Nipigon
/ˈnɪpɪɡən/noun
A geographic name used chiefly for Lake Nipigon, the Nipigon River, and the community of Nipigon in Ontario, Canada.
Did you know?Nipigon is an English spelling of an Indigenous name, but its precise original meaning remains disputed rather than securely translating as “deep water” or another popular gloss.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-European Indigenous usage
Ojibwe
Animbiigoo-zaaga'igan
“The Ojibwe name associated with Lake Nipigon; the modern form is a shortened European rendering.”
17th Century
French
Nipigon
“French colonial records began recording the lake and surrounding region under forms of the Indigenous name.”
18th Century
French
Lac Nipigon
“French mapmakers applied the name to the lake, preserving its approximate Indigenous pronunciation.”
19th Century
English
Lake Nipigon
“English usage adopted Nipigon as the standard geographic name during British and Canadian mapping.”
Modern English
English
Nipigon
“The name now identifies the lake, river, town, and wider region in northwestern Ontario.”