USA > Indiana > Indiana and Indianans : a history of aboriginal and territorial Indiana and the century of statehood > Part 9
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MICHIGAN. Name of lake and city; probably of Odjibwa origin; com- pounded of Mi'-ci, meaning "great", and sã'-gi-e'-gan, meaning "lake".
MISHAWAKA. Town in St. Joseph County. The name is a corruption of the Potawatomi m'ce'-wa-ki'-ki, meaning "country of dead trees",
i. e. a deadening.
MISHIKINOQKWA. Name of the celebrated chief Little Turtle, also his village on Eel River, pronounced mi'-ci-kř-noq'-kwa, the "q" repre- senting a sound of "gh" similar to German "ch". The literal meaning is "the Great Turtle's wife", but specifically it is the name of the painted terrapin (chrysemys picta). It is commonly used as a personal name by the Miamis.
MISSISSINEWA. Tributary of the Wabash, emptying at Peru. The name is a corruption of the Miami name Nä-ma'-tci-sin'-wi, which means "it slants", or as applied to a stream, "it has much fall".
MODOC. Postoffice in Randolph County. The name is said to be the Shasteeca word for "enemy".
MOHAWK. Postoffice in Hancock County, named for the Iroquois tribe. The name is said to be corrupted from Maugwawogs, meaning "man- eaters".
MONON. Postoffice, township and creek. This is a Potawatomi word, equivalent to the word "tote" as used in the South.
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INDIANA AND INDIANANS
MOTA. Reservation and town in Kosciusko County. The name is pro- nounced mo'-te, and means a jug, or big bottle.
MUKKONSQUA. Name given to the celebrated captive Frances Slocum. It is pronounced muk-kons'-kwa, and means Little Bear Woman.
MUKKOSE. Reservation and village in Marshall County, meaning Little Beaver.
MUNCIE. County seat of Delaware County, formerly called Munseetown or Muncey Town. This word, also spelled Monsy and Monthee, was originally Min'-si or Min'-thi-u, meaning "people of the stony country". The Delaware name of their town which stood here, or of the old town just above it on the other side of the river, was Wa'-pi-ka-mi'-kunk, or White River Town. The name Outainink, sometimes applied to it, is the Delaware u'-těn-ink, which means "place of the town", or "place where the town was".
MUSKACKITUCK. River in southern Indiana, often improperly written Muscatatack. The Delaware name was Mosch-äch'-hit-tuk-"ch" sounded as in German-or Clear River. In Ind. House Journal, 1820-1, p. 54, the name is given Muschachetuck.
MUSKELONGE. Lake in Kosciusko. The name means "the great pike". The Odjibwa form of this word is maskinonge.
NANCY TOWN. Delaware village on White River, properly Nantikoke, from an Indian of that name who lived there. The Nantikokes were a sub-tribe of the Delawares, the name meaning "tide-water people". NAPPANEE. Town in Elkhart County. The name is the Missisauga nä'-pa-ni, meaning "flour".
NASWAWKEE. Reservation in Marshall County, of Nas-wa'-ka, a Pota- watomi chief. The name means "The Feathered Arrow".
NEAHLONGQUAH. Reservation in Allen County, for a Miami named Na-wi'-leng-won'-ga, meaning "Four Wings". He was called "Big Legs" by the whites.
NOTAWKAH. Potawatomi chief who shared the Menominee reservation in Marshall County. The name No-ta'-ka means "he hears", or "he listens".
OKAWMAUSE. Potawatomi reservation, properly O'-ko-mouse, meaning "Little Chief".
ONTARIO. Postoffice in Lagrange County. Schoolcraft says this is a Wyandot word-originally on-on-ta-ri-o-meaning "beautiful hills, rocks, waters".
OSAGE. Name of Miami town at mouth of the Mississinewa, given be- cause an Osage Indian lived there. The Miami name was Wa-ca'-ci, which is their name for the Osage tribe.
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INDIANA AND INDIANANS
OHIO. River and county. Ohio is an Iroquois exclamation signifying "beautiful". The Miami name of the river is Kan-zän'-za-pi'-wi, or Pecan River.
OSCEOLA. Postoffice in St. Joseph County, named for the Seminole chief. The word, properly os'-y-o-hul'-la, is the name of the great "medicine drink" of the Creeks, called "black drink" by the whites, a decoc- tion of the leaves of the cassena or yaupon (ilex vomitoria).
OSWEGO. Town in Kosciusko County, at the outlet of Tippecanoe Lake. The word is Iroquois, meaning "flowing out". The town is on the site of the Potawatomi village of Meskwabuk.
OTSEGO. Township in Steuben County. The name is Iroquois, from the New York lake, and is said to refer to a rock in that lake.
OTTAWA. Early name of the Maumee River. This, or its short form, Tawas, is said to mean "traders".
OUIATANON. Miami tribe, and French post on the Wabash, now short- ened to Wea. It is from the Miami wa-wi'-a-tan'-wi, meaning "an eddy", literally "it goes in a round channel"; and the terminal locative; i. e. "Place of the eddy".
OWASCO. Postoffice in Carroll County. An Iroquois word meaning "floating bridge".
PATOKA. River, tributary to the Wabash. Pa-to'-ka is the Miami word for Comanche, a number of whom were held as slaves by the Illinois and Miamis in early days. The French wrote it Padocquia or Padouca.
PERU. The site of this city was called ik'-ki-pis-sin'-nung, or Straight Place, by the Miamis, because the Wabash at this point is straight for about two miles.
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PIANKESHAW. Miami tribe. The name is pronounced Pi-n-gi'-ca; meaning uncertain.
PIPE CREEK. Stream and township in Cass County. The name is a literal translation of the Miami name of the stream, Pwa-ka'-na.
PESHEWA. Common corruption of Pin-ji'-wa, the name of Jean Baptiste Richardville, last head chief of the Miami nation. The word is the name of the wildcat, but is now commonly used for the domestic cat.
PONCEAU PICHOU. An American corruption of Panse au Pichou, the French name of Wildcat Creek; a literal translation of the Miami name, Pin-ji'-wa-mo'-tai, or Belly of the Wildcat. Written also Ponce Passu.
POTAWATOMI. Indian tribe. The name means Makers, or Keepers, of the Fire.
PROPHET'S TOWN. See Kithtippiekanunk.
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INDIANA AND INDIANANS
RACCOON CREEK. Tributary of the Wabash. The name is a translation of the Miami name, a-se-pa'-na-si-pi'-wi.
ROANOKE. Town in Huntington County. The name is the word used by the Virginia Indians for their shell-money ; written also roenoke, rawrenock, etc.
RUSSIAVILLE. Town in Howard County. The name is a corruption of Richardville, the name originally given to the County, in honor of the Miami chief.
ST. JOSEPH RIVER. Tributary of Lake Michigan. The Miami name is Sa-ki-wa-si-pi'-wi, or Coming-out River, referring to the portage at South Bend. The Potawatomi form of the name is Sag'-wa-si'-bi.
ST. JOSEPH RIVER. The north fork of the Maumee. The Miami name is Ko-tci'-sa-si'-pi, or Bean River.
ST. MARY'S RIVER. South fork of the Maumee. The Miami name is Ma-me'-i-wa si-pi'-wi, or Sturgeon Creek. John Johnson said the Shawnee name was Cokotheke sepe, or Kettle River.
SALAMONIE. Tributary of the Wabash. This is a corruption of the Miami name On'-za-la'-mo-ni, the Miami name of the blood-root (sanguinaria Canadensis), literally "yellow paint", which is given to this stream.
SHANKITUNK. Stream in southern Indiana. The word probably means "Shady place".
SHAWNEE. Creek and township in Fountain County, named for the Indian tribe. The name means "Southerner". The Miami form is Ca-wan'-wa.
SHEPAHCANNAH. The Miami husband of Frances Slocum; and his village on the Mississinewa. The word means "the awl"; and is pronounced Ci-pa'-ká-na. In later years he became deaf, and was called Kä-kip'-ca, or The Deaf Man; and his village was called The Deaf Man's Village.
SHIPSHEWANA. Postoffice in Lagrange County, also creek and lake, named for a Potawatomi Indian, Căp'-ci-wa'-no, or "Vision of a Lion".
SOUTH BEND. The site of South Bend was called Sa'-ki-wa-yun'-gi, or "Coming out place", i. e. the beginning of a portage.
SUGAR CREEK. Tributary of the Wabash, originally called Sugar Tree Creek, which is the meaning of the Miami name Sa-na-min'-dji si- pi'-wi.
TATAPACHSIT. A Delaware chief, otherwise known as The Grand Glaize King, and his town on White River. Tä-tä-pach'-si-ta is the Miami form of his name, and means "It splits in a circle-or spiral". The Delaware form is Tű-t-pach-ski, recorded in a Pennsylvania treaty
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INDIANA AND INDIANANS
as "Tatabaugsuy or The Twisting Vine". The word is probably the name of the American Woodbine (lonicera grata), the one twist- ing woody vine of the Delaware habitat.
TECUMSEH. Postoffice in Vigo County, named for the Shawnee Chief Ti-kum'-tha. The name means "going across" or "Crossing over"; and as he belonged to the Spirit Panther clan, it indicates a meteor crossing the sky.
THORNTOWN. Town in Boone County. The Miami village at this place was Ka'-wi-ök'-ki-un'-gì, meaning "Place of Thorns", or "Thorn town".
TIPPECANOE. River, lake, county, town and townships. The name is a corruption of the Potawatomi Ki-täp'-i-kön-nong, meaning Ki-täp'- i-kon place or town. Ki-táp'-i-kon is their word for the buffalo fish, and was the name of the river. See Kithtappecanunk.
TOPEAH. Reservation in Allen County of Miami chief, known as Fran- cois Lafontaine. His Miami name, To'-pi-a, means "Frost on the Bushes".
TOPEKA. Postoffice in Lagrange County, named for city in Kansas. The word is the Shawnee name of the Jerusalem artichoke (helianthus tuberosus).
TRAIL CREEK. Tributary of Lake Michigan, at Michigan City. The name, and the French name, Riviere du Chemin, are translations of the Potawatomi name, Mi-ě'-wě-si-bi'-we.
TWIGHTWEES. English name for the Miamis, formerly written Twich- twichs, Tawixtwis, or twigh-twighs, probably the Iroquois word for "snipe".
VERMILLION. Tributary of the Wabash, and County named for the river. Hough gives the Indian name as Osanamon, which is an Algonquian name for Vermillion paint, meaning "yellow-red". The French called the river Vermillon Jaune. The Miamis use a-la-mo'-ni for vermilion paint.
WABASH. River, county, city and townships. The Miami name of the river is Wa'-ba-ci'-ki, or Wa'-pa-ci'-ki, "b" and "p" being convert- ible in Miami. This is an adjective implying that the object to which it is applied is pure or bright white, inanimate, and natural. In this case it refers to the limestone bed of the upper part of the stream.
WABASH. County seat of Wabash County. The Miamis called this location Ta'-king-ga'-mi-un'-gi, or "Cold (running) Water Place", referring to a fine spring, known as Paradise Spring, Hanna's Spring, or Treaty Spring.
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INDIANA AND INDIANANS
WACO. Postoffice in Daviess County. The name is that of a sub-tribe of the Witchita Indians, pronounced We'-ko, and sometimes written in the Spanish form Hueco. It is said to be their word for "heron". WAKARUSA. Postoffice in Elkhart County, named for the Kansas stream. It is said to mean "hip-deep".
WALUM OLUM. The celebrated record obtained from the Delaware Indians on White River. The name is pronounced wa'-lum o'-lum, and means "painted record".
WAPASEPAH. Reservation in Allen County, for Wa'-pa-se'-pa-na, or The White Raccoon, a Miami.
WAWASEE. Lake and postoffice in Kosciusko County, named for a Pota- watomi chief Wa'-wi-as'-si. This is the word for the full moon, literally "the round one".
WAWPECONG. Postoffice in Miami County. Sarah Wadsworth says this place was originally called Wa'-pi-pa-ka'-na, or shell-bark hickories, from a number of these trees growing there.
WEA. Creek, postoffice and prairie in Tippecanoe County. The name is an abbreviation of Ouiatanon, which see.
WESAW. Reservation and creek in Miami County named for the Miami chief Wi'-sa. The name means the gall-bladder.
WHITE RIVER. The largest tributary of the Wabash. Its Miami name is Wa'-pi-ka-mi'-ki, or "white waters". The Delawares some- times used this name, and sometimes called it Wa'-pi-ha'-ni, or White River.
WINAMAC. County seat of Pulaski County, named for a Potawatomi chief, Wi'-na-mak'. The word means "cat-fish"; literally "mud fish".
WINNEBAGO. An old Indian town, whose site is now in the suburbs of Lafayette. The name means "people of Winnipeg", and Winnipeg means "stinking water".
WINONA. Lake and Assembly ground near Warsaw. The name is the same as the Wenonah of Longfellow's Hiawatha. It is a Sioux proper name, given to a female who is a first-born child.
WYALUSING. Stream in Jennings County, named for the Pennsylvania stream. Heckewelder says that the word-"properly M'chwihillu- sink"-means "at the dwelling-place of the hoary veteran".
WYANDOTTE. Postoffice in Crawford County, named for the Indian tribe. The name probably means "People of One Speech". The tribe is also known by its French name, Huron.
YELLOW RIVER. Tributary of the Kankakee, which Brinton identifies with the Wisawana (Yellow River) of the Walum Olum. The Pota- watomi name of this stream is We-thau'-ka-mik', or "Yellow Waters".
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