Woodland Indians Forum

sschkaak wrote:

Armonk  =  place of dogs

I think I'm going to name my property Armonk.

Apshawa  =  upon the hill

Paatquacktung  =  round mountain

A new Lenape version of Jersey Shore should be made!

Last edited by Papelanek (Mar-10-2012 08:15:am)

Papelanek wrote:

A new Lenape version of Jersey Shore should be made!

Don't give the LNP any ideas. A Lenape "Jersey Shore" in the DePaul dialect...

Mantua  =  of spirits  (as in the creek "of spirits")

Papakating  =  that which is ruffed grouse mountain

     another possibility  =  that which is a continuously flat mountain

Tockhockonetcong  =  fertile lowland of mortars / fertile lowland of mills

Last edited by sschkaak (Mar-21-2012 12:28:pm)

The European transcription of the Delaware ending, as "-etcong," could always be one of three possibilities:  "fertile-lowland," "river-place" or "tree-place."  So, yes--the name could mean "place of gum trees."  Of course, we would have to assume that the known word, tachquoahacaniminschi ("gum tree") took a form, *tachquoahacanichtuk, in some dialect.  I prefer to see the ending, in this name, as the same as that in the nearby stream, Musconetcong, which does not mean "tree-place," in all probability--and which I see as "strong fertile lowland," for reasons I believe I gave in another post.  Some have seen this latter name as "strong-river-place" (like Heckewelder's interpretation)--but, I suspect "river-place" and "fertile-lowland" are probably very closely related, semantically.  The first may even be the bound form of the latter; although that is yet to be determined.

Last edited by sschkaak (May-31-2012 08:08:am)

Papelanek wrote:

"Tockhockonetcong  =  fertile lowland of mortars"

Hmmmm... I wonder if that could refer to black gum trees? what a strange name

Justin:

With regard to this being a "strange name," I have edited the original post on this name to include the alternate meaning, "fertile lowland of mills."  The Delaware word, tachquahoakan, signifies any place where grain, nuts, etc. are ground for use--whether a mortar or mill (of any size).  So, it's not clear whether the name refers to one or more Indian mortars (stone or wood) situated in the area (along some NJ streams called "mushpots," if of stone); or, if it refers to one or more of the various grist mills, etc., which were placed on the stream during the mid 18th-century by Palatine German settlers--while Delaware Indians may still have been in the area.  It evokes similarly named English usages like "millstream" and "Mill River," etc.

Last edited by sschkaak (Mar-21-2012 03:42:pm)

Metedeconk  =  at the bad river / bad fertile lowland

Netcong  =  fertile lowland

Manantico  =  pine swamp / cedar swamp