Michigamaw
/ˌmɪʃɪˈɡɑːmɔː/noun
A historical Algonquian-derived name or spelling associated with Lake Michigan and related Great Lakes place-names.
Did you know?The name ultimately reflects the Ojibwe word mishigami, “great lake,” recorded through changing French and English spellings rather than through a single fixed original form.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact period
Ojibwe
mishigami
“Great lake or large body of water”
17th Century
French
Michigami
“A French-recorded form of the Indigenous name for the Great Lakes region”
17th–18th Century
French/English
Michigamme
“An established variant spelling found in historical place-names”
18th–19th Century
English
Michigamaw
“A historical English spelling or transcription of the same Indigenous-derived name”
19th Century
English
Michigan
“The standardized modern form used for the lake, territory, and later U.S. state”
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