Algonquian Loanwords in English

When European settlers first arrived in the northeastern US and eastern Canada, they encountered new animals, plants and cultures. The people who already lived there mostly spoke languages of the Algonquian group (together with two languages of California, this forms the Algic family). Some of these are Powhatan (Pocahontas' language), Lenape, Mohican, Mohegan-Pequod, Massachusett, Abenaki, Mi'kmaq, Cree, Shawnee and Miami Illinois.

* Words with an asterisk have disputed or uncertain etymologies.

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Last updated: October 29, 2025

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First submitted	March 29, 2025
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Mi'kmaq. Another word for reindeer.

caribou

A preliminary meeting of a political party to select a candidate. These meetings in Iowa mark the beginning of the election season.*

caucus

Ojibwe. Several species of squirrel-like rodent with short tails, for example ... 'n' Dale.

chipmunk

Discarded fish parts used as bait.*

chum

A genus of tree. Several species produce edible nuts, among which the word marked with †. The wood is valued for its strength and flexibility. It can also flavor smoked ham.

hickory

Powhatan. Maize kernels soaked in alkaline water (this makes it more nutritious); a staple food all across precolumbian North America.

hominy

Montagnais. A sled dog.

husky

A type of dense woolen cloth worn by lumberjacks. Named after the strait that connects Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. Starts with M.

mackinaw

Powhatan. A kind of deerskin shoe. Also several types of snake.

moccasin

Narragansett. Name of an Iroquoian ethnic group who call themselves Kanien'kehá:ka. A term for a certain hairstyle, with shaved sides and the remaining hair styled upright, like a cockscomb. Coincidentally (or not?) often worn by the word marked with ‡.

Mohawk

The largest species of deer, called elk in British English.

moose

A rodent similar in appearance and behavior to the beaver. Possibly derived from Powhatan or Abenaki and folk etymologically modeled after two English words.*

muskrat

Powhatan. A marsupial which looks like a rat. When threatened, it pretends to be dead.

opossum

† A nut, similar to the walnut, which can be made into a pie.

pecan

Cree. A calorie dense food made with dried meat, berries and fat. It was used by fur traders and later by the (ant)arctic explorers.

pemmican

Powhatan. Several species of tree including the kaki fruit, native to China, which looks a bit like an orange tomato.

persimmon

Large gathering of indigenous Americans with dancing and sharing culture.

powwow

‡ Originally, moldy wood used as tinder. Later used as a term for a worthless person, then a genre of harsh rock music associated with anarchism.*

punk

An edible clam. Or the town of Family Guy.

quahog

Powhatan. Mammal with a 'mask' and a ringed tail that is attracted to garbage.

raccoon

A black and white mammal that produces a revolting scent when threatened.

skunk

Narrangansett. Several types of edible gourd native to the Americas.

squash

A name applied to several species of turtle, originally the diamondback ... Historically, a source of food.

terrapin

A flat sled.

toboggan

Powhatan. An axe. They were buried in peacetime.

tomahawk

An animal or sacred object which serves as a symbol for a clan. In the Pacific Northwest, these are carved in wood and stacked together to form a pole.

totem

Another word for black tie, named after a town in the state of New York.

tuxedo

The second largest species of deer, also called 'elk'.

wapiti

A domed hut made with a wooden frame and covered with bark, grass or hides.

wigwam

Another word for the groundhog. The first syllable was remodeled after an English word.

woodchuck

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