massasauga

Where does the word "massasauga" come from? It comes from Ojibwe Mississauga, and was adopted directly into English (1810s-1820s).

Massasauga’s story begins in Ojibwe: Mississauga meant “great river-mouth.” Literally 'great river-mouth', originally naming a river and its Ojibwe inhabitants in Ontario. It reached English by 1810s-1820s as massasauga. Applied by English-speaking naturalists to a small rattlesnake species common near that river's marshy delta. Today, massasauga means a small species of rattlesnake native to marshy and grassland habitats of eastern North America.

1. Stage 1 · Ojibwe · pre-1800s Mississauga "great river-mouth", literally 'great river-mouth', originally naming a river and its Ojibwe inhabitants in Ontario.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1810s-1820s massasauga "a small rattlesnake species found in marshy habitats", applied by English-speaking naturalists to a small rattlesnake species common near that river's marshy delta.