Quahog
/ˈkwɔː.hɒɡ/noun
An edible hard-shelled clam, especially the Atlantic hard clam found along North American shores.
Did you know?Quahog shells were used to make the purple and white beads known as wampum, which served important diplomatic and ceremonial purposes among Northeastern Indigenous peoples.
Etymological Timeline
Before European contact
Narragansett
poquauhock
“A Native name for the hard clam or its shell; the precise internal translation is uncertain.”
17th Century
English
poquauhock
“An English-recorded form borrowed from Narragansett for the shellfish.”
17th Century
English
quahaug
“An anglicized spelling used for the hard clam.”
18th Century
English
quahog
“A shortened and conventionalized spelling of the Indigenous loanword.”
Modern English
English
quahog
“The Atlantic hard clam, often distinguished by size into littlenecks, cherrystones, and chowder clams.”
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