Our Lakes Region area is filled with mountains, lakes and rivers all bearing Indian names.
AMMONOOSUC
Namos meant fish narrow fishing place
AMOSKEAG
Formerly this was Nameskeag. Names was the word for fish and makuamagu was the word for Salmon This may be an abbreviation for a fishing place for salmon , since the Indians gathered at the falls, now in Manchester, for a well known salmon hole.
ASQUAMCHUMAUKE
This was the Indian name for the Baker River which rises near Mount Moosilauke. Asquam means big or much water; chum means crooked: auke, from a mountain. At Plymouth , where the Baker River joins the Pemigewasset River , several brooks flowed from the hills into the Pemigewasset but this was big water.The tribe that lived in this area were the Pemigewasset.
AWASOSWI MENAHAN
The Indian name of Bear Island, Lake Winnipesaukee
CONNECTICUT
An anglicized pronunciation from the Indian name. Kweni-tegu or tegwu. Kweni mean't long and tegu meant river-rightly named , the longest stream in New England.
CONTOOCOOK
The syllable con may be the same as in Connecticut, and the word may mean a long, quiet place, as it is in spots almost a lake in appearance. (Also said to mean Crow Place)
CUSUMPE
This is the name of a small lake near Big Squam, and long ago this was probably a part of a large lake, and in old writings the name Cusumpe is found. No translation into English has been made although this might me Coos Nipi or Coos-s-nipi
MERRIMAC
Like Connecticut, here is a greatly changed name. One word for bearin Abnaki was misha and magmean't big. Misha-mag was the Great Bear or the totem of the Abnaki, as formerly stated. Misha-mag finally became Merrimac in the language of the English settlers.
MOOSILAUKE
This is the most northern mountain with an Indian name. It's summit is bare granite and the Indian term for bald was Moo which was combined with auke and was a bald or bare high place.
OPECHEE
Sipe was the word for bird and this name is thought to mean Robin Lake
OSSIPEE
Coos and nipi - Pine Tree Lake
WAUKEWAN
Wigwam
WICWAS
Wequash originally
WINNIPESAUKEE
This name is composed of win-nipi-s-aukee and means smiling lake between the mountains. The letter s has lost the remainder of its syllable , yet its meaning is clear when the situation of the lake is seen between the hills. Geologists claim that long ago the lake flowed south into the Coheco River. Now it flows through the Winnipesaukee River to join the Pemigewasset River in Franklin and the two form the Merrimack River.
WINNIPESEOGEE
This name, divided into syllables, win-nipi-see-gee means smiling of the (or surrounded by the) Great Spririt. The final gee or jee in the ancient form is the Abnaki word for God. This is considered to be the same root word as Jehovah of the Hebrews, Jupiter of the Romans and Zeus of the Greeks-The Great God or Spirit. Here is another link between the Algonquins and the Aryan Race.
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