Waccamaw Lake
/ˈwækəmɔː ˌleɪk/noun
A proper name used for lakes associated with the Waccamaw region or people of the southeastern United States.
Did you know?The Waccamaw name is associated with the Waccamaw people and the Waccamaw River basin, while the exact Indigenous etymology is not securely agreed upon by scholars.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Indigenous Carolina languages
Waccamaw
“An Indigenous regional name; its precise original meaning and linguistic source remain uncertain.”
17th Century
English colonial records
Waccamaw
“A recorded name for the Waccamaw people, river, and surrounding region in the Carolinas.”
Old English
Old English
lacu
“A stream, watercourse, or body of water.”
Middle English
Middle English
lake
“A large inland body of water, borrowed through Old French from Latin.”
Modern English
English
lake
“A large inland body of standing water.”
Modern English
English
Waccamaw Lake
“A modern geographical name combining the inherited Indigenous name Waccamaw with the English generic term Lake.”