manitou

Where does the word "manitou" come from? It comes from Proto-Algonquian manetowa, passing through French before entering English (1670s-1800s).

Manitou’s story begins in Proto-Algonquian: manetowa meant “spirit, sacred power.” Named the spiritual force or power present in people, animals, and places. By 1670s, the word had taken hold in French as manitou. Recorded by French missionaries and traders among Great Lakes Algonquian peoples. It reached English by 1670s-1800s as manitou. Jesuit missionaries recorded it among the Algonquin and Ojibwe in the 1600s. Today, manitou means a spiritual force or being central to Algonquian traditional religion, ranging from minor spirits to the 'Great Spirit'.

1. Stage 1 · Proto-Algonquian · pre-1600s manetowa "spirit, sacred power", named the spiritual force or power present in people, animals, and places.
2. Stage 2 · French · 1670s manitou "a spirit or divine power", recorded by French missionaries and traders among Great Lakes Algonquian peoples.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1670s-1800s manitou "a spiritual force or being in Algonquian belief", Jesuit missionaries recorded it among the Algonquin and Ojibwe in the 1600s.