November is Native American Heritage Month, and it’s easy to celebrate when we come across Native heritage every day. Did you know that these common words and state names all have roots in Indigenous languages of the Americas?
Share these with your kids and help them see that Native influence — from centuries ago to today — is part of what makes America special.
Food words with Native American origins
- Avocado – from the Nahuatl ahuácatl
- Cashew – from the Tupi acajú
- Cayenne – from the Tupi kyinha
- Chili – from the Nahuatl chilli
- Chocolate – from the Nahuatl chocolatl
- Guacamole – from the Nahuatl ahuácatl + molli
- Potato – from the Taíno batata
- Squash – from the Massachuset askōōtasquash
- Tomato – from the Nahuatl tomatl
Animal words with Native American origins
- Chinchilla – from the Aymara chinchilla
- Chipmunk – from the Algonquian chitmunk
- Coyote – from the Nahuatl cóyotl
- Iguana – from the Arawak iwana
- Jaguar – from the Guarani jaguá
- Moose – from the Natick moos
- Opossum – from the Virginia Algonquian aposoum
- Piranha – from the Tupi pirátsainha
- Raccoon – from the Algonquian arathkone
- Skunk – from the Massachuset squnck
- Woodchuck – from the Algonquian otchek
Other common words with Native American origins
- Barbecue – from the Taíno barbacoa
- Bayou – from the Choctaw bayuk
- Canoe – from the Arawakan canaoua
- Hammock – from the Taíno (via Spanish) hamaca
- Hurricane – from the Taíno (via Spanish) hurakán
- Kayak – from the Inuit qajaq
- Moccasin – from the Natick mohkussin
- Parka – from the Aleut parka
- Poncho – from the Araucanian pontho
State names with Native American origins
Plus, more than half of the U.S. states have names derived from Indigenous languages:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- North Dakota and South Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
If you look around at other place names in your region, you just might find some more words from Indigenous languages. You don’t have to crack open a history book to see Native American heritage — it’s everywhere. Native influence on American culture continues today and every day.
