Powhatan/Lesson 13

The English language borrowed many words from Powhatan; the language has been credited with being the source of more English loans than any other indigenous language. Most such words were likely borrowed very early, probably before Powhatan—English conflict arose in 1622.

English Word	Powhatan Word (Latin Script)	Powhatan Word (Powhatan Syllabics)	Definition
Chinquapin	chechinquamin, chincomen	ᒉᒋᘜᒥᓐ, ᒋᘝᒣᓐ	Castanea pumila
Chum	chum	ᒍᒻ	bait consisting of fish parts, bone and blood, which attract fish, particularly sharks.
Hickory	pockerchicory, pocohicora	ᐳᑫᖖᒋᑯᘏ, ᐳᑯᕵᑯᘓ	trees comprising the genus Carya
Hominy	uskatahomen	ᐅᖙᑕᕷᒣᓐ	a food produced from dried maize kernels that have been treated with an alkali, in a process called nixtamalization
Matchcoat	matchco	ᒪᑦᒡᑯ	an outer garment consisting of a length of coarse woolen cloth (stroud), usually about 2 metres (7 ft) long, worn wrapped around the upper part of the body like a toga. Historically, they have been worn primarily by the Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands
Moccasin	makasin	ᒪᑲᓯᓐ	a shoe, made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole (made with leather that has not been "worked") and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp (additional panel of leather)
Muskrat	muscascus	ᒧᖚᖙᔅ	Ondatra zibethicus
Opossum	aposoum	ᐊᐳᓱᐅᒻ	a marsupial of the order Didelphimorphia
Persimmon	pichamins, pushemins, pasimenan	ᐱᒐᒥᓐᔅ, ᐳᔐᒥᓐᔅ, ᐸᓯᒣᓇᓐ	the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros
Pokeweed	poke	ᐳᑫ	Phytolacca americana
Raccoon	ärähkun	ᐊᘓᑯᓐ	mammals comprising the genus Procyon
Terrapin	torope	ᑐᘐᐯ	one of several small species of turtle living in fresh or brackish water
Tomahawk	tumahák	ᑐᒪᕹᒃ	A light axe used as a tool or weapon by North American Indians
Wicopy	wicopy	ᖋᑯᐱ	A flowering plant belonging to the genus Dirca