The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-10-24
INDIAN NAMES.
Lots of Them in Jersey,
But Their Use MOI
Advisable.

American people for theif neglect of the
use OF aboriginal names. aud the way
they have decorated the geography of the
land with names borrowed from ancient
history, mythology and the ends of the
earth. Mr.. Spofford cites Utica, SYRIA
cuse aud Rome in New York State, aud
the Bagdads. EVypts. Sparbas. Clntons.
Johnstowns as hagrant examples. How
much more pleasant he says, sound
Maliuia, wyoming, T%allanoosa. Shaw
Minnehaha and their Ike Mr.. Spot
ford's enthusiasm Is meritoifous, blu
" en- he says the pioneers had a wealth
VI euphontous words to draw from we
inust note an exception for our jersey
forefathers.
o A MELoDIous LANGUAGE,
Inc Lebnn Lanapt. or 9Deiawares, our
Predecessor on Jersey soil, did not have
Il melodious language. 1t was rather uu-
couth and harsh. Ramapo, Torowa, Me-
tuchen, Whfppany, Wenonah and Shai
mong are agreeable, but Wickatuuk,
Opaugnanaugh. Acquackanonck are a
little different. The fact is. most Indian
names as nav settled have been changed,
modified. softened. Thus Whippany aud
PHrsipDany in Morris county ware Ia the
last century Whippanong aud Parsip-
panona. PesayRk is now Passaic. THESE
Indian names were all recorded by sound.
and 1t made mucnd difference whaLher the
sounds were heard By EnglisN, Dutch.
French or Spanish ears. Tho rssaltshaye
been curious. and would snrprise tue
red men II they werethere again. Dat of
Ackinke.hscky, the Indian nam. for its
site. the Dutch settlers contriyed Hack
enssck, which Is more Holland Dutch
than Lenape.
Aequackanouck township. near by.
has been preserved 10 its originality. but
they have a tendency up there TO call it
Quacknonk. We are not jealoas but
II the fates had made US AcQuacganonk-
ers we would pronounce each syllable
distinctly. even ii we had to ger up
earlier In the morn Instances
might be multiplied OF this changing,
sometimes untnleutional, The Ipdlan
word Oheo was spelled by the French
Ohio. as the French .'if 10
re-" but the English aftercotuers have
made IL English l for all tine.
MANLY" MEN. ESQ.,
According to some authorities, Lenpa
Lenapi. or Lenni Lsnape, meaus manly
men," and a change of name from New
Jersey to the STATE of Lenni Lsnape
would. therefore. be very appropriate.
or our twenty-onet counties only one.
Passaic. has Jan Indian, name. or the 600
post offices in the State some fifty havs
aboriginal names more or less twisted.
Besides, there are uuIts a number OF
small hamlets. railroad stations and some
townships with d~ssigRations Inherited
ponds. creeks and hills there are MANY
naore. Here Is a rtinllist:-Hopatcong,
Lopatcong. PohRtcong. Mnsconstcoue.
Macopin, A~llamucne, Manahawkin,
Manasquan, ~Squankuln. Manumuskiu,
Navesiuk. Manatico, Manunka Chunck.
Metedeconk. MetucheD, Neshanic, PAS
l-nn1y DnOr1oyan r. -
mock. Repaupo, Sicornac, Singae, Soca-
mac. .Wakake. W%auaque, Westeconk,
N~ormanock. Mashioacong. Youpoh,
Ynughpo.
Several OF thess are variations of the
same word, and this similarity is an ar
gumeut against Indian nam.s generally.
Owego aud Oswego III New York are
often confused.
INDIAN NAMES.
What Indian names we ave should be
preserved with care. In future, aiming
or remaining. it would be obviously i'm
proper to use any hut the words the
Lenape4 used between the Delaware and
the Rulson; Choctaw aud Cherokee
would be vain. There would not be
enough of Their geographical terms to
serve the whole State. however, and res
course must be had to thsis vocabnlaryaat
large. Thus the Lenupa word for ship
was ~"muxhole," and the sail OF most Of
the ship they called "iaitpnghakwhuue-
Observation-Disclosures" The Indian
who coined that word must have been
what a language sharp would call agress-
lively aggiutinative. The word is geuu-
ine, and by julicious splitting up might
So flee to rename Il Whole county.
Care must be taken in using the
Indian language. as after the Influx of
Europeans it was corrupted. Tah-nap-
ees. for example, is u good Iudian word,
but 1t smells strongly of turaips. Some
historians hereaboutI have made mis-
takes herein. What IS called an inter
esting fragment" has been. preserved
where the Jersey Indian numerals are
given as
One-een, Six-latter.
Two-teen, Sevep-satter.
T~hree-tether, Elght-po,
~Four-fether. Nine-deobesy.
Five-fmp, Ten-dick,
Eleyen-een-dick.
These were, no doubt, spoken by the
Indians in latter times, but SOME of ihsm
are Du!cn n the rest nondescript. The
Lenapes could count up to six hundred
before they saw a palsface, und their true
numerals, spoken possibly at ths corner
OF Broad aud Market streets, as they
brought dow the Wild ducks with bow
and arrow, are as tollows:-
One quite. Seven--nlishash,
Two-aliska, Eight-haash y [
Three-niiha, MISUNDERSTANDING.
Four-naa, Ten-Tillunm
Five-pollinuuk, EIeven-aata euIlta
SiX-kuutash, Twelye-aata niIsba
Considering tue rraIlty OF mankind and
rush OF modern life. it liz, perhaps. Just a.
Well that u forefathers SHE'D off In
great measure from thess Indian terrur s
and fell back GU plain, honest Snufftown
Vealtown. Smithtown and Jonesboro.
p-