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wampumpeag. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
wampumpeag, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
wampumpeag in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
Borrowed from Massachusett wampompeage (“string of white beads used as money”), from wamp, wap, wompi (“white”) + umpe (“string”) + -ag (plural suffix).[1][2][3]
Compare peag (“string of white beads used as money”), also a clipping of wampumpeag.
Pronunciation
Noun
wampumpeag (uncountable)
- (obsolete except historical) Synonym of wampum (“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”).
1634, William Wood, “Of Their Apparell, Ornaments, Paintings, and Other Artificiall Deckings”, in New Englands Prospect. A True, Lively, and Experimentall Description of that Part of America, Commonly Called New England; , London: Tho Cotes, for Iohn Bellamie, , →OCLC, 2nd part (Of the Indians, ), page 66: Sagamore with a Humberd in his eare for a pendant, a black havvke on his occiput for his plume, Movvhackees for his gold chaine, good ſtore of VVampompeage begirting his loynes, his bovv in his hand, his quiver at his back, vvith ſix naked Indian ſplatterlaſhes at his heeles for his guard, thinkes himſelfe little inferiour to the great Cham; hee vvill not ſtick to ſay, hee is all one vvith King Charles.
Derived terms
References
- ^ Compare “wampumpeag, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023.
- ^ “wampumpeag, n.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present, reproduced from Stuart Berg Flexner, editor in chief, Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Random House, 1993, →ISBN.
- ^ “wampum, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
Further reading