pemmican

Where does the word "pemmican" come from? It comes from Cree pimikan, and was adopted directly into English (1700s-1800s).

Pemmican’s story begins in Cree: pimikan meant “a preserved meat and fat mixture.” From "pimii" (fat, grease), a concentrated mix of dried meat and fat. It reached English by 1700s-1800s as pemmican. Cree 'pimîhkân', from 'pimiy', fat; the Hudson's Bay and North West companies fed their voyageurs on it. Today, pemmican means a concentrated mixture of dried meat, fat, and sometimes berries, used as a durable food.

1. Stage 1 · Cree · pre-1700s pimikan "a preserved meat and fat mixture", from "pimii" (fat, grease), a concentrated mix of dried meat and fat.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1700s-1800s pemmican "a concentrated food of dried meat, fat, and berries", Cree 'pimîhkân', from 'pimiy', fat; the Hudson's Bay and North West companies fed their voyageurs on it.