List of Maine placenames of Native American origin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following list includes settlements, geographic features, and political subdivisions of Maine whose names are derived from Native American languages.
Counties
- Androscoggin County: (Abnaki) "place where fish are dried/cured"[1]
- Aroostook County[2]
- Aroostook River: (Mi'kmaq) "beautiful river"
- Kennebec County
- Kennebec River: (Abnaki) "long quiet water"
- Little Kennebec Bay
- Penobscot County: (Abnaki?) tribal name; "place of descending rocks/ledges"
- Town of Penobscot
- Penobscot River
- North Branch Penobscot River
- West Branch Penobscot River
- East Branch Penobscot River
- South Branch Penobscot River
- Penobscot Bay
- Penobscot Pond
- Penobscot Island
- Little Penobscot Island
- Piscataquis County: (Abnaki) "at the river branch"
- Sagadahoc County
- Sagadahoc Bay
Settlements
- Allagash River (and town): (Abnaki) "bark shelter"
- Arrowsic
- Arrowsic Island
- Caribou: (Abnaki) kalibu "shoveler" (gets food by pawing or shoveling)
- Carrabassett Valley
- Casco: (Mi'kmaq) muddy
- Damariscotta: (Abnaki) "many alewives"
- Kenduskeag
- Kennebunk: (Abnaki) "long sand bar"
- Machias
- Town of Machiasport
- Macwahoc
- Madawaska
- Magalloway: likely of Abnaki origin, meaning "large tail".
- Mattawamkeag: (Abnaki) "fishing beyond gravel bar" or (Mi'kmaq) "on a sand bar"
- Mexico
- Millinocket: (Abnaki) "this place is admirable"
- Town of East Millinocket
- Millinocket Lake
- Millinocket Disposal Pond
- Monhegan: (Mi'kmaq or Maliseet) "out-to-sea island"
- New Canada
- Nollesemic: (Abnaki) "resting place at the falls"
- Ogunquit: (Mi'kmaq) "lagoons within dunes"
- Orono: (Abnaki) purportedly from a Chief Joseph Orono, no translation
- Oquossoc: (Abnaki) "place of trout" (a certain trout-type)
- Passadumkeag: (Abnaki) "rapids over gravel beds"
- Sabattus
- Sabattus River
- Sabbatus Pond
- Little Sabattus Pond
- Saco: (Abnaki) "flowing out" or "outlet"
- Sebago: (Abnaki) "big lake"
- Sebec
- Seboeis
- Seboeis River
- Little Seboeis River
- West Seboeis Stream
- Seboeis Lake
- Grand Lake Seboeis
- Seboeis Deadwater
- Village of Seboomook Lake: (Abnaki) "at the large stream"
- Skowhegan (town): (Abnaki) "watching place [for fish]"
- Scopan Lake (and town): (Abnaki) "bear's den"
- Willimantic
- Wiscasset
Bodies of Water
- Abagadasset River
- Alamoosook Lake
- Annabessacook Lake
- Aziscohos Lake: (Abnaki) "small pine trees"
- Aziscohos Pond
- Bagaduce River
- Baskahegan Lake
- Big Machia Lake and Little Machia Lake
- Big Madagascal Pond and Little Madagascal Pond
- Bunganock Pond
- Cambolasse Pond
- Cape Neddick River
- Caribou Lake (Island Falls)
- Caribou Lake (Washburn)
- Caribou Egg Pond
- Caucomgomoc Lake
- Chemquasabamticook Lake: (Abnaki) "where there is a large lake and rocks"
- Chesuncook Lake: (Abnaki) "at the principal outlet"
- Chesuncook Pond
- Chickawaukie Pond
- Chimenticook River
- Chiputneticook Lakes: (Abnaki) "at the place of the big hill stream"
- Cobscook Bay: (Maliseet) "rocks under water"
- Cobbosseecontee Lake: (Abnaki) "many sturgeon"
- Little Cobbosseecontee Lake
- Cochnewagon Pond
- Cupsuptic River
- Cuxabexis Lake
- Daaquam River
- Debsconeag Lakes
- Debsconeag Deadwater
- Eggemoggin Reach
- Gammon Pond
- Harraseeket River
- Hockomock Bay
- Katahdin Lake
- Kamankeag Pond
- Keewaydin Lake
- Kennebago Lake: (Abnaki) "long/large pond/lake"
- Little Kennebago Lake
- Kennebago River
- West Kennebago Mountain
- East Kennebago Mountain
- Kennebago Divide
- Keoka Lake
- Lake Anasagunticook
- Lake Kashwakamak
- Lake Onawa
- Lake Wassookeag
- La Pomkeag Lake
- Lower La Pomkeag Lake
- Little Pushaw Pond
- Lunksoos Lake
- Upper Macwahoc Lake and Lower Macwahoc Lake
- Madawaska River: (Mi'kmaq) "where one river joins another"
- Little Madawaska River
- Madawaska Lake
- Manhancock Pond
- Maquoit Bay
- Maranacook Lake
- Massachusetts Bog
- Matagamon Lake: (Abnaki) "far on the other side"
- Mattamiscontis Lake: (Abnaki) "many ale-wives"
- Little Mattamiscontis Lake
- Mattanawcook Pond
- Mattaseunk Lake
- Medomak River
- Medomak Pond
- Little Medomak Pond
- Meduncook River
- Medunkenuk Lake
- Meduxnekeag River
- North Branch Meduxnekeag River
- South Branch Meduxnekeag River
- Meduxnekeag Lake
- Megunticook Lake
- Messalonskee Lake
- Metallak Pond
- Millimagassett Lake
- Minnehonk Lake
- Moccasin Pond
- Mollidgewock Pond
- Molunkus Pond: (Abnaki) "ravine"
- Molunkus Stream
- Molunkus Lake
- Mooseleuk Lake
- Mooselookmeguntic Lake: (Abnaki) "moose feeding place" (portage to or big trees at)
- Mousam River
- Middle Branch Mousam River
- Mousam Lake
- Munsungan Lake
- Muscongus Bay: (Abnaki) "many/large rock ledges"
- Musquash Lake: (Abnaki) "muskrat"
- Musquash Pond
- Musquacook Stream: (Abnaki) "muskrat place"
- Nahmakanta Lake: (Abnaki) "many fish"
- Narraguagus Bay
- Narraguagus River
- Little Narraguagus River
- West Branch Narraguagus River (Hancock County)
- West Branch Narraguagus River (Cherryfield)
- Narraguagus Lake
- Narramissic River
- Nehumkeag Pond
- Neoutaquet River
- Nequassett Lake
- Nesowadnehunk Lake
- Little Nesowadnehunk Lake
- Nezinscot River
- Nicatous Lake
- Nokomis Pond
- Nollesemic Lake
- Ossipee River: (Abnaki) "beyond the water"
- Papoose Pond
- Little Papoose Pond
- Parmachenee Lake
- Passamagamet Lake
- Passagassawakeag River
- Passamaquoddy Bay: tribal name; "place of abundance of pollack"
- Pattee Pond
- Pemadumcook Chain of Lakes: (Maliseet) "extended sand bar place"
- Pemaquid River
- Pemaquid Pond
- Pennamaquan River
- Pennesseewassee Lake
- Little Pennesseewassee Lake
- Pequawket Lake
- Piscataqua River
- Piscataqua River (tributary)
- East Branch Piscataqua River
- Pocasset Lake
- Pocwock River
- Pockwockamus Deadwater
- Podunk Pond
- Presumpscot River
- Pushaw Lake
- Quahog Bay
- Quantabacook Lake
- Rockabema Lake
- Saponac Pond
- Sasanoa River
- Scammon Pond
- Schoodic Lake
- Schoodic Bog
- Sebago Lake
- Sebasticook River: (Penobscot-Abnaki) "almost-through place"
- Sennebec Pond
- Shillalah Pond
- Skitacook Lake
- Songo River
- Spednic Lake
- Sysladobsis Lake
- Upper Sysladobsis Lake
- Tacoma Lakes
- Umbagog Lake
- Umbazooksus Lake
- Umcolcus Lake: (Abnaki) "whistling duck"
- Umsaskis Lake
- Usuntabunt Lake: (Abnaki) "wet head" or possibly "three heads"
- Wassutaquook River
- Watchic Pond
- Little Watchic Pond
- Webhannet River: (Abnaki) "at the clear stream"
- Weskeag River
- Wesserunsett Lake
- Wheelock Lake
- Wohoa Bay
- Wytopitlock Lake
- Piscataqua River (New Hampshire border): (Pennacook) "the place where the river divides"
Islands
- Bunganuc Island
- Chebeague Island: (Abnaki) "separated place"
- Malaga Island
- Manana Island
- Matinicus Island: (Abnaki) "far-out island"
- Menigawum Island
- Metinic Island: (Abnaki) "far-out island"
- Mingo Island
- Mosquick Island
- Nahamkeag Island
- Opechee Island
- Sampsong Point
- Schoodic Island
- Schoppee Island
- Sebascodegan Island
- Squantum Point
Other
- Bauneg Beg Mountain
- Mount Agamenticus
- Mount Katahdin: (Abnaki) "the principal mountain"
- Mount Kineo
- Mount Pisgah
- Mount Tire'm
- Pemaquid Point: (Mi'kmaq) "extended land" (peninsula)
- Quoddy Head: (Passamaquoddy) abbreviation to "pollack"
- Shawnee Peak
See also
References
Citations
- ↑ Bright (2004), p. 39.
- ↑ Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. p. 70. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
Sources
- Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 080613576X.