Mi'kmaq
/ˈmɪk.mæk/noun
Mi'kmaq refers to an Indigenous Algonquian-speaking people of Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States, as well as their language.
Did you know?The older English form “Micmac” is now generally avoided by the Mi'kmaq, who commonly use the autonym “Mi'kmaq” for the people and “Mi'kmaw” for an individual or adjective.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact
Mi'kmaq
nikmaq / Mi'kmaq
“Traditionally explained as “my kin” or “my friends,” though the precise origin is debated.”
17th Century
French
Micmac
“A French-recorded form of the Indigenous ethnonym.”
17th–18th Century
English
Micmac
“The English colonial spelling used for the people and their language.”
19th Century
Mi'kmaq
Mi'kmaq
“An increasingly common spelling reflecting the people's own linguistic and political usage.”
Modern English
English
Mi'kmaq
“The preferred standard form for the people and language; Mi'kmaw commonly denotes an individual or adjective.”