Aboriginal Canadian names and their meanings
The first inhabitants of Canada were the aboriginals, who were as diverse as their various environments dictated. Some were farmers and fishermen, while others led a nomadic life on the prairies following the buffalo herds. They were the beginning of the rich history of Canada, and many names of cities, territories, and provinces bear the legacy of their many languages.
The name Canada is derived from the word Kanata, a Huron-Iroquois word for settlement or village. Jacques Cartier came to the New World looking for a Northwest Passage to the Spice Islands and the promise of exotic goods. He was directed to the village of Stadacona by aboriginals who used the word Kanata. From that time on, Cartier referred to the village as Canada, as well as the entire land mass he was exploring. Many of the territories, provinces, cities, lakes, rivers, parks, and mountains reflect their aboriginal roots.
Provinces
Manitoba – The word Manitou means spirit, and originally referred to the land areas along the Red River. It is likely from the Cree expression maniot-wapow, or Ojibwe's Manitou-bau which means the strait of the spirit. Along the narrows of Lake Manitoba the sound of the pebbles made a noise that was said to be the sound of the spirits, or of the spirits banging drums. It is also thought that the name came from the Assiniboin expression mine-toba or Lake of the Prairies.
Nunavut – This is Canada's newest territory, having been incorporated on April 1, 1999. The name Nunavut comes from the Inuktitut language of the Inuit, the indigenous peoples of the area, and means our land.
Ontario – There are three accepted theories as to the origin of the name Ontario: kanadario meaning sparkling or beautiful water, onitariio meaning beautiful lake, and Skanadario meaning very pretty lake. In all three cases, the land area was named for the body of water known as Lake Ontario of the Great Lakes.
Québec – The name Québec comes from an Algonquin word kébec meaning the narrowing of the river. The geographical expression likely refers to the narrowing of the river around Québec City.
Saskatchewan – The Cree word kisiskāciwani-sīpiy, meaning a swiftly flowing river, became the name of the body of water (Saskatchewan River) before it became the name of the prairie province.
Yukon – This territory derives its name from the Gwich'in word Yu-kun-ah, which means great river.
Capital cities
Many of the capital cities of the provinces and territories also have names with aboriginal origins:
- Toronto (Ontario) – tkaronto – place where trees stand in the water
- Winnipeg (Manitoba) – win-nipee – muddy water
- Iqaluit (Nunavut) – iqaluit – many fish
