papoose

Where does the word "papoose" come from? It comes from Narragansett papoos, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Papoose’s story begins in Narragansett: papoos meant “a child, infant.” Meaning "child" or "infant". It reached English by 1600s as papoose. Roger Williams recorded Narragansett 'papoos', child, in 1643. Today, papoose means a Native American infant, or a carrier used to transport a baby.

1. Stage 1 · Narragansett · pre-1600s papoos "a child, infant", meaning "child" or "infant".
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s papoose "a Native American infant, or its carrier", Roger Williams recorded Narragansett 'papoos', child, in 1643.