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Indian Names of Places
in Plymouth, Middleborough, Lakeville and Carver Plymouth County
Massachusetts
Kowpiscowonkonett.
Indian deed, 1678, Ply. Col. Rec., v.1, p. 231.
Mentioned as a boundary. Near Bartlett's marsh in
Plymouth and Wareham. Perhaps it has the same signification as
Kobpakommocket which signifies the place where the squaws and children
were bidden in time of danger-usually a swamp. (See Coppoanissett.)
Makewaumaquest.
Indian deed, 1678, Ply. Col. Rec., v.1, p. 231.
A place mentioned as a boundary. Was between Red Brook
and Agawam River, in Wareham.
Manittoo-Asseinah. SACRIFICE ROCKS.
There are two of these rocks near the Cornish Tavern on
the Sandwich road "where the natives still (1815) offer the homage of
branches as they pass by in silence." (M. H. S. Coll., s. 2, v. 3, p. 201.)
I should judge from this letter in the Massachusetts Historical Collections
that these rocks were then called by the natives Manittoo-Asseinah.
Manitto was the Indian word for God (Manitto--It
is a God-R. W.) hassun "rock," hassunash -"rocks", God's
Rocks.
Manomet, Manaumet, Mannamoiett.
Now called Bourse, a village on the Monument River a
few miles from the head of Buzzard's Bay. This is one of the earliest known
Indian place names in Plymouth County and today probably the best known and
more universally used than any other in the County, Manomet Hills, Manomet
Ponds, Manomet Beach, Manomet Village, Manomet River, etc., all owe their
origin to the small Indian village of Manomet. It is described by Edward
Window in "Good News from New England" published in London in 1624. "This
town lieth from us South well near twenty miles and stands upon a fresh
river which runneth into the Bay of Nnamohigganset" (Narragansett).
("Edward Window mistook Buzzard's Bay for Narragansett Bay.")
It was known as early as July, 1621. The following is
an extract from Gov. Bradford's diary of that date. "One John Billington
lost himself in ye woods and wandered up and downe some 5 days. At length he
light on an Indian plantation 20 miles south of this place, called Manamet."
(Bradford's History, page 124.)
In 1627 "that they (the Pilgrims) might ye better take
all convenient opportunities to follow their trade . . . . resolved to build
a small pinass at Manamet, a place 20 miles from ye plantation standing on
ye sea to ye southward of them, unto which by another creeks on this side,
they could carry their goods within 4 or 5 miles and then transport them
over land to their vessell; and so avoid the compasing of Cap-Cod and so
make any vioge to ye southward in much shorter time and with farr less
danger." (Bradford's Journal, p. 266.) I believe, from the name itself, that
the Indians, from very early times, used this same crossing of the cape for
like purposes and taking into consideration the whole history of the Cape
Cod canal at this very spot, the translation of this Indian place name is
very interesting. I believe the Indian name Manomet is derived from
Mai--"a path," and a form of the verb "Nayeumau"-- "he bears
(or carries) on his back or shoulders"-and the locative suffix et-"at
or near." The whole literal translation would be-"at the path where they
carry (across) on their backs or shoulders." A free translation--"The Burden
Pathway." The pronunciation by the white man of the Indian word
Mainayeumauet can easily be imagined as Manomet or Manaumet
or Mannamoiett.
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