Maskoke
/məsˈkoʊ.ki/noun
A spelling variant of Mvskoke, the self-designation of the Muscogee people and their Indigenous language.
Did you know?Maskoke is a modern spelling of the traditional self-name more commonly written Mvskoke or Muscogee; its exact original internal meaning is not securely established, so popular translations should be treated cautiously.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact period
Muskogean
Maskóki / Mvskoke
“A traditional self-designation associated with the people later known in English as the Muscogee or Creek.”
16th–17th Century
European records
Muscogee / Muskogee
“Early colonial spellings representing the Indigenous name through European languages.”
18th Century
English
Creek
“An English exonym used for Muscogee communities, probably influenced by the geography of settlements near creeks; it is not a translation of Maskoke.”
19th Century
English
Muscogee
“The standard English form used in historical and governmental records for the people and their language.”
20th–21st Century
English
Mvskoke / Maskoke
“Contemporary forms reflecting Indigenous preference and efforts to represent the original name more closely than older colonial spellings.”