sasquatch

Where does the word "sasquatch" come from? It comes from Halkomelem sásq'ets, and was adopted directly into English (1929).

Sasquatch’s story begins in Halkomelem: sásq'ets meant “a hairy, wild man-like creature.” Literally 'hairy man', a figure from Coast Salish oral tradition. It reached English by 1929 as sasquatch. Coined by journalist J.W. Burns, who anglicized the Halkomelem term while collecting local legends. Today, sasquatch means a legendary large, hairy, ape-like creature said to inhabit forests of the Pacific Northwest, also called Bigfoot.

1. Stage 1 · Halkomelem · pre-1900s sásq'ets "a hairy, wild man-like creature", literally 'hairy man', a figure from Coast Salish oral tradition.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1929 sasquatch "a legendary ape-like creature said to inhabit North American forests", coined by journalist J.W. Burns, who anglicized the Halkomelem term while collecting local legends.