Totem
/ˈtoʊ.təm/noun
An emblem, animal, plant, or natural object regarded as symbolizing a family, clan, or other social group.
Did you know?The word entered European anthropology through Ojibwe usage, but Western writers often flattened a complex kinship system into the simpler idea of an individual magical animal.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 18th Century
Ojibwe
ototeman
“His or her kinship group, clan, or hereditary relation”
18th Century
Ojibwe
odoodem
“A clan or kinship group, associated with a distinguishing emblem”
1791
English
totam
“An Ojibwe kinship term recorded by European observers”
19th Century
English
totem
“An object or animal regarded as representing a clan or family”
Late 19th Century
English
totemism
“Anthropological terminology for systems linking social groups with symbolic natural entities”
Modern English
English
totem
“A symbolic emblem or representative object, often used metaphorically”