Native American Loan Words in English

It’s no secret that we love loan words here at Bespeaking. They’re so fun and interesting. Loan words show how English developed and where we got many common words from. We’ve covered loan words many times on the blog, covering languages from German, to Portuguese, to Persian. But did you know that there are also many Native American loan words in English?

It should be noted (made clear) that there are many Native American languages, and these loan words are just a sample. English has many loan words from many different Native American languages. Here, we’ll give you the loan word, its meaning, and the language it came from. Let’s have some fun with Native American loan words!

Moose

From the Eastern Abanaki word moz.

I’ve always wanted to see a moose in person. My grandfather lived somewhere where there were moose, and always told me how enormous (really big) they were. I can’t really picture (imagine) how big they are in real life, and want to experience it for myself!

For example:

• We were driving in Vermont when we saw a moose walking down the middle of the street. It was a very cool experience!
• You have to be careful when you’re out in the woods. You don’t want to surprise a moose.

Squash

From the Narragansett word askútasquash.

In the fall, there are many different kinds of squash that you can buy. From pumpkins to acorn squash to butternut squash, these vegetables scream (say loudly) autumn to me. Cooking with all different types of squash is a fun thing to do when the weather starts to get cold, not to mention carving pumpkins on Halloween!

For example:

• Sarah’s mother makes a really tasty butternut squash ravioli. Whenever she makes it, I try to get an invitation to her house for dinner.
• Ben loves to cook with spaghetti squash. He likes the flavor, and thinks it’s really fun how the shredded squash looks like pasta.

Chocolate

From the Nahuatl word xocolātl or chocolātl.

We have the Nahuatl language to thank for many people’s favorite sweet! It’s hard to imagine modern life without chocolate, but chocolate used to be very expensive and very hard to find. Nowadays it’s everywhere and in many different kinds of dessert. Do you like chocolate? What’s your favorite dessert?

For example:

• All I want for my birthday is a nice chocolate cake. I want to keep it simple this year.
• Can you please pick up (buy) some chocolate when you go to the store? We’re all out, and I’d like to have some after dinner.

Anorak

From the Greenlandic Inuit word annoraaq.

Do you wear an anorak in the winter? An anorak is a type of long coat with a hood, that is often lined in fur. If you do, then you have the Inuit to thank for this word! Anoraks are sure to keep you warm in cold temperatures, so if you’re going outside in the winter, make sure to wear one!

For example:

• It’s snowing very hard and is very cold outside, but Julie’s anorak kept her warm while she went on a walk.
• I’ll have to get a new anorak before winter starts. Someone borrowed mine last year and never gave it back!

Do you use any of these Native American loan words in your day-to-day life? Did any of these Native American loan words surprise you? Share with us in the comments below!