Etymology

wampum

wam·pum
W4A1M3P3U1M3

Today it means: Small cylindrical beads made from polished shells (especially white ones) which have been strung together, formerly used by Native American peoples of eastern North America for various purposes including as jewellery and money, and for record-keeping; (countable, archaic) one such bead. Full definition →

Massachusett wampompeage
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The story

  1. Massachusett · derived fromwampompeage“string of white beads used as money”
  2. English todaywampum

Clipping of wampumpeag (“wampum”), probably borrowed from Massachusett wampompeage (“string of white beads used as money”). Compare peag (“string of white beads used as money”), also a clipping of wampumpeag. Noun sense 3 (“common kingsnake”) is from the similarity of the snake’s appearance to a string of wampum. Cognates Penobscot wάpαpəyak (singular wάpαpi) Unami òpapiàk (singular òpapi)

Words from the same roots

Massachusettwampompeage all →

wampumpeag

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.