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Muskellunge

3 stages from Ojibwe to English.

Today it means a large predatory freshwater fish of the pike family, prized by anglers in the Great Lakes region

Where does the word "muskellunge" come from? It comes from Ojibwe maashkinoozhe, passing through Canadian French before entering English (1780s-1790s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
maashkinoozhe
Ojibwe · pre-1700s
"ugly pike"
literally 'ugly pike', naming the large predatory freshwater fish
2
Stage 2 of 3
masquinongé
Canadian French · 1700s
"a large freshwater game fish"
adapted by French-Canadian trappers and fishers in the Great Lakes region
3
Stage 3 of 3
muskellunge
English · 1780s-1790s
"a large predatory freshwater fish of the pike family"
anglicized from the French-Canadian form
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