I Would Have Made a Terrible Native American

Driving back from 'the county' recently, I ran into all sorts of names of things I had no idea how to pronounce.

One in particular really stumped me and I must have spent a half an hour practicing how to say,

Mattamiscontis

It's a name of a stream I drove by. I finally got it, but I have to say it slow...like I have to say these slow too. And I mean really slow...

• Annabessacook
• Cobbosseecontee
• Mooslookmeguntic
• Sededunkehunk

I looked into the names of so many things in Maine influenced by Native Americans. I found this glossary that I thought was SO INTERESTING!

According to Maine Encyclopedia:

Since the native language was not a written one, modern spelling is an attempt to create the sound of the Indian term. Given the various interpretations, different spellings for the same sound abound.

 

That's so fascinating, but still...I think I would have been the only Native American who had a hard time pronouncing the name of their own tribe.

Here's to exploring the great state of Maine and trying so hard to pronounce the words you see on the side of the road...