Indian Names of Places in Plymouth, Middleborough, Lakeville and Carver Plymouth County Massachusetts

Wachamotusset.
     Name of brook mentioned in an adjustment of boundaries between "Mr. Constant Southworth. and Philip the Sachem." Must have been near Assawompsett Pond. Probably Tamest Brook.
     See Mahchumoo--"waste," "barren;" tuck--"brook," with the diminutive es and locative et--"small barren brook."

Wappanuckett (Dr. Thomas Delano's will, 1222), Waupaunucket, Wappahnucket, Wappond.
     A neck of land in Middleborough near Assawompsett Pond. In deed of one of the tracts of land in Sixteen Shilling Purchase it is described as follows, "Neck of land commonly cald by the name of Wappond bounded on the northerly aid with Assawamset Pond and on the westerly sid or end with a pond commonly called Poksba," May 14, 1675.
     Probably from Wapunnukquas--"swallow." Wappahnucket--" the place of the swallows," now known as Walnut Plain. Possibly the name was originally the same as Waumpatuck, the old Indian Sagamore who owned much land in this vicinity.
     Waupaunucket--"Village among the hills." (Thomas Wesson Hist. Midl.)
     Waumpaucutt Pond, mentioned as a boundary in "Wood's, Purchase," 1667. "By ye pond called ye Black Sachems pond, ye Indian name being Wampaucatt." This, therefor, seems to be another name of Tespaquin Pond. Probably from Wompi--"white, paug--"pond," ut--locative suffix; "at or near the white pond;" referring, perhaps, to white stones or the white birch trees in or about the pond.

Washanest.
     "The Town granted unto Acannootus, 15 acres of land ayt a place called Washanest. " (Vol. 1, Plymouth Town Records, page 172.)

Wecektuket, "in Kingston."
     "Is a brook which joins Jones River from the south, the native term seems to signify 'little wading.' " (M. H. S. Coll., s. 2, v. 3, p. 168.) I cannot explain this translation. Possibly Wek-or "week," tuck-et--"wigwam brook." (Wigwam is a corruption from wek- or week or wetu), tuck--"river" or "stream," with a locative et.

Weweantitt, Wawayontat, Weweantet, Weweantic.
     A river forming part of the boundary line between Middleborough and Carver and flows through Wareham. Dr. Francis Lebanon bought a large tract of land on the south side of this river, in Middleborough, in the early part of the eighteenth century (Wesson's History of Middleborough, p. 336). Probably the word comes from the same root as Woweaushin-Woweou, etc., conveying the idea of wandering about, and this description is more applicable to the river than the word crooked, as in its lower part it expands itself, forming inlets into the country.
     Waywayantek or Wewewantett was the Indian name of the land about Wareham (M. H. S., s. 1, v. 1, p. 138).


Winnapauckett.
     A pond mentioned in Gov. Thomas Prince's will, 1673.
     "Land on the easterly suite of Namassakes River between Winnapauckett pond and a tract of land called "the Major's purchase."
     From Winne or Wunne--"good," paug--"pond," et--"at." "The good pond," "the beautiful pond."

 

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Access Genealogy Library: Indian Names of Places in Plymouth, Middleborough, Lakeville and Carver Plymouth County Massachusetts, by Lincoln Newton Kinnicutt ~ 1909

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