i. e., "the habitation of those of 
 the turkey tribe." 
 
 PLUMB CR. in W. Penna. was called by the Indians spuas-hanne, or 
 
 spuas-ink ; i. e., " plumb stream," or "at the place of the plumbs." 
 
 POCAS SET; i. e., the place "where a strait widens out ;" the 
 
38 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 name of a village in Mass. This name occurs frequently in New 
 England. 
 
 PO CHAUG, pohshaog; i. e., where they divide" in two; the 
 place where the Pochaug and Manunkateset rivers meet in Conn. 
 
 POCHOUGOULA; i. e., "pond lily people ;" the name originally 
 of a tribe of Natchez Indians. 
 
 PO COHAN TAS, or PO CAHON TAS, pockohantes ; i. e., "streamlet 
 between two hills;" compounded of pochko a rocky hill, and 
 hanne stream ; the latter root rendered a diminutive by the suffix 
 tes. The Princess Pocahontas doubtless derived her name from 
 this stream ; at present the name of a town in S. W. Va. 
 
 WcQUQ-KEtpockhammokik; i. e., "knobby," "broken by knobs 
 and hills ;" the name of a river in Md. 
 
 PO CONO, or PO KONO, poko-hanne ; i. e., "a stream issuing from 
 a mountain," or "running between two mountains." The Broad 
 Mountain, south of Scranton, Pa., receives its name of Pdcono 
 from a stream of the same name contiguous thereto. 
 
 POCO SEN, or POCCOS EN. This word is supposed to be derived 
 from pduck-assin ; i. e., "a place where balls, bullets or lead was 
 to be had ;" the name of a river in Va. 
 
 POCOTO PAUG, pohqutae-paug ; i. e., "divided pond;" the name 
 of a large pond in Chatham, Conn., nearly divided in two parts, 
 connected only by a short and narrow strait. 
 
 PO HOP OKA, pockhapocka; i. e., "two mountains butting with 
 their ends against each other, with a stream of water between," as 
 in the case of the Lehigh Water Gap ; now the name of a stream in 
 Carbon county, Pa., flowing into the Lehigh river. 
 
 POKETO, pack gita : i. e., "throw it away," "abandon it," the 
 name of a creek in Allegheny county, Pa. 
 
 PO^KOMO KA, pocqueumoke ; i. e., "place of shell fish;" the In 
 dian name of a river in Md. 
 
 POM V PERUNG , POMPERAUG ; this word probably means " place of 
 offering," or " place of contributing ;" now the name of a river in 
 Conn. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 39 
 
 POMPTON, pihmton;; i. e., " crooked mouthed ; "the name of a 
 small river in N. J. 
 
 PONTOOSUC, powntuk-suck ; i. e., " falls on the brook." A hill 
 in Glastonbury, Conn., now bears this name. 
 
 POPOCATEPETL, i. e., "smoking mountain," or " the hill that 
 smokes ;" the name of a noted volcano of Mexico. 
 
 POPON OMING, papennamink ; i. e., "where we are gazing;" the 
 name of a small lake in Monroe Co., Pa. 
 
 POQUES SON, or POQUISSING, poques-ink ; i. e., "at the place 
 abounding in mice ;" the name of a creek in Bucks Co., Pa. 
 
 POQUON OCK, or POQUONNOC; i. e., " cleared land ;" the name 
 of a village near Farmington river, Conn. 
 
 POQUETAN NOC ; i. e., "land opened or broken up," "land 
 ready for planting;" the name of a town in Conn. 
 
 PORT TOBACCO, pootuppag; i. e., "a bay, or cove;" the name 
 of an inlet on the Potomac river in Md. 
 
 POTICH, poduch, or poftuck ; i. e., "round;" the name of one of 
 the plains in Catskill Co., N. Y. 
 
 POTO MAC, potowmak, or petahmok ; i. e., "they are coming by 
 water;" "drawing near in crafts or canoes;" the name of a large 
 river forming the boundary line between Md. and Va. 
 
 PSIM MDSE ; i. e., "rice lake;" the name of several lakes in Minn, 
 so called from the wild rice growing on their banks. 
 
 PTANSIN TA; i. e., "otter tail;" the name of a peninsula between 
 Lac Traverse and the Minn, river, so called from its resemblance 
 to that organ. 
 
 PTANS KA ; i. e., "white otter;" the name of a lake in Iowa. 
 
 PUCK AWAY; i. e., "cat-tail flag;" the name of a lake in Wis., 
 an expansion of the Neenah River. 
 
 PUCKIS TA, pachgisa ; i. e., "throw it away," " abandon it." 
 
 PUNGOTE QUE, or PUNGOTEA QUE, punghatteke ; i. e., "the place 
 of powder. " In the Delaware language the word pung sig. powder, 
 also ashes, dust and fine sand. Owing to the extremely sandy 
 
40 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 character of the country, it is highly probable the Indians in this 
 case intended the word to sig. not the place of powder, but rather 
 the place of fine sand or dust ; the name of a town and island in 
 Accomac Co., Va. 
 
 PUNXUTAW NEY, PONKSUTENEY ; i. e., "habitation of sand- 
 flies;" the name of a town in Jefferson Co., Pa. 
 
 PY MATU ING, pihmtomink ; i. e., "the crooked-mouthed man s 
 dwelling place," or "the dwelling place of the man with the 
 crooked mouth;" the name of a tributary of the Chenango river 
 in Mercer Co., Pa. 
 
 Q. 
 
 QUAD DIC ; a corruption Qi patta-quottuck ; i. e., "at the round 
 place on the tide water ;" the name of a village in Conn. 
 
 QUAKEKE, cuwenkeek, or kuwenkeek; i. e., "pine lands;" the 
 name of a creek in Carbon Co., Pa. 
 
 QUANTICO. If this is the same as Guentico, gentican, it mean,s 
 "dancing," "place of frolicking ;" the name of a town in-Md. 
 
 QUASSA ICK, quassuck a rock, ink place; i. e., "the place of 
 the rock;" the Indian name of Newburgh, N. Y. The location 
 of the town on a high rocky bluff justifies the name. 
 
 QUEBEC, kebic ; i. e.; " the fearful rocky cliff." Some say this 
 word was derived from the French phrase Quel bee what a beak ! 
 Others say it was imported by the French from Brittany. 
 
 QUEMAHONING, cuwei-mahotii ; i. e., "pine tree lick;" the 
 name of a branch of the Conemaugh, in Somerset Co., Pa. 
 
 QUEN ISCH-ACHACH-GEK-HAN NE or QUENISCHASCH AC KI ; i. e., 
 " the long reach river," or " the long way straight river ;" the In 
 dian name for the West Branch of the Susquehanna, Revd. John 
 Heckewelder says the word SUSQUEHANNA is a corruption of this 
 word, and that this name was applied to the entire stream by the 
 Delawares. The name was suggested by the long straight stretch 
 in the West Branch west of Williamsport. 
 
 QUENISCH-ACHACH -KI ; "a long way straight." This was the 
 Indian name for the "Long Reach" in the West Branch of the 
 Susquehanna above Williamsport, Pa. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 4! 
 
 QUEPON CO, cuwenponga ; i. e., "ashes of pine woods;" the 
 name of a creek in Md. 
 
 QUID NIC, aqueednuk. This word means either " the place at 
 the end of the hill;" or " the place beyond the hill ;" the name at 
 present of a small river in R. I. 
 
 QUILUTAM END ; i. e., "we came upon them unawares;" the 
 name of a spot in Luzerne Co., Pa., lying between the Susquehanna 
 river and a mountain, where the Delawaressay they surprised a body 
 of Indians of the Five Nations and defeated them. 
 
 QUIN AMOGUE. This word is supposed to be a corruption of 
 quinri -amaug ; \. e., "long fish place," or the place where lam 
 preys (long fish) are taken ; the name of a locality near Charles- 
 town, R. I. 
 
 QUING QUIN GUS, quin-quin&iis ; i. e., " duck and mullet." 
 
 QUITOPAHIE TA or QUITOPOHEL LA, cuispehelle, or cuwispehella; 
 
 " a spring that issues out of the earth where there are pine trees 
 standing ;" the name of a stream in Lebanon Co., Pa. 
 
 R. 
 
 RACCOON CREEK, in W. Penna. was called by the Indians nache- 
 num-hanne ; i. e., "raccoon stream." 
 
 RAPPAHAN NOCK, lappihanne ; i. e., "the current Ins returned 
 or flowed again;" or where the tide water flows and ebbs ; the 
 name of a stream in Va. 
 
 RED STONE CREEK, in W. Penna. was called by the Indians mach- 
 kach-sin-hanne ; i. e., "red stone stream." 
 
 RESTIGOUCHE, (res -tef-god-shd}; i. e., " the river which divides 
 like the hand;" the name of a river in British America forming 
 the northern boundary of N. B., so called because a short distance 
 above its point of discharge into the Bay of Chaleur it divides like 
 the hand into five branches. 
 
 ROCK AWAY ; supposed to be derived from reckaivackes, or acke- 
 wek ; i. e., "bushy," or "difficult to cross ;" the name of a river 
 
 in N. J. 
 
42 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 ROM OPACK ; Possibly this word is derived from wulumipeek "a 
 round pond or lake of fine white colored water. 
 
 s. 
 
 SA CO, sauk-sagook ; i. e., pouring out." The root sig. the 
 place of discharge or pouring out of a river or lake ; the name of a 
 river in Maine. 
 
 SAG INAW RIVER, sauk-sahcoon ; i. e., "at the mouth," or 
 "pouring out at the mouth." The Saginaw river discharges 
 through Saginaw bay into Lake Huron ; the bay forming the place 
 where the river pours out into the lake. Very probably the bay 
 gave name to the river; that is, the Europeans gave the same name 
 to the river which they found attached to the bay ; the name of a 
 river in Michigan. 
 
 SALT LICK CREEK, in W. Penna. was called by the Indians 
 sikhewt-md-honi, or sik-hei-hanne ; i. e., "salt lick stream," or "a 
 stream flowing from a salt lick." 
 
 SANDY LICK is a translation from segauwi-mahoni, the name of a 
 stream in Venango Co., Pa. 
 
 SANKIN AK, or SANKIN ACK, sank-hanne ; i. e., "flint stone 
 stream ;" the name of a stream in Penna. 
 
 SARATO GA, seitake : i. e., " on the heel;" the name of a lake in 
 N. Y. A very good authority asserts that the sig. of this word is 
 lost. 
 
 SAS CO ; supposed to mean " marshy land," or "swamp;" the 
 name of a creek in Westport, Conn. 
 
 SASKATCHEWAN ; i. e., "the swift current;" the name of a 
 river in Manitoba , B. A. 
 
 SAS SAFRAS river is a translation from winak-hanne. The stream 
 to which the name applies is in the N. E. part of Md. 
 
 SAU CON, or SACON NA, sacunk ; i. e., " the outlet ;" the name of 
 a creek in Northampton Co., Pa. 
 
 SAU GATUCK ; see Sawahquat ock ; the name of a small river in 
 Conn. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 43 
 
 SAU KUNK; i. e., "at the mouth;" that is at the mouth of the 
 Big Beaver river where it flows into the Ohio. This spot was a 
 well known rendezvous for Indian war parties. 
 
 SAWAHQUATOCK, SAWKATUCKET, or SAQUATUCKET, sauke-tiik; i. e., 
 "at the mouth of the tidal stream." 
 
 SCAN TIC; supposed to be derived from pe skatnk ; i. e., " where 
 the river branches ;" the name of a river and town in Conn. 
 
 SCHAKAMAX ENS, or SHACKAMAX ON, schach-ame-sink ; i. e., "the 
 place of eels :" the name of a locality near Kensington, Philad. 
 
 SCHENEC TADY j i. e., " over or beyond the pines;" the name of 
 a town on the Mohawk river, N. Y. In early colonial times there 
 was a portage from Fort Orange, or Albany on the Hudson, across 
 the peninsula formed by the Hudson and Mohawk to this point, 
 Schenectady, which led through pine forests : whence the name. 
 Others say this word is derived from ska-ncli-fa-de, and sig. " be 
 yond the openings." 
 
 SCHO HACAN INK ; i. e.< " the place of glue ;" or " where glue is 
 made." 
 
 SCHOHA RIE CREEK, sko-har-Ie float wood ; the name of a creek 
 in a county of the same name in N. Y. 
 
 SCHOHO LA, or SHOHO LA, schauwihilla; i. e., "weak," " faint," 
 "distressed;" the name of a creek in Pike Co., Pa. 
 
 SCHUYL KILL, ganshowe-hanne ; i. e., "the roaring stream;" the 
 name of a river in E. Penna. Others say the word is of Dutch or 
 igin and sig. " the hidden stream." For this dif. see the author s 
 work on local names in general. 
 
 SCIT ICO; i. e., "at the branch;" the name of a locality in 
 Conn., on the Scantic river. 
 
 SEBETH E ; supposed to be derived from sepoese " small river ;" 
 the name of a river in Middletown, Conn. 
 
 SEM IXOLE, isti-simanole ; i. e., "separatist," or "runaway;" 
 the]name given to those who separated, or ran away from the Creeks. 
 Albert Gallatin says the word sig. " wild men," because they sub 
 sisted largely by hunting and fishing, while the Creeks generally 
 were engaged in agriculture and subsisted largely by it. 
 
44 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 SENE GAR, sinnikc ; i. e., "stony;" the name of a creek in Md. 
 (Sinne-hanne stony stream.) 
 
 SEN EGAR FALLS, was called by the Indians sinne-pchelle ; i. e., 
 "water rushing over stones." 
 
 SENSIN IK, assin a stone, ick place ; i. e., " the place of the 
 stone," or perhaps more properly " the stony place ;" the name of 
 a locality in Westchester Co., N. Y. 
 
 SERECH EN, silehend, or sinue-hund ; i. e., "where they milk." 
 
 SHAK OPEE ; i. e., " six ;" the name of a town on the Minnesota 
 river, called after a chief of that name who formerly dwelt there. 
 
 SHAMO KIN, schahamoki, or schahamo-kink ; i. e., "the place of 
 eels;" the name of the spot where Sunbury, Pa., now stands; also 
 the name of a creek flowing into the Susquehanna at Sunbury. 
 SHAMUNK, wschummonk ; i. e., " a place of a horn." 
 SHAN NOCK, shawwunk ; the " place where two streams meet ;" 
 the name of a river in North Stonington, Conn., formed by a union 
 of the Assekonk and Phelps s creeks, in Milltown village. 
 
 SHAN TUCK ; supposed to be derived from mishuntugket ; i. e., 
 " the place of much wood," a location near Montville Conn. 
 
 SHAN TITUCK. ; i. e., " the woody place ;" the name of a small 
 stream in R. I. 
 
 SHAWNEES , shawenu ; i. e., "the southern people." This word 
 is derived from the Lenappe language. The word Showan or 
 Chowan the name of a river in N. C., possibly comes from the 
 same root. 
 
 SHEBOY GAN, showbwa-way-gum ; i. e., "the river that comes 
 out of the ground ;" the name of a river in Wisconsin. 
 
 SHEN ANDO AH, schind-han-dowi ; " the sprucy stream," or " the 
 stream passing by or through spruce pines." There is another de 
 finition to this word derived from ononda a mountain, and goa 
 great, and sig. a river flowing alongside of high hills or mountains. 
 These latter roots are of Iriquoi origin, and as there is no evidence 
 that the Iriquoi Indians ever inhabited the banks of this stream, or 
 even visited the region it traverses, very often, it is not likely they 
 are the origin of the word. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 45 
 
 SHEPAUG , shippaug ; i. e., "great pond." This river rises in a 
 pond in Conn., known as great pond, and doubtless the Indian 
 name of the pond has been transferred to the river. 
 
 SHICAWAK PA ; i. e., " bad river ;" called also Teton, and Little 
 Missouri river ; the name of a river in Arkansas. 
 
 SHIN TAKA; i. e., "tamarack;" the name of several marshes in 
 Minnesota. So named on account of the tamarack growing spon 
 taneously in them. 
 
 SHIP PAUG; i. e., "great pond;" said to have been the Indian 
 name of Litchfield Pond in Connecticut. 
 
 SHKOT PA ; i. e., "hollow," or "blow;. " the name of a lake in 
 Minnesota, now called White Bear Lake. 
 
 SHOHO KIN, schohacan, i. e., "glue;" the name of a stream in 
 Wayne Co., Pa. 
 
 SHOHOLA ; from schauwihilla ; i. e.. "weak," "faint," "de 
 pressed;" the name of a stream in Pike Co., Pa. 
 
 SHUM MOCK; i. e., "the place of -the horn." 
 
 SINNEMAHO NING, achsinnimahoni ; i.e., "stony lick," or "the 
 place of the stony lick;" the name of a stream in Cameron Co., 
 Penna. 
 
 SISSOWKIS SINK, shilmwen a duck, ugissit black, ink place, or 
 locality; i. e., " the place of the black duck," the name of a creek 
 on the west side of the Delaware river in Penna. 
 
 SKANEAT ARES ; i. e., "long lake." 
 
 SKIP PACK, schkipuk ; i. e., "stinking pool of water;" the name 
 of a creek in Montgomery Co., Pa. 
 
 SLIPPERY ROCK, a translation from wesch-ach-ach-apuch-ka ; the 
 name of a creek in W. Penna. 
 
 Sooo, sa-iika ; i. e., "rattle," " gourd rattle." 
 
 STONY CREEK in Somerset Co., Pa., was called by the Indians 
 sinne -hanne ; i. e., "stony stream." 
 
 SUPERIOR LAKE was called by the Indians gitch-igomee ; i. e., 
 " big sea water." 
 
46 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 SUSPECOUGH ; supposed to mean " muddy, dirty water;" the 
 name of a creek in N. J. 
 
 SUWA NEE ; supposed to be derived from the Creek word sawani 
 echo, and sig. "echo river;" the name of a river in Florida ; 
 also the name of a town and creek in the northern part of Georgia. 
 
 T. 
 
 TACON IC; supposed to mean forest," or " wilderness;" the 
 name of a mountain range in Mass., west of the Housatonic River. 
 
 TAL LADE GA, italua town, atigi at the end, on the border; 
 i. e., "the border town," or "the town on the frontier;" the name 
 of a village in Talladega Co., Alabama. I cannot say that the 
 name was first applied to this spot, but very probably it was not. 
 
 TAL LAHAS SEE, italua town or nation, hassi old; i. e., "old 
 nation," "old town," "waste place," "vacated;" the name of 
 the Capital of Florida. 
 
 TAL LAPOO SA; supposed to be derived from the Creek talepu" 1 la , 
 i. e., "stranger," "newcomer," alluding to the arrival of other 
 Indian tribes, or a tribe; the name of a river of Ga. 
 
 TAMA QUA, tamaque-hanne ; i. e., "beaver stream;" the name of 
 a creek in Schuylkill Co., Pa. 
 
 TAM PA, itimpi ; i. e., "close to it," "near it;" the name of a 
 bay on the west coast of the peninsula of Fla.; named by De Soto, 
 Espiritu Santo. 
 
 TAN GIPAHA ; the name of a river in the S. . part of La.; named 
 after an Indian tribe, and sig. "those who gather maize stalks." 
 
 TAXGOMOCK ONOMIN GO, tangamochkomennunga ; i. e., "the bark 
 for the medicine." 
 
 TANKHAN NA, or TANKHAN NE; i. e., "the smaller stream;" the 
 name of a creek in E. Penna. 
 
 TAP PAN, thoppek-hanne ; i. e. , "cold stream;" the name is now 
 applied to an expansion of the Hudson River between Rockland 
 and Westchester counties, N. Y. Probably a stream flowing into 
 this lake has given to it its present name. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 47 
 
 TAT NICK; supposed to be a corruption of Kt-adene-k; i. e., 
 "at the great hill;" the name of a hill and brook in Worcester 
 Co., Mass. 
 
 TAUNTON ; supposed to be derived from tetiquet or zeticut. The 
 sig. of these roots, however, seem to be lost, and I give the word 
 with its roots merely to show how completely many Indian words 
 have been disguised by phonetic changes, or corruption ; the name 
 of a river in Mass. 
 
 TELMOCRES SES, talua-mutchasi ; i.e., "new town;" the name 
 of an Indian town on the west side of the Chattahoochee River. 
 
 TEMEGAM E; i. e., "deep lake;" the name of a lake that dis 
 charges its waters into the Ottawa River, Canada. 
 
 TE TON ; i. e., "dwellers on the prairie ; " the name of a clan of 
 Dakota Indians. 
 
 THUPPEKHAN NE; i. e., "stream flowing from large springs." 
 
 TIM OGA: i. e., "lord," "ruler," "master;" the name of an old 
 Indian town on a tributary of the St. John s, Fla. 
 
 TIO GA ; For this word there are several definitions, arising, pos 
 sibly, from a confounding of roots, or a misapprehension of the 
 particular root from which the word is derived. One authority 
 says the word is derived from teoga, and sig. "swift current excit 
 ing admiration." Another very good authority, N. T. True, Esq., 
 of Bethel, Me., says it is derived from teyaogen an interval, or 
 anything in the middle or between two things. Hence tei-ohoho- 
 gen "the forks of a stream," or "the place where two rivers 
 meet," that is, the point between them. This would very properly 
 apply to the place where Northumberland, Pa., now stands, in the 
 fork made by the North and West branches of the Susquehanna at 
 their place of meeting. 
 
 Revd. John Heckewelder, however, says the word is derived from 
 tiagoa, an Iriquoi word, and sig. "a gateway," or "a place to 
 enter in at." It seems the Iriquoi Indians claimed all the country 
 lying north and west of those two branches of the Susquehanna, 
 whilst the country south of them was conceded to belong to the 
 Dela wares. 
 
 Owing to the physical features of the country, the point at the 
 
48 INDIAN LOCAL NAME S. 
 
 junction of the two branches of the Susquehanna alluded to above, 
 was the most convenient place for intercommunication between the 
 territory of those two families of Indians. Of so much importance 
 was this place considered as a highway for intercommunication, that 
 Rev. David Zeisberger, a missionary, who as early as 1750 traveled 
 through this pass or gateway, says that a tribe of Iriquoi Indians 
 was stationed here to challenge all who attempted to pass through 
 into their country; and that they considered all persons found in 
 their country who did not enter it by this gate, or by way of the 
 Mohawk, suspicious characters, and treated them as spies or ene 
 mies. 
 
 The probability is all three authorities referred to above translate 
 corectly each his own root, and that all three original words are 
 now represented orthographically by the same simple word tioga, 
 each, however, having a sig. and originally a locality of its own, as 
 a local name, since we have the word as the name of a tributary of 
 the Chemung river near Elmira, N. Y. This, however, could cer 
 tainly not have been the word referred to by Mr. Heckewelder, 
 who was stationed at Bethlehem, Pa., and who labored exclusively 
 I believe with the Delaware Indians. Moreover, he says positively 
 the word translated by him was the name of the place where 
 Northumberland, Pa., now stands, and that it was given to it by 
 the Six Nations. 
 
 TIOGA, from teoga ; i. e., "swift current;" the name of a river 
 in Tioga county, Pa., flowing into the Chemung river in N. Y. 
 
 TIORONDA; this word probably means "the place where two 
 waters meet;" the name of a locality in Fishkill Co., N. Y. 
 
 TIOUGHNIOGA, (te-oh ne-aw ga,) teuunghuka; i. e., "meeting of 
 the waters;" the name of a river in Broome Co., N. Y. 
 
 TIP PECANOE ; said to mean "at the great clearing;" the name 
 of a river in Indiana. 
 
 TITAN KA; i. e., "big house;" the name of an Indian village on 
 the Dakota River. 
 
 TITANKA HE; i. e., "big house stands," or "where the big house 
 stands;" the name of some lakes west of the Big Sioux River. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 49 
 
 TLASCA LA; i. e., "place of bread/ the name of a town in 
 Mexico, a place of great importance at the Spanish conquest. 
 
 TOBYHAN NA, topi-hanne ; i. e., "alder stream;" so named from 
 the abundance of that shrub growing on its banks; the name of a 
 creek in Lehigh Co., Pa. 
 
 TOBY S CREEK, in W. Penna., was called by the Indians gwunsch- 
 hanne ; i. e., " briar stream." 
 
 TOCO MO RIVER, in Fla. This stream derives its name from the 
 Indian tribe known as the timucua, or temoga lord, ruler or 
 master. The tribe resided around the Mosquito Lagoon, Fla. 
 
 TOHICK ON, tohichan, or tohick-hanne ; i. e., "the stream over 
 which we pass by means of a bridge of drift-wood ;" the name of a 
 creek in Bucks Co., Pa. 
 
 TOM BICON, tombicanll; i. e., "place of crab apples;" the name 
 of a creek in Bucks Co., Pa. 
 
 TOMBIG BEE, itumbi-bikpi ; i. e., "coffin makers." The Choctaw 
 Indians had their old men with very long nails to clean the bones 
 of their dead, and place them in boxes, when they were deposited 
 in "bone houses," whence the name; the name of a river of Miss. 
 
 TOMBIKHAN NE; i. e., "crab-apple stream." 
 
 TOSKO GEE; either from tdskdis jumpers, or taskialgi warriors; 
 the name of an old Indian town on the Great Tennessee river. 
 
 TO TAWA FALLS, in N. J.; fosauwei; i. e., "to sink, dive, or go 
 under water to rise again, as timbers do when carried over a water 
 fall." 
 
 TOWAN DA, tawundeunk ; i. e., "at the burial place," or "where 
 there is a burying." The Nanticoke Indians are said to have 
 buried their dead at Towanda, Bradford Co., Pa.; whence the 
 name. 
 
 TOW SISSIM OK, dawa-simok ; i. e., " the feeding place for cattle," 
 or " the pasture ground or place." 
 
 TUCK AHOE, tuchaho we ; i. e., "deer are shy," "hard coming at 
 the place where deer are so shy;" the name of a creek in N. J., 
 flowing into Great Egg Harbor Bay. 
 4 
 
50 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 TUCQUAN, pduck-hanne ; i. e., " winding stream." 
 TUE QUAN, pduequan round, and pducachtin "round hill. 
 
 TUKPAF KA; i. e., "spunk-knot," "punky wood," "rotten 
 wood." 
 
 TULPEHOC KEN, tuJpewi-hacki ; land abounding in turtles;" the 
 name of a creek flowing into the Schuylkill near Reading, Pa. 
 
 TUNKHAN NA, tunk-hanne ; i. e., " the small, or smaller stream^;" 
 the name of a stream in Wyoming Co., Pa., sometimes written 
 Tunkhannock. 
 
 TUPPEEKHANNA; i. e., "the stream that flows from a large 
 spring;" the name of one of the sources of the Little Lehigh river 
 in Lehigh Co., Pa. 
 
 TURTLE CREEK, PA., is a translation from the Indian word tul- 
 pewi-sipu. 
 
 TUSCALOO SA, tushka warrior, lusa black; i. e., "black war 
 rior; " the name of a river of Alabama. Tuscaloosa was the name 
 of the Indian chief of "noble person and bearing," who gave 
 battle to De Soto at Mobile and occasioned him his first serious re 
 verse. 
 
 TUSKE GEE, probably derived from taskialgi warriors ; the name 
 of a town in Alabama. 
 
 Two LICKS CREEK in Western Pa., is a translation from the In 
 dian words nischa-hont, or nischa-honink. 
 
 u. 
 
 UIUKUF KI, ukiefki muddy, oiwa water; i. e., " muddy water;" 
 the name of a stream in the Indian Territory. This word was the 
 Creek name for the Miss. 
 
 UMA HU; i. e., "hazelwood." 
 
 U POTOG\ apata-i ; i. e., "covering," "spreading out" as wall 
 paper, carpets, etc.; the name of a creek in Muscogee Co., Ala. 
 
 UTTAMAC COMCK, uchtamaganat ; i. e., "a path-maker," "a 
 leader." 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 51 
 
 UTU HU ; i. e., "oak," or "the oak;" the name of a small lake 
 near Lac Qui Parle, Minn. 
 
 UTI/HU OJU; i. e., "oak planting," or "oak-grove;" the name 
 of a small forest on the Dakota, near Ft. Wadsworth. 
 
 V. 
 
 VENAN GO; i. e., "interesting mark on a tree;" the name of a 
 creek in W. Penna. 
 
 w. 
 
 WA BASHAW, wape-sha; i. e., "red leaf;" the name of a town 
 and county in Minn. 
 
 WACHACH KEEK, wauchou a hill, keag land; i. e. , "hilly 
 land," or "highland;" the name of one of the plains in Catskill, 
 N. Y. 
 
 WA GA ; i. e,, " cottomvood ;" the name of a western tributary of 
 the Minn. 
 
 WALLENPAU PACK, or WAULI.ENPAUPACK, or PAUPACK, walink- 
 papeek; i. e., "deep and dead water;" the name of a creek in N. 
 E. Penna., flowing: into the Lackawaxen, near Honesdale. 
 
 WAI/PACK, walpeek; i. e., "a turn hole," "a deep and still 
 place in a stream ;" at present the name of a township in N. J. 
 
 WAM PANOAGE\ wapan east, ake land; i. e., " the east land." 
 This name was applied to the country east of Narragansett Bay. 
 
 WAN TAG, wundachqui ; i. e., "that way." 
 
 WAN TAGE, cuweuagi; i. e., " piece of timber land ;" at present 
 the name of a township in Sussex Co., N. J. 
 
 WAPALLAN NE-WACHSCH-IECH -EY ; i. e., "bald eagle s nest." 
 
 WAPPASU NING CREEK, wapachsinmuk ; i. e., "at the place of 
 the white stones" (or metal). The Delaware Indians called silver 
 woapachsin. 
 
 WAP WALL OPEN, waph-allachpink ; i. e., "the place where white 
 hemp grows; the name of a creek in Luzerne Co., Pa. 
 
 WAR POES, wapoos ; i. e., "a hare, or rabbit;" the name of a 
 
52 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 tract ofland on Manhattan island, supposed at one time to abound 
 in rabbits. 
 
 WASE CA ; probably a corruption of washecha ; i. e. , " red earth," 
 or " red paint." 
 
 WASEBUR, waschabuck ; \. e., "a physic." 
 
 WASHEC HA; i. e., " vermillion," or "red earth, or paint;" the 
 name of several small streams in Minnesota and Dakota. 
 
 WATAUGA ; said to mean "the river of islands;" the name of a 
 river in N. C. 
 
 WAUMBEC; i. e., " white rock;" said to be the Indian name for 
 the White Mountains of N. H. 
 
 WAZIO JU, or WASIO JA ; i. e., "pine grove;" the name of a 
 village and creek in Southern Minn.; so named from some pine 
 trees growing there. 
 
 WECH QUETANK, wikquetank; the name of an old Indian village 
 in E. Penna., called after a species of willow probably found on its 
 site in former years. 
 
 WECUPPE MEE; said to mean " bass wood;" the name of a small 
 river in Conn. 
 
 WEEHAW KEN, weachin; i. e., "maize land;" the name of a 
 town in N. Y., on the Hudson river. 
 
 WEPA TUCK, weepwoiunt- ohki ; i. e., "place at the narrow pass or 
 strait ;" the name is now applied to a mountain in Conn. 
 
 WEPOI SET; i. e., "at the little crossing place;" the Indian 
 name for the narrows of the Kekam uit river, R. I. 
 
 WE QUAPAUC ; i. e., "at the end of the pond;" the name of a 
 small stream in R. I. 
 
 WERAUWANO, probably from wajauivi "a chief," in Minsi and 
 Delaware. 
 
 WEWO KA, uewa water, wohkoto to ba/k ; i. e., "backing 
 water;" the name of a stream in the Indian Territory, and also of 
 a village on its banks. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 53 
 
 WEQUATUCK ET, wequa-tukq-ut ; i. e., "head of a tidal river;" 
 the name of a cove and tidal river near Stoning.ton, Conn. 
 
 WHEE LING, whilink; i. e., " at the place of the head." The 
 Indians say that a prisoner taken by them was put to death, and 
 his head placed upon a pole at the place where the city of Wheel 
 ing now stands ; whence the name. 
 
 WHITE DEER CREEK, Union Co., Pa., a translation from woap- 
 tuch-hanne. 
 
 WHIP PANY, whip-hanne ; i. e., " arrow stream;" the name of a 
 river in Morris Co., N. J. 
 
 WICCOCAM OCA, wik hak omeko ; i. e., " where they are building 
 houses;" or " you see where they build houses." 
 
 WICOM ICO, wikomekec ; i. e., "where the houses are building;" 
 the name of a small river on the E. shore of Md. 
 
 WICONISCO, wike nkniskeu ; i. e., "wet and muddy camp;" the 
 name of a stream in Dauphin Co., Pa. 
 
 WIGHSACAN, wisachgin; i. e., "sour grapes." Some suppose 
 this word to be derived from wisachgank rum or whiskey, wisachk 
 signifying anything pungent to the taste. 
 
 WIKAI LA KO, u-i water, kaya rising, lako great, large; i. e., 
 "large spring;" the name of a town of the Creek Indians in the 
 I. T. 
 
 WILLIMAN TIC; Authors say this word may mean either "a good 
 lookout," or "good cedar swamp;" at present the name of a river 
 in Conn. 
 
 WILIP QUIN; i. e., "place of interment of skulls and bones." 
 The indians residing on the banks of this stream, and indeed the 
 Delawares generally, were in the habit of taking the skulls, and 
 whenever possible the other bones of their dead companions to 
 certain spots, and burying them in caverns and deep holes ; the 
 name of a creek in Md. 
 
 WINANK, winaak ; i. e., "sassafras tree." 
 
 WINGOHOCKING, wingehacking ; i. e., "favorite place for plant 
 ing;" the name of the south branch of Frankford Creek in Penna. 
 
54 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 WIN^NEBA GO ; i. e., filthy," or "stinking;" originally the name 
 of a tribe of Indians. 
 
 WIN NEPE, we-ne-be-goo-she-shing ; i. e., "a place of dirty water;" 
 the name of a lake in Minn. 
 
 WIN NIPAUK, winmpaug; i. e., "fine pond." Winnipauk, saga 
 more of Norwalk, is supposed to have taken his name from the 
 place where he lived, and subsequently his name was adopted as 
 the name of a village in Norwalk, Conn. 
 
 WitfmPis.EO f GEE, winm-mpi-sau&e; i. e., "good water discharge 
 or outlet;" the name of a river and lake in N. H.; the river to 
 which evidently the name first belonged, being the outlet for the 
 lake. 
 
 WINO NA; i. e., "the first born child if a daughter," among the 
 Dakotas. This word has now become the name of a town in the 
 S. E. part of Minn. 
 
 WISAME KING, or WISAMEEK ; i. e., "catfish camp." This camp 
 was at or near where Washington, Pa., now stands, and for many 
 years was the residence of a noted Indian called Catfish. 
 
 WISAU KIN, wisachgime ; i. e., "place of grapes." 
 
 WIS CONK, Wisquonk ; i. e., " the elbow; " the name of a river 
 in N. J. 
 
 WISOC CON, wisachcan ; i. e., "bitter or pungent to the taste." 
 
 WISSAHICK ON, misamek-han ; i. e., "catfish stream;" the name 
 of a stream in Philad. Co., Pa. 
 
 WISSA YEK, qussuek a rock, ick place; i. e., "the rocky place, 
 or country." This was the Indian name of Dover, Westchester 
 Co., N. Y. 
 
 Wissi s$ AUiNG, wisc/i-a?ze-mun&; i. e., " where we were frightened, 
 or put to flight." 
 
 WITAKAN TU; i. e., " high island;" the name of a lake and also 
 of its outlet which flows into the Minn.; so called from a high 
 wooded island in the lake. 
 
 WITHLOCOOCHEE or WiTHLACOOCHEE ; i. e., "little river;" the 
 name of a river in Florida. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 55 
 
 WITUM KA, WETUMP KA, u-i water, tumkis it rumbles, makes a 
 noise; i. e., "rumbling water;" the name of a tributary of the 
 Yuchi or Euchee creek a branch of the Chatahuchi, or Chattahoo- 
 chee river. 
 
 WIWO KA,-/ water, wokis it is roaring; i. e., "roaring water;" 
 the name of an eastern tributary of the Coosa river. 
 
 WOLF CREEK, in W. Penna., was called by the Indians tum meik , 
 \. e., "the place of wolves." 
 
 WON GUNK; i. e., "a bend," or "at the bend." This word 
 refers to a great bend in the Connecticut River, between Middle- 
 town and Portland, Conn. 
 
 WONK EMAUG; i. e. , "crooked pond," or "a crooked pond;" 
 the name of a small lake in Conn. 
 
 WUN NEGUN SET; This word is said to sig. "dish" or "bowl." 
 It is now, however, applied to a high hill in Lebanon, Conn. The 
 probability is the name has been transferred from some disri or 
 bowl-shaped valley adjacent. 
 
 WYALU SING, machwihillusing ; i. e., "at the dwelling place of 
 the hoary veteran;" the name of a creek in Bradford Co., Pa., 
 flowing into the Susquehanna below Towanda. 
 
 WYANO KE, wigunake ; i. e., "the point of an island," "at the 
 end," "land s end." 
 
 WYO MING, m cheuomi, or m cheuwami; i. e., "extensive flats." 
 This name was applied by the Delaware Indians to the beautiful 
 valley in which Wilkesbarre now stands. The North Branch of the 
 Susquehanna was called by the Delaware s m chuweami-sipu ; i. e., 
 "the river of extensive flats." The Iriquois called it gahonta, a 
 word of similar import. 
 
 WVsox, WYSAUKIN ; from wisachgimi ; i. e., " place of grapes;" 
 the name of a stream in Bradford Co., Pa. 
 
 Y. 
 
 YANK TON, ihanktonwe ; i. e., "a town or dwelling at the end." 
 It is said the town oi Yankton, Dak., was named after a tribe of In 
 dians called Ihanktonwe. If this be true, possibly, a better defini 
 tion would be " the dwellers at the end." 
 
56 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 YAN TIC. This word may sig. either "on one side of the tidal 
 river," or "extending to the tidal river." The name is now ap 
 plied to a small river in Conn. 
 
 YAZOO , yasu, or yashu ; i. e., "leaf," or "leafy;" the name of 
 a river in Miss. 
 
 YEL LOW BREECHES, callapassrink ; i. e., " where it turns back 
 again;" supposed to refer to some place on the stream where it 
 turns a sharp angle. This stream, for some distance, forms the 
 boundary line between York and Adams counties, Pa., and flows 
 into the Susquehanna a short distance below Harrisburg. 
 
 YEMAS SEE, ya massi; i. e., "mild," "gentle," "peaceable." 
 The word was first applied to a tribe of Indians inhabiting Ga., and 
 is now the name of a town in that state north of Savannah. 
 
 YOSEM ITE ; said to mean "grizzly bear." 
 
 YOUGHIOGHENY, yuh-wiak-hanne ; i. e., "a stream running a 
 contrary or roundabout course;" the name of a river in Fayette 
 Co., Pa. 
 
 SUPPLEMENTAL VOCABULARY. 
 
 A. 
 
 ALLEGHENY RIVER. This stream was called by the Senecas 
 o-hee-yo ; i. e., "beautiful river." They seem to have applied the 
 same name to the Ohio ; Indeed some suppose our word Ohio to be 
 derived from this root instead of ohui-opeek-hanne. 
 
 B. 
 
 BINGHAMTON, N. Y. The place where this city stands was called 
 by the Mohawks o-che-nang ; i. e., "bull thistles." 
 
 BUFFALO, N. Y. The site of this city was called by the Senecas 
 do-sho-weh ; i. e., "splitting the fork." 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 57 
 
 c. 
 
 CANANDAI GUA, ga-nun-da-gwa ; i. e., "a place selected for set 
 tlement;" the name of a lake in N. Y. It was no uncommon 
 thing for the Indians to adopt new sites for their villages, quite 
 frequently, for sanitary reasons. 
 
 CANADO WA CREEK, in New York, ga-na-da-wa-o ; i. e., " run 
 ning through the hemlocks." 
 
 CANEADE A CREEK, ga-oya-de-o ; i. e., "where the heavens rest 
 upon the earth ; " the name of a stream in N. Y. 
 
 CANESERA GA CREEK, in Chenango Co., N. Y., ka-na-so-wa-ga ; 
 i. e., " several strings of beads with a string lying across." There 
 is another creek, precisely of this orthography, in Livingston Co., 
 N. Y., said to be derived from ga-nus-ga go, and to sig. "among 
 the milk weed." Both roots, with their sig., are obtained from very 
 high authority, and the probability is the similarity in the modern 
 orthography is a mere coincidence. 
 
 CANESTO TA, ka-ne-to-ta ; i. e., " pine tree standing alone; " the 
 name of a small creek in Chenango Co., N. Y. 
 
 CANIS TEO RIVER, in Steuben Co., N. Y., ta-car-nase-te-o ; i. e., 
 " board on the water." 
 
 CANO GA, ga-no-geh ; i. e., " oil flowing on the water ; " the name 
 of a town on Cayuga Lake, N. Y. 
 
 CASSADA GA LAKE, N. Y., gus-da-go ; i. e., "under the rocks." 
 
 CASSADA GO CREEK, N. Y. This word is from the same root as 
 the above and has the same signification. 
 
 CATARA QUE RIVER, N. Y., ga-dai-o-que ; i. e., "fort in the 
 water;" the name by which Lake Ontario was known to the Eng 
 lish at an early day. 
 
 CATTARAU GUS CREEK, in Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., ga-da-ges-ga-o ; 
 i. e., " feted banks." 
 
 CAUGWA GA, ga-gwa-ga ; i. e., "creek of the cat nation;" the 
 name of a small river in Erie Co., N. Y. 
 
 CAYU V GA RIVER, N. Y., ga-da-geh; i. e.. " through the oak open 
 ings." 
 
58 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 CAYU GA LAKE, N. Y. L. H. Morgan, Esq., in the appendix to 
 his League of the Iriquois, says this word is derived from gwe-u - 
 gweh in the Cayuga dialect and sig. " the lake of the murky 
 land." Compare this sig. with those in the general vocabulary. 
 
 CHAUTAU QUA LAKE, N. Y., cha-da-gueh ; i. e., " place where one 
 was l^st." I deem this definition far more reliable than the one 
 given in the general vocabulary. 
 
 CHAUTAU QUE CREEK, in N. Y. Mr. Morgan says this word is 
 derived from go-no-wun-go, and sig. " the rapids." 
 
 CHENAN GO, o-che-nang; i. e., "bull thistles;" the name of a 
 river in N. Y. 
 
 CHESTER RIVER, in Delaware Co., Pa., was called by the Dela- 
 wares, Macapanackhan, from meechappenackhan ; i. e., "the large 
 potato stream." 
 
 CHEMUNG ; said to mean " big horn," from an immense tusk of 
 a mastodon or other antediluvian animal found in its bed ; the 
 name of a river in Southern New York, flowing into the Susque- 
 hanna. 
 
 CHITTENAN GO, chu-de-naang ; i. e., "where the sun shines out;" 
 the name of a creek in N. Y. 
 
 CLARION RIVER, Clarion Co., Pa., was called by the Delaware 
 Indians, gawunsch-hanne ; i. e., "briar stream." 
 
 CO HOES FALLS, N. Y., ga-ha-oose ; i. e., " shipwrecked canoe." 
 CONEWAN GO ; Mr. Morgan says this word is from go-no-wun-go, 
 
 and sig. " the rapids;" the name of a river in N. Y. See General 
 
 Vocabulary. 
 
 CONHOC TON RIVER, ga-ha-to ; i. e., "a log in the water." 
 CONNES US, ga-ne-a-sos ; i. e., "place of nanny-berries;" the 
 
 name of a lake in Livingston Co., N. Y. 
 
 CON ODAW, gunniada; i. e., "he tarries long." 
 CONOY , guneu; i. e., "long;" the name of a creek in Lancas 
 ter Co., Pa. 
 
 D. 
 
 DUCK CREEK, in Delaware, was called by the Indians quniquin- 
 gus, i. e., " wild duck." 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 59 
 
 G. 
 
 GANOWAU GES or CANAWAU GUS, ga-no-wau-ges ; i. e., " feted 
 waters;" the name of a town in Livingston Co., N. Y. 
 GARDOW VILLAGE, ga-da-o ; i. e., "bank in fort." 
 
 GEXESEE , gennis-he-yo ; i. e., "the beautiful valley;" the name 
 of a river in N. Y. 
 
 H. 
 
 HOCK ENDAU QUA or HOCKENDOCQUE, hackuindochwe ; the name 
 of a stream in Northampton Co., Pa. See Genl. Voe. 
 
 HON EYOE, ha-ne-a-yeh ; i. e., "ringer lying;" the name of a lake 
 in Monroe Co., N. Y. 
 
 i. 
 
 IRONDE QUOIT, neo-da-on-da-quat ; i. e., "a bay;" the name of 
 a bay in Monroe Co., N. Y. 
 
 N. 
 
 NIAG ARA FALLS was called by the Senecas, who lived near them, 
 date-car-sko-sasa ; i. e., "the highest falls." 
 
 o. 
 
 ONONDA GA, o-mm-da-ga ; i. e., "on the hills;" the name of a 
 creek in New York. See Genl. Voc. 
 
 ONTA RIO, ska-no-da-rio ; i. e., "beautiful lake." This root is 
 from the Mohawk language. Compare with sig. in Gen. Voc. 
 
 ORISK ANY, o-his-heh ; i. e., "place of nettles;" the name of a 
 creek in N. Y. 
 
 OSWA YA, o-so-a-yeh; i. e., "pine forest;" the name of a creek 
 in Cattaraugus Co., N. Y. 
 
 OSWE GO, b-swa-gch; i. e., "flowing out." This river forms the 
 outlet for a large number of lakes in Central N. Y. The word is 
 of Mohawk origin. 
 
 OTSQUA GO, o-squa-go ; i. e., "under the bridge;" the name of 
 a creek in N. Y. 
 
 OWAS CO, dwas-co ; i. e., "lake of the floating bridge;" the 
 name of a lake in Cayuga Co., N. Y. 
 
60 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 OWE GO, ah-wa-ga; i. e., "where the valley widens;" the name 
 of a river in Tioga Co., N. Y. 
 
 s. 
 
 SCHENECT ADY, ska-neh-ta-da ; i. e., "beyond the openings." 
 This root is from the Seneca dialect, and varies somewhat from that 
 in the Genl. Voc. Possibly a better translation would be "beyond 
 the pine openings." 
 
 SKANEAT ICE or SKANEATELES, sha-ne-a-dice ; "long lake;" the 
 name of a lake in Onondaga Co., N. Y. 
 
 ST. LAWRENCE. This river was called by the Oneidas ga no- 
 wa-ga; i. e., "the rapid river." 
 
 SUSQUEHAN NA. In the Onondaga dialect, this river was called 
 ga-wa-no-wa-na-neh ; i. e., "great island river." 
 
 We can hardly suppose, however, that the present name of this 
 river is a corruption of this root, though a metamorphose as great 
 as this would be, has frequently taken place in Indian names when 
 undergoing adjustment to the English tongue. 
 
 T. 
 
 TICONDERO GA, je-hone-ta-lo-ga ; i. e, "noisy;" the name was 
 applied by the Indians to the falls at the outlet of Lake George, in 
 N. Y. 
 
 TIC/GA POINT, N. Y., in the Cayuga dialect, was called ta-yo-ga ; 
 i. e., "at the forks." 
 
 TIOUGHNIO GA, o-nan-no-gi-is-ka ; i. e., "shag-bark hickory;" 
 the name of a river in Cortland Co., N. Y. 
 
 TONAWAN DA, ta-na-wun-da ; i. e., "swift water;" the name of 
 a river in Genessee Co., N. Y. 
 
 TORON TO ; probably a corruption from di-on-da; i. e., "log 
 floating on the water." 
 
 u. 
 
 UNADIL LA, de-u-na-dil-lo ; i. e., "place of meeting;" the name 
 of a town in Otsego Co., N. Y. 
 
 w. 
 
 WISCOY, o-wa-is-ki; i. e. "under the banks;" the name of a 
 creek in Wyoming Co., N. Y. 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 6 1 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS VOCABULARY. 
 
 A. 
 
 AARGAU (ar gow} ; i. e., " a county or district of the Aar ;" the 
 name of a canton of Switzerland on the river Aar. 
 
 AAYN; an Arabic word sig. fountain," generally written ain. 
 
 ABAD ; a Hindoo word sig. "abode" or "dwelling place," oc 
 curring frequently as a suffix in Hindostan. 
 
 AFRICA ; this word is supposed to be derived from the name of 
 some tribe in the neighborhood of Carthage, whose name signified 
 "wanderers." Others think this word means "south land." 
 Others, again, that it means "land of corn or ears." 
 
 AHMED ABAD ; i. e., "the abode of Ahmed;" the name of a city 
 of Hindostan. 
 
 AIGUES MORTES (ag morf) ; i. e., "the dead, or still waters;" 
 the name of a town of France, located in marsh ground near the 
 Mediterranean sea. 
 
 AIN; an Arabic word sig. " fountain." 
 
 Aix, (aks} ; a French word sig. "water." This name is given 
 to a city of France, near which are hot saline springs, the Aqua 
 Lextia of the Romans. It is also the name of an ancient town in 
 Sardinia, whose thermal springs have been noted for centuries. 
 
 Aix LA CHAPELLE (aks-la-sha pell ^} ; i. e., " the waters," or "the 
 fountains;" the name of a city of Prussia, noted for its thermal 
 springs. 
 
 AL ; this word is the Arabic definite article the, and is found as 
 a prefix in a great many names in Spain and elsewhere. 
 
 ALA MO; a Spanish word sig. "poplar trees;" the name of an 
 old fort in Bexar Co., Texas. Here, on March 6, 1836, a small 
 body of Tt xans with the eccentric Davy Crocket at their head re 
 sisted a body of Mexicans of ten times their number till the last 
 man was slain. From this circumstance the Alamo has been called 
 the Thermopylae of Texas. 
 
62 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 ALHAMBRA; i. e., "the red;" so called from the color of the 
 stones of which this magnificent Moorish palace is built. It stands 
 on an eminence overlooking the city of Granada in Spain. 
 
 ALLAH ABAD; i. e., "the abode of God." The Hindoos esteem 
 the waters of both the Ganges and Jumna sacred and efficacious in 
 purifying them of sin, and regard the spot where those two rivers 
 meet as a most sacred shrine. To this place they perform annual 
 pilgrimages lo the number of several thousands, for purposes of 
 worship and purification. In consequence, a large city has grown 
 up here which has taken the name of the shrine. 
 
 ALPS ; this word is probably derived from the Welsh root al 
 grand, sublime, and pen head; i. e., "the grand or sublime 
 head." If this origin of the word be the correct one, it is another 
 and additional proof of the great antiquity of the Welsh language. 
 
 ALTA CALIFORNIA; i. e., "Upper California." 
 
 AMAZON a-madzon ; i. e., "from the breast" or "without 
 breasts." This river was so named by Orellana, who deserting 
 Pizzaro during the latter s operations in Peru, marched eastward 
 across the Andes until he reached the head waters of that mighty 
 river ; then embarking on its bosom, explored it to its mouth, en 
 countering on his voyage, as he says, much hostility from the 
 natives, especially fromfema/e warriors, who to secure greater free 
 dom in their movements, had either removed their breasts or greatly 
 reduced them by compression, so much so as to render those organs 
 invisible. 
 
 AM ORITES ; i. e., "mountaineers." 
 
 ANDALUSIA. The probability is this word is of Arabic origin, 
 and signifies "hesperia or the region of the evening." 
 
 Others suppose it to be a corruption of Vandalusia, and to mean 
 the country of the Vandals. The term is applied to that delight 
 ful district of Spain lying south of the Sierra Morena Mountains. 
 
 ATHLONE, Athluan\ i. e., " ford of the moon;" the name of a 
 town and barony of Ireland. 
 
 AUSTRIA, oest-reich; i. e., "the east kingdom;" so named by 
 the Emperor Charlemagne. 
 
 AVON ; from the Celtic word afon water. In England this 
 word occurs several times as the name of streams. 
 
INDIA.N LOCAL NAMES. 63 
 
 B. 
 
 BAALBEC, or BALBEC; i. e., "the city of Baal." The Greeks 
 called this city Heliopolis a word of similar import. Baal is a 
 Hebrew word sig. "lord," "owner" or "master," and with the 
 Babylonians and Assyrians was the god of the sun. 
 
 BAD, pi. BADEN, (Ger.;) i. e., "bath" or "baths." 
 
 BAHIA HONDA, (ba-ee a on da} ; i. e., " deep bay;" the name of 
 a harbor in Cuba. 
 
 BALACLAVA, bella chiava ; i. e., "the beautiful quay ;" the 
 name of a town of Russia on the Black Sea; so named by the 
 Genoese. 
 
 BALIZE; i. e., "beacon," "sea mark," "light house." Now 
 the name of a political division of Cent. America. 
 
 BEAR LAKE, GREAT ; a lake of British America, so named from 
 its position under the constellation of the Great Bear, the Arctic 
 (Arctos bear] circle passing over it. 
 
 BEERSHEBA; i. e., "well of the oath." 
 
 BELFAST ; this word is a corruption of the Norse words beal na 
 farsad ; i. e., "the mouth of the fiord;" the name of a town in 
 the North of Ireland. 
 
 BEN LOMOND; i. e., "beacon mountain." 
 
 BEN VENUE; "little mountain." This word and the foregoing 
 are names of mountains in Scotland. 
 
 BETH; a Hebrew word sig. " house." 
 
 BETHANY; i. e., " the house of dates." 
 
 BETHEL; i. e., "the house of God." 
 
 BIRMINGHAM, brom heath, wych or wick village, ham home; 
 i. e., "the village on the heath," or "the home village on the 
 heath." This latter definition is not very elegant or satisfactory. 
 The word ham enclosure or home, in this case seems to be sur- 
 plussage, as the word wych would seem to convey equally well the 
 idea of home or dwelling place ; the name of a great manufacturing 
 city of England. 
 
 BOKHARA; i. e., "the treasury of sciences." The name of a fa 
 mous city of W. Asia, once the seat of Mohammedan learning. 
 
64 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 BOSTON, BO-STON, BOTOLPH S-TON ; i. e., " Bartholomew s town ;" 
 the name of a town in Lincolnshire, Eng. The foregoing deriva 
 tion is given by Rev. Isaac Taylor, of England, in his Words 
 and Places. 
 
 BRAHMAPOOTRA; i. e., "the son of Brahm;" the name of a 
 river of India rising in the Plateau of Thibet. 
 
 BRYN MAWR ; a word of Welsh origin sig. " big hill," or "great 
 hill;" the name of a station on the Penna. R. R., near Philad. 
 
 BUENA VISTA, (dona vis ta) ; i. e., " the good view;" the name 
 of a celebrated battle field in the N. W., part of Mexico, made 
 memorable by the victory obtained here by the Americans under 
 General Z. Taylor, over the Mexicans. 
 
 c. 
 
 CADIZ, Phon. gadir ; i. e., "an enclosure." No doubt, where 
 this city stands there was at first only a trading post of the Phoeni 
 cians ; which for greater security, was by some means enclosed. Or 
 the name may have had allusion to the fact that ihe town was built 
 upon an island, and hence enclosed by water; the name of a seaport 
 town of Spain. 
 
 CALCUT TA, Kaller Ghatta ; i. e., "the step or landing place of 
 Kaller" the goddess of Time. 
 
 CALIFORNIA. This name is supposed to have been taken from an 
 old Spanish romance by Ordonez de Montalva, published about the 
 year 1510. The romance referred to an island of California on the 
 right hand of the Indies very near the Terrestrial Paradise. 
 
 The name was first applied to an island or the peninsula of Cali 
 fornia, which was at first thought to be an island, and was adopted 
 from the novel from 1535 to 1539. It is not known that Cortez 
 was the first to apply it, and some even suppose it was first used in 
 derision. 
 
 CAMBRIA, cymry ; i. e., "the country of the mountaineers," or 
 " the land of the mountaineers;" the ancient name of Wales. 
 
 CAMDEN; i. e., "crooked vale;" the name of a town near Lon 
 don, Eng. 
 
 CANARIES, Lat. cants a dog; i. e., "dog islands;" so named 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 65 
 
 from the circumstance that when first discovered, those islands 
 were found to abound in wild dogs. 
 
 CANTERBURY, cant wara byrig; i. e., "the men of the head 
 land;" the name of a city and county of England. 
 
 CAPE; from the Latin word caput a head. For this word the 
 Italians have capo, the Spaniards and Portuguese, cabo, and the 
 Arabs, ras. 
 
 CAPE BLANCO; i. e., "the white, blank, or bare head;" the 
 name of several barren headlands on different parts of the globe. 
 
 CAPE HORN, or HOORN ; so named by the Dutch navigator 
 Shout-in, who first doubled it, in honor of his native village of 
 Hoorn, on the Zuyder Zee. 
 
 CHAMPS ELYSEES (sh ons -e-le-ze] ; i. e., "The Elysian Fields;" the 
 name of a magnificent avenue in the city of Paris, extending from 
 the Gardens of the Tuilleries to the Arc de Triomphe de 1 Etoile; 
 that is to trie arch of triumph of the star twelve streets radiating 
 from this arch. 
 
 COLUMBIA RIVER, Oregon ; discovered by Capt. Robt. Gray, of 
 Boston, in 1792, and named by him in honor of his vessel, the 
 Columbia Rediviva. 
 
 COPENHAGEN; i. e., " the market place harbor." 
 
 D. 
 
 DARDANELLES ; from Dardcenus, an ancient town on the Asiatic 
 side of those straits built by Dardanus, the ancestor of Priam. 
 
 DARM; a German word, sig. " gut" or " intestine." 
 
 DETROIT; from the French, and sig. "the narrows," or "the 
 narrow passage." 
 
 DORCHESTER. This is a hybrid word, from the Celtic word 
 dur water, and the Latin word castra camp, and sig. "the camp 
 by the water." Very good authority, however, claims that this 
 word means "dwellers by the water." 
 
 DOUGLAS; i. e., "black water;" the name of a stream in Scot 
 land. 
 
 5 
 
66 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 E. 
 
 EBENEZER; i. e. " stone of help." 
 
 EDINBOROUGH; i. e. "Edwin s Castle, or Fort. The Celtic 
 form is Dun Edin Burgh, sig. castle or fortification. This word 
 was formerly written Edwinsburg. 
 
 EDOM; i. e., "the red;" supposed by some to be so named 
 from the ruddy hue of its mountains ; by others from the reddish 
 color of the pottage furnished Esau, to whose lot this country fell, 
 by his brother Jacob. The country of Edom lies between the 
 head of the Red Sea and Palestine. 
 
 EHRENBREITSTEIN; i. e., "honor s broad stone;" the name of a 
 town and noted fortress on the Rhine. 
 
 F. 
 
 FOND DU LAC; a French word sig. "end of the lake;" the name 
 of a town in Wisconsin, at the head of lake Winnebago. 
 
 FONTAINEBLEAU; this French word is supposed to be derived 
 iiQ\r\fontaine-belle-eau "fountain of beautiful water;" the name 
 of a small town of France near Paris. 
 
 G. 
 
 GALENA; from galena a species of lead ore; the name of a city 
 in 111., situated near some rich mines of lead. 
 
 GALILEE; i. e., "a circle;" the name of a lake in Palestine. 
 
 GERMANY ; supposed to be derived from the Gaelic word gair- 
 mean ; i. e., "one who cries out;" and the name either alludes to 
 the fierce war cry of the Teutonic hordes, or more probably it ex 
 presses the wonder with which the Celts of Gaul listened to the un 
 intelligible clash of the harsh German gutturals. Other authorities 
 say the word is derived from wherman and sig. " war men." 
 
 GIBRALTAR, Gebel el Taric ; i. e., "Taric s Hill," or "Taric s 
 Mountain." 
 
 In the year 711 a body of Saracens under their leader Taric Ibn 
 Zeyad, crossed over from Africa and took possession of the southern 
 extremity of Spain, calling the promontory which for ages had 
 been known as the Northern Pillar of Hercules, after their leader 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 67 
 
 Taric. Gebel is an Arabic word sig. "hill," e. g., Gebel 
 Mousa ; i. e., hill of Moses. If I mistake not the word taric or 
 tarik sig. " clear the way." If so, those hardy warriors of the des 
 ert had given to their leader an appropriate sobriquet, since it was 
 Taric, indeed, who led their vanguard and cleared the way for 
 that Saracenic host which finally overran Spain and held its fairest 
 provinces under subjection for nearly eight centuries. 
 
 H. 
 
 HAPSBURG; i. e., "Hawk s Castle." 
 
 HAVANA; i. e., "the haven," or "the harbor." This city of 
 Cuba has one of the very finest harbors in the world. 
 
 HAVRE; i. e., "the haven." 
 
 HEIM; a German word, sig. "home," now a suffix to many 
 names of towns and villages in Germany, and wherever the Ger 
 man language prevails. 
 
 HELLESPONT; i. e., "the Sea of Helle." Helle was the daugh 
 ter of Athmos, king of Thebes, and is said to have been drowned 
 in this strait. 
 
 HELL GATE; a corruption of the old Dutch name, Horll Gatt ; 
 i. e,, "whirl passage; the name of a dangerous rapid in New York 
 harbor. 
 
 I. 
 
 ING; an English suffix, sig. " son of, " e. g., Reading, i. e., 
 "son of Read." 
 
 INTERHCHEN; i. e., " between the lakes;" the name of a village 
 of Switzerland, on the river Aar, between lakes Thun and Brienz ; 
 whence the name. The town is devoid of interest in itself, but is 
 noted for the grandeur of the surrounding scenery. 
 
 INVERNESS; i. e. "at the confluence of the Ness." This town of 
 Scotland stands near the junction of the river Ness with Moray 
 Frith. 
 
 J- 
 
 JAN MAYAN ISLAND, discovered by Jan Mayan, a Dutch whaling 
 captain, and named in his honor; the name of an island in the 
 Arctic Ocean. 
 
 JAVA; immjayah; i. e., "nutmeg." 
 
68 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 K. 
 
 KEY WEST; a corruption of the Spanish words cayo hueso, and 
 sig. "bone islets." The name has no reference to the position of 
 the island, since it is not the most western of the Florida Keys, but 
 has its origin in the beautifully white and bone-like appearance of 
 the coral formations which fringe the shore. 
 
 L. 
 
 LA GRANGE; i. e., the "barn," "farm-house," or "country 
 seat." 
 
 LA LAND ; i. e., " low land ;" the name of an island of Denmark 
 in the Baltic sea. 
 
 LA LANDES ; "the plains;" the name of a district of France. 
 
 LAMA; i. e., " one who shows the way." 
 
 LONDON ; the word is supposed to be of Celtic origin, and to sig. 
 "city of ships," or "ship-town." Some suppose don or dun is of 
 Welsh origin, and sig. "fort." 
 
 Los ANGELOS, (loce an -jeh-lez) ; i. e., "the angels;" the name 
 of a town in California. 
 
 M. 
 
 MADEIRA, Port. Madera\ i. e., "timber." The Madeira River, 
 an affluent of the Amazon still flows through a dense forest. 
 
 MADRE DE DIGS ; i. e., " mother of God ;" the name of an ar 
 chipelago west of Patagonia. 
 
 MATAMORAS; mata bush, moras mulberry; i.e., "mulberry 
 bush." 
 
 MATTERHORN ; German matt meadow, horn peak; i. e. "the 
 peak in the meadows." 
 
 N. 
 
 NETHERLANDS, nederlanden; i. e., "the lowlands;" the name 
 of a portion of Europe lying along the North Sea, now known as 
 Holland, containing the mouths of the Rhine, Meuse, &c. Much 
 of the surface near the coast is lower than the surface of the sea, 
 and has to be protected from the ocean by dykes or embankments. 
 
 o. 
 
 OREGON; so called by Malte Brun, the great geographer, in 
 mistake. Reading on an old Spanish map, "and it is not yet 
 
INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 69 
 
 known (y-aun se ignora) where the source of this river (the river 
 now called the Columbia) is situated," he thought he recognized 
 in the word ignora, the name Oregon. Alexander von Humboldt 
 is quoted as the authority for the foregoing statement. 
 
 P. 
 
 PALESTINE, Hebraic, pe lescheth ; i. e., "philistines," "strangers," 
 " sojourners," " wanderers." 
 
 PALMYRA; i. e., "the city of palm trees." 
 
 PALO ALTO; i. e., "high post, stake, or mast;" the name of a 
 battle-field near the southern boundary of Texas. 
 
 PIKE S PEAK; named in honor of Lieut. Zebulon M. Pike, who 
 explored much of the country west of Miss., under President Jef 
 ferson. He fell in making a successful assault on the town of York 
 in Upper Canada, in 1813. 
 
 Q- 
 
 QUATRE BRAS, (kafrbra); i. e., "four arms;" the name of a vil 
 lage of Belgium situated about ten miles south-east of Waterloo ; so 
 named because, at this point, the road from Brussels to Charleroi 
 intersects the road from Namur to Nivelles, producing/^;- arms. 
 
 R. 
 
 RATISBON, a corruption of the German word Regensburg; i. e., 
 " the town at the Regen ;" the name of a town of Bavaria on the 
 Danube, opposite the mouth of the Regen. 
 
 ROCHESTER, rhos moor, castra camp; i. e., "the camp on 
 the moor;" the name of a city of England on the Medway. 
 
 S. 
 
 SACRAMENTO; i. e., "the sacrament;" the name of a city in 
 California. 
 
 Like many other places in the new world, explored and settled 
 by nations professing the Catholic religion, the spot where this city 
 stands was, originally, in all probability, a missionary station, and 
 received, as was almost the universal custom with these stations, a 
 sacred name. 
 
 SAN SALVADOR; i. e., " holy saviour ;" the name given by Co 
 lumbus to the first land discovered by him. 
 
 SAVANNAH; from the Spanish word sabana meadow, prairie, or 
 plain. 
 
70 INDIAN LOCAL NAMES. 
 
 SINAI; i. e., "jagged," or "full of cliffs." 
 SIGN, ZION ; i. e., " the upraised." 
 
 SOUDAN, Arabic, suda ; i. e., "blacks;" e. g., Beled-es^suda 
 "the land of the blacks." 
 
 T. 
 
 TEXAS. This name is taken from a town of the Nassomtes In 
 dians, standing on the Neches River, between the Ceries and the 
 Sabine. The signification of the name is in obscurity. It may 
 have referred to some insignificant tribe of Indians. Some suggest 
 it may have been derived from the Spanish word teja, plural tejas, 
 in allusion to the light shed covering of the dwellings of the natives. 
 
 TRANS ; a ward of Latin origin sig. "across " or "beyond " and 
 used as a prefix to many local names; e. g., Transylvania ; i. e., 
 " beyond the woods." 
 
 u. 
 
 UAM VAR ; i. e., "great den " or " great cavern ;" the name of 
 a mountain in Perth Co., Scotland. It derives its name from a re 
 treat among its rocks on the south side which tradition says was 
 formerly inhabited by a giant. Allusion is made to this mountain 
 in Scott s Lady of the Lake. 
 
 V. 
 
 VOLGA or WOLGA ; a Sarmatian word, sig. " the great river." 
 
 w. 
 
 WARRINGTON; possibly from waer-ing-ton ; i. e., "the fortified 
 enclosure," or "the fortified town in the meadow;" the name of 
 a town in Lancaster Co., England. 
 
 Y. 
 
 YORK; from Eurewic or Yarewic ; i. e., the town on the Eure ; 
 the name of a very old town in York Co., England, standing on 
 the banks of the Ouse river. As the Ouse is formed by the junc 
 tion of the Swale and Eure, or Ure, the probability is the name 
 Eure, or Ure, was formerly applied to what is now known as the 
 Ouse. 
 
 z. 
 
 ZEE; a Dutch word, sig. "sea " 
 ZUYDER ZEE; i. e., "southern sea." 
 
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