Mi'kmaw
/ˈmɪɡ.mɔː/noun
A Mi'kmaq person or the Mi'kmaq language, especially in contemporary use.
Did you know?Mi'kmaw is the singular form in the Mi'kmaq language, and the name is generally analyzed as meaning “my kin/friends,” from a native root tied to kinship rather than any occult source.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact era
Mi'kmaq
mi'kmaw
“A Mi'kmaq person; literally a member of the people/kin group”
17th Century
French
Micmac
“An early French rendering of the ethnonym, used in colonial records”
18th–19th Century
English
Micmac
“Anglicized ethnonym for the Mi'kmaq people”
Late 20th Century
English
Mi'kmaq / Mi'kmaw
“Restored Indigenous spellings and forms in English usage”
Modern English
English
Mi'kmaw
“Singular form used for a Mi'kmaq person or the language in some contexts”