Ottawa
/ˈɒtəwə/noun
The capital city of Canada, located in eastern Ontario at the confluence of the Ottawa, Rideau, and Gatineau rivers.
Did you know?The name Ottawa comes from the Algonquin/Ojibwe verb ottawa, meaning “to trade” or “to buy and sell,” reflecting the river’s role as a historic trade route.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Contact Indigenous languages
Algonquian
adawe
“to trade, buy, or sell”
Pre-Contact Indigenous languages
Algonquin/Ojibwe
ottawa
“traders; those who trade”
17th Century
French
Outaouais
“the Ottawa River region and its people”
19th Century
English
Ottawa
“the city name adopted from the river and region”
Modern English
English
Ottawa
“the capital city of Canada”