Huron-Wendat
/ˌhjʊərɒn ˈwɛndæt/noun
A name for an Indigenous people and nation historically centered in the Great Lakes region and now represented in part by the Huron-Wendat Nation of Wendake, Quebec.
Did you know?“Huron” was a French exonym, while Wendat is the community’s own traditional name; popular translations of Wendat as “island people” are plausible but not certain.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
Wendat
Wendat
“An Indigenous self-designation recorded in early European accounts; its precise internal meaning is debated.”
16th Century
French
Huron
“A French name applied to the people; it is commonly linked to French hure, referring to a wild boar’s head or a rough, bristling hairstyle, though the exact motivation is uncertain.”
Early 17th Century
French
Hurons
“The plural French ethnonym used by missionaries, explorers, and colonial writers for the Wendat people.”
17th Century
French
Ouendat
“A French-era spelling reflecting attempts to represent the Indigenous name Wendat.”
18th–19th Centuries
English
Wyandot
“An English and American historical form related to Wendat, also used for communities descended from or associated with the Wendat.”
Modern English
English
Huron-Wendat
“A combined form foregrounding both the historical French exonym Huron and the Indigenous name Wendat.”