List of Maine placenames of Native American origin
The following list includes settlements, geographic features, and political subdivisions of Maine whose names are derived from Native American languages.
Listings
[edit]Counties
[edit]- 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
[edit]- 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
[edit]- 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
[edit]- 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
[edit]- 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
[edit]References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Bright (2004), p. 39.
- ^ Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. p. 70. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
Sources
[edit]- Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 080613576X.