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List of Massachusetts placenames of Native American origin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following list includes settlements, geographic features, and political subdivisions of Massachusetts whose names are derived from Native American languages.

Listings

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State

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Counties

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Settlements

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  • 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

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Other

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  • Great Sippewissett Marsh
  • Succanessett Point
  • Tantiusques: (Nipmuck) "black stuff between the hills"

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b 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
  2. ^ "Nissitissit River Land Trust". nissitissitriver.org. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  3. ^ Nashua River Wild & Scenic Study Committee (November 29, 2017). "DRAFT STEWARDSHIP PLAN" (PDF).

Sources

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