Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-16
NAMES GIVEN BY INDIANS.
Interesting Facts Told by Prof. Mooney
Regarding Local Nomenclature.

Interesting Facts Told by Prof. Mooney
Regarding Local Nomenclature.
At the Cosmos Club last night. before the
Anthropological Society. Prof. James Mooney
read an interesting paper upon the Geographic
nomenclature of the Potomac river.
In referring to aboriginal names and etymo-
logies Prof. Mooney said that the most obvious
fact in connection with this subject is the pau
city Of material The knowledge of the local
nomenclature is derived almost entirely from
Smith, with few additions on the Mary
land side from Father White and the Jesuits
and an insignificant number from other sources.
The Indians of this region were a part of the
Powhatan confederacy, which claimed all Of
tidewater Virginia and both shores of the
Chesapeake nearly to the entrance of the Sus-
quehanna. The Powhstan language belonged
to the Algonquin stock and was cognate with
the Delaware. the Massachuset and the Ojibwa.
1t ceased to exist as a spoken language about
fifty years ago, and as the early colonists and
even the Jesuits of the Maryland colony paid
but little attention to aboriginal philology there
remain of the tongue of Powhatan probably
less than 800 words in sll. of which about one
half are untransl table local names.
Smiths narrative gives about 140 local names
within the ancient territory of the Powhatan
tribes in Virginia and Maryland strictly and the
Jesuits give few others, while a thorough
overhauling Of the old colonial land patents
and other records would undoubtedly supply
many more.
SOME wELL-KSowN NAMES.
The word Potomac appears on Smiths map
as Patawomeck. the name of a principal settle
ment which Jefferson in his notes on Virginia
locates at the mouth of Potomac creek in Stat
ford county. Va. AS Ii the case with Indian
local names generally, especially in the east it
VI q "a mt of ST
including settlement. The Jesuit Father
Jacker declares that the word relates to small
fishes" BE gives the general meaning az the
river full of swarms Of small fry where fisA4s
spawn in shoals" Another authority saSs that
the form Of the word should be ledhamok,
meaning "they coming by wntsr" St:l
another idea advanced is that the term means
'bushy or brushy river" The rendering
river of swars'' has no authority
Acqu!a creek is supposed to take its name
from Equiwi, meaning in or between some
thing"
Occoquan is interpreted as meaning hook"
Anacostia came from Nacotchtauck and can
not be interpreted.
The name Piscataway does not appear on
Smiths map. yet 1t appears to be word full Of
meaning. The Jesuits rendered it az meaning
'one who has his hair twisted up sideways ald
backward" Another aut hority gives it az mean
ing lit is getting dark, while another thinks
it means ''the place of the white pine tree"
Port Tobacco comes from Potopaca, meaning
tobacco leaves.
Pamunky Is understood to mean where we
toCG n sweat
The word Chesapeake is carried through
laborIous process Of derivation and interpreta-
ton and finally explained to mean "a large
basin of salt water.
PERPErUATING INDIAN NAIEs.
When Prof. Mooney concluded bis papsr Prof.
Ward made a short talk on the propriety Of
giving Indian names to objects in the Zoolog!-
cal and Rock Creek Parks which are TO be
named. He thought this would be eminently
proper.
Prof. McGee read brief paper, which had
been prepared by Prof. Holmes, describing the
Indian settlements on the Potomac below Wash
ington. He said there were at one time four
Indian villages located or the present site Of
this city. Prof Holmes advocated perpetuating
the Indian names.
Prof. Belknap explained the growth and de-
velopment of colonial nomenclature.