sagamore

Where does the word "sagamore" come from? It comes from Eastern Abenaki sakəma, and was adopted directly into English (1613).

Sagamore’s story begins in Eastern Abenaki: sakəma meant “a chief or leader.” Named a lesser chief elected to lead a single band, related to Proto-Algonquian 'sakima·wa'. It reached English by 1613 as sagamore. Samoset, who greeted the Plymouth Pilgrims in 1621, was an Abenaki sagamore. Today, sagamore means historically, a chief or leader among Algonquian peoples of the northeastern United States; later used as an honorary or jocular title.

1. Stage 1 · Eastern Abenaki · pre-1600s sakəma "a chief or leader", named a lesser chief elected to lead a single band, related to Proto-Algonquian 'sakima·wa'.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1613 sagamore "a chief among northeastern Algonquian peoples", Samoset, who greeted the Plymouth Pilgrims in 1621, was an Abenaki sagamore.