The following list includes settlements, geographic features, and political subdivisions of Massachusetts whose names are derived from Native American languages.
Listings
State
- Massachusetts – from an Algonquian language of southern New England, and apparently means "near the small big mountain", usually identified as Great Blue Hill on the border of Milton and Canton, Massachusetts[1] (c.f. the Narragansett name Massachusêuck).[1]
Counties
- The Town and County of Nantucket: (Wampanoag) "place of peace"; (Naragansett) far off, among the waves
Settlements
- Acoaxet: (Narragansett) "at the fishing promontory" or "place of small pines"
- Agawam: (Nipmuck or Pennacook) "low land" (with water) or "place to unload canoes" (possible portage spot)
- Annisquam (and river)
- Assinippi: (Wampanoag) "rocks in water"
- Assonet River (also Cedar Swamp and village): (Narragansett) "at the rock" – the rock in question being Dighton Rock
- Cataumet: (Wampanoag) "at the ocean" or "landing place"
- Chicopee (also falls, and river): (Nipmuck) "violent water"
- Cochituate: (Natick) "place of swift water"
- Cohasset: (Natick) "long rocky place"
- Cotuit: (Wampanoag) "long planting field"
- Cummaquid: (Wampanoag) "harbor"
- Hockanum: (Podunk) "hook"
- Humarock: (Wampanoag) "shell place" or "rock carving"
- Hyannis: (Wampanoag) name of a 17th-century chief, "Iyanogh's"
- Jamaica Plain (and pond): (Natick) "beaver"
- Manomet (and point): (Wampanoag) "portage place"
- Mashpee: (Wampamoag) "place near great cove"
- Mattapan: (Natick) "resting place" or "end of portage"
- Mattapoisett: (Wampanoag) "resting place" or "edge of cove"
- Merrimac: (Pennacook) "deep place"
- Minnechaug: (Algonquian) "Land of Berries"
- Nabnasset: (Nipmuck)
- Nahant: (Natick) "the point" or "almost an island"
- Natick: tribe; "the place I seek" or "home," "place," "clearing"
- Nonquitt: (Narragansett) "dry or landing place"
- Pocasset: (Natick) "where the stream widens"
- Pontoosuc: (Mahican or Nipmuck) "falls on the brook"
- Quissett: (Nipmuck) "at the place of small pines"
- Sagamore: (Wampanoag) "chief"
- Santuit: (Wampanoag) "cool water place"
- Saugus: (Natick) "outlet"
- Scituate: (Wampanoag) "at the cold spring or brook"
- Seekonk: (Narragansett) "wild black goose" or (Wampanoag) "mouth of stream" or "wild goose"
- Siasconset: (Narragansett) "at the place of many/great bones" (whales?)
- Swampscott: (Natick) "place of red rocks"
- Waquoit: (Wampanoag) "at the end"
- Wianno
- Woronoco: (Nipmuck) "winding about"
Bodies of water
- Acushnet River (and town): (Naragansett) "at the cove"
- Assabet River: (Nipmuck) "at the boggy place"
- Assawompset Pond: Narragansett "trading place"; (Wampanoag) "place of large upright rock"
- Lake Chaubunagungamaug: (Nipmuck-Mohegan) "boundary fishing place"
- Chappaquiddick Island: (Wampanoag) "separated island"
- Congamond Lake (on Connecticut border – Congamuck Ponds): (Nipmuck) "long fishing place"
- Cuttyhunk: (Wampanoag) "thing that lies out in the sea"
- Gansett Harbor
- Mount Greylock: named for a Missisquoi chief
- Hockomock Swamp: (Natick-Abnaki) "evil spirit" or "hellish place"; (Narragansett) "hook-shaped place"
- Hoosac Tunnel: (Mahican) "rock place"
- Housatonic River From the Mohican phrase "usi-a-di-en-uk", translated as "beyond the mountain place"
- Manhan River: (Nipmuck) "island"
- Megansett Harbor
- Merrimack River: (Abnaki) "at the deep place"
- Mishaum Point: (Narragansett) "great neck" or "canoe-landing place"
- Lake Monomonac (NH border): (Abnaki) "at the very deep place"
- Monatiquot River (Massachusett) "a lookout-out place"
- Monomoy Island (and point): (Wampanoag) "look-out place" or "deep water"
- Muskeget Island (and channel): (Wampanoag) "grassy place"
- Mystic River: (Natick) "great tidal stream"
- Nagog Pond: Concord water supply located in Acton
- Nantasket Beach: (Natick/Wampanoag) "at the strait" or "low-tide place"
- Nashawena Island: (Wampanoag) "between"
- Nashoba Brook
- Naushon Island: (Wampanoag) "middle" (no clear translation)
- Nemasket River: (Wampanoag) "place where the fish are"
- Neponset River: (Natick) possibly "a good fall" (easy for canoe travel)
- Nonamesset Island: (Wampanoag)
- Nissitissit: (Nipmuc) "two brooks" or "between two brooks"[2]
- Onota Lake: (Mahican) "blue/deep"
- Pasque Island
- Penikese Island
- Punkatasset Hill (Algonquian)
- Quabbin Reservoir: (Nipmuck) "crooked streams"
- Quaboag River: (Nipmuck) "before the pond" or abbreviation of "red pond" (m'squ'boag)
- Quinebaug River: (Nipmuck) "long pond"
- Lake Quinsigamond: (Nipmuck) "pickerel-fishing place
- Segreganset River: (Narragansett) "place of hard rocks"
- Shawmut Peninsula: (Algonquian) "ferry" or "place to draw up canoes"
- Snipatuit Pond: (Wampanoag) "at the rocky river"
- Squannacook River: (Nipmuc) "place for taking salmon"[3]
- Squibnocket Point (and pond): (Wampanoag) "at the place of dark rocks" (or clay cliff)
- Taconic Mountains: (Natick) "steep ascent"
- Tuckernuck Island: (Wampanoag) "round loaf of bread"
- Uncatena Island
- Mount Wachusett (and reservoir): (Natick) "near the mountain"
- Mount Watatic: (Nipmuck)
- Watuppa Ponds: (Wampanoag) "roots"
- Weepecket Islands
- Weweantic River: (Wampanoag) "crooked" or "wandering stream"
Other
- Great Sippewissett Marsh
- Succanessett Point
- Tantiusques: (Nipmuck) "black stuff between the hills"
See also
References
Citations
- 1 2 Salwen, Bert, 1978. Indians of Southern New England and Long Island: Early Period. In "Northeast", ed. Bruce G. Trigger. Vol. 15 of "Handbook of North American Indians", ed. William C. Sturtevant, pp. 160–176. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Quoted in: Campbell, Lyle. 1997. American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pg. 401
- ↑ "Nissitissit River Land Trust". nissitissitriver.org. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
- ↑ Nashua River Wild & Scenic Study Committee (November 29, 2017). "DRAFT STEWARDSHIP PLAN" (PDF).
Sources
- Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 080613576X.
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