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Etymology of Kalamazoo

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99:
Another popular account is the legend of a Potawatomi warrior named Fleet Foot. In order to win his bride, he was required to run from his settlement to a point on the river and back before a pot of water boiled away. This event is thought to have occurred in 1810, a couple of decades before the
230:, or "otters beneath the surface" as an "etymological absurdity". However, Vogel also suggests that both Verwyst and Gerard accounts also "deserve this label". Vogel also dismisses the view that the name means "mirage or reflecting river". 136:
It may also have referred to a place to ford the river. The city was originally established near one of the few places in the area where it was easy to cross by wading.
329: 133:, this means, "They have been smoked/cured". The explanation given for this name is that the dark waters of the Kalamazoo River have a smokey appearance. 139:
Early official papers refer to the name of Kalamazoo as derived from a Potawatomi term meaning "the area where animals wounded by Indians crawl to die".
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include "beautiful water", "mirage" or "reflecting waters", and could refer to the once-clear waters of the river, which are now somewhat clouded by
147:(1986), Virgil Vogel explained that when Kalamazoo County was formed on July 30, 1830, it "was allegedly named from the 'Indian' name of the river, 104:
appears on an 1823 atlas of the area. The word translates as "boiling pot" or "place where the water boils", and refers to the Fleet Foot legend.
307:(Book, Internet Resource). USGS Bulletin, No. 258, Series F-Geography (Second ed.). Washington: Government Printing Office. p. 171. 64:) have been proposed, all of which suggest that the name was derived from the languages of local indigenous peoples, the historic 383: 253: 162:
Vogel suggests the following interpretations for the source of Kalamazoo as more credible than other accounts:
92:
tail" or "stones like otters". This could refer to area wildlife. This interpretation was apparently suggested by
388: 215:". Vogel cites William R. Gerard as concurring in this opinion, that "Kalamazoo is a slight alteration of older 325: 48:. There is uncertainty concerning the origin of the river's name, but several theories have been suggested. 378: 41: 359: 393: 45: 159:, was described as at the head of the "Kekalamazoo river" (this village became the present-day city). 207:
as a "corruption of Kikanamsoso", meaning "it smokes, or he is troubled with smoke", and pronounced "
107:
The "boiling pot" translation may also refer to various nearby bends in the river that resemble pots.
156: 178: 263: 152: 222:, meaning 'he is inconvenienced by smoke in his lodge'." Vogel cites Gerard as dismissing 8: 37: 242: 356: 308: 249: 223: 93: 151:, 'the boiling pot'." There had been various transliterations of the term. In the 204: 25: 196: 126: 61: 372: 188: 299: 312: 203:." He cites Father Chrysostam Verwyst saying the name Kalamazoo comes from 73: 81: 65: 29: 115: 57: 36:, and several settled places named after it, including the city of 33: 357:
Clarke Historical Museum, Kalamazoo etymology, Kalamazoo County
216: 122: 69: 89: 100:
first whites settled permanently here. The Potawatomi word
248:. Ann Arbor, Michigan: The University of Michigan Press. 330:
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment
96:, a US Indian agent in the region in the 19th century. 301:Origin of certain place names in the United States 241: 370: 195:Vogel suggests that the word "may be from the 297: 268:Kalamazoo Public Library: Local history 177:, which is also the name of a creek in 371: 341: 239: 187:, a variant of an early name for the 51: 335: 293: 291: 88:, which is variously translated as " 121:The current name used by the local 13: 14: 405: 288: 191:, which meant "deep, still water" 170:, meaning "it goes or runs fast" 233: 226:opinion that the name was from 350: 319: 1: 281: 199:, because of the presence of 346:. Walter Romig. p. 297. 264:"How Kalamazoo Got Its Name" 110:Alternative translations of 76:. Some of the theories are: 7: 360:Central Michigan University 10: 410: 384:Kalamazoo County, Michigan 240:Vogel, Virgil J. (1986). 244:Indian Names in Michigan 157:Match-e-be nash-she-wish 145:Indian Names in Michigan 129:tribes for Kalamazoo is 298:Gannett, Henry (1905). 166:a corruption of Ojibwe 80:It is derived from the 389:Place name etymologies 342:Romig, Walter (1986). 153:1821 Treaty of Chicago 344:Michigan Place Names 379:Kalamazoo, Michigan 24:is the name of the 183:a mangled form of 173:a mangled form of 52:Etymology theories 42:Kalamazoo Township 394:American toponymy 326:Michigan Counties 213:kee-kau-nau-mo-zo 209:kee-kah-nah-mo-zo 155:, the village of 94:Henry Schoolcraft 401: 363: 354: 348: 347: 339: 333: 323: 317: 316: 306: 295: 277: 275: 274: 259: 247: 62:folk etymologies 46:Kalamazoo County 409: 408: 404: 403: 402: 400: 399: 398: 369: 368: 367: 366: 355: 351: 340: 336: 324: 320: 304: 296: 289: 284: 272: 270: 262: 256: 236: 54: 26:Kalamazoo River 19: 12: 11: 5: 407: 397: 396: 391: 386: 381: 365: 364: 349: 334: 318: 286: 285: 283: 280: 279: 278: 260: 254: 235: 232: 193: 192: 181: 171: 141: 140: 137: 134: 131:Giikanaamozoog 119: 108: 105: 97: 60:(some of them 53: 50: 17: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 406: 395: 392: 390: 387: 385: 382: 380: 377: 376: 374: 361: 358: 353: 345: 338: 331: 327: 322: 314: 310: 303: 302: 294: 292: 287: 269: 265: 261: 257: 255:0-472-10069-6 251: 246: 245: 238: 237: 231: 229: 228:negikanamazoo 225: 224:Schoolcraft's 221: 218: 214: 210: 206: 202: 198: 190: 189:Calumet River 186: 182: 180: 179:Ingham County 176: 172: 169: 165: 164: 163: 160: 158: 154: 150: 149:Ke-kanaamazoo 146: 138: 135: 132: 128: 124: 120: 117: 113: 109: 106: 103: 98: 95: 91: 87: 83: 79: 78: 77: 75: 71: 67: 63: 59: 49: 47: 43: 39: 35: 31: 27: 23: 16: 352: 343: 337: 321: 300: 271:. Retrieved 267: 243: 234:Bibliography 227: 219: 212: 208: 200: 194: 184: 174: 167: 161: 148: 144: 142: 130: 111: 101: 86:negikanamazo 85: 56:A number of 55: 21: 20: 15: 168:kikikamagad 58:etymologies 373:Categories 282:References 273:2010-01-21 220:kikalâmoza 112:kikalamezo 102:kikalamezo 82:Potawatomi 66:Potawatomi 30:U.S. state 185:Killomick 116:pollution 38:Kalamazoo 22:Kalamazoo 18:Etymology 175:Kalimink 34:Michigan 313:1156805 143:In his 311:  252:  217:Ojibwe 205:Ojibwe 123:Ojibwa 72:, and 70:Ojibwe 44:, and 305:(PDF) 197:Miami 127:Odawa 90:otter 84:word 74:Miami 309:OCLC 250:ISBN 125:and 211:or 32:of 28:in 375:: 328:, 290:^ 266:. 68:, 40:, 362:. 332:. 315:. 276:. 258:. 201:l 118:.

Index

Kalamazoo River
U.S. state
Michigan
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo Township
Kalamazoo County
etymologies
folk etymologies
Potawatomi
Ojibwe
Miami
Potawatomi
otter
Henry Schoolcraft
pollution
Ojibwa
Odawa
1821 Treaty of Chicago
Match-e-be nash-she-wish
Ingham County
Calumet River
Miami
Ojibwe
Ojibwe
Schoolcraft's
Indian Names in Michigan
ISBN
0-472-10069-6
"How Kalamazoo Got Its Name"

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