History of Westchester County, New York, Volume 1. Frederic Shonnard
Eliot uses it in the form Ashpohtag, " a height," which applies well to the locality.
Asumsowis. — A locality in Pelham; a personal name probably.
Bissightick. — Var., Bisightick, a " creek." This probably means " a muddy creek," pissigh-tuck; Delaware, Assisk-tik.
Be-tuck-qua-pock. — Var., petuquapaen (Van der Donck's map). This was the " Dumpling pond," at Greenwich, Conn. P'tukqua-paug, " a round pond, or water-place." (See Trumbull's Names in Connecticut.)
Canopus –– Name of a chieftain.
Cantetoe. — In this form not a place name, but seemingly from Cantecoy, " to sing and to dance." Variations, Kante, Cante, etc. It may have been derived, however, from Sand which see.
Catonah. — var., Katonah, Ket-atonah, " great mountain." Said to be the name of a chief. Cantetoe, by some is said to be a variant of Catonah.
Cisqua. — See Kisco. It does not mean beaver-dam in its present form.
Cohomong. — Var., Armonk, Comonck, Cob-a-mong (?) Hills, also Byram River, the boundary between Connecticut and New York. The termination denotes a fishing-place — amaug. As it was a boundary it may represent a survival of Chaubun-longamaug, " the boundary fishing-place." Byram River may have been an earlier boundary, and, as such, retained to the present day.
Cowangongh. — A locality in West Farms; a "boundary-place."
Croton. — A personal name. Schoolcraft suggests Kenotin, " the wind.", I prefer the Delaware Kloltin, "he contends."
Euketaupucuson. — Mar., Ekucketaupacuson. "A high ridge in Rye," also applied to Rye Woods. This name denotes a " place where a stream opens out or widens on both sides," i.e., overflows, generally where the stream flows through low lands.
Gowahasuasing. — A locality in West Farms. A Delaware form signifying "a place of briars," or " a place where there is a hedge," comes from the same elements.
Haseco. — See Miossehassaky.
Honge. — Blind brook. Probably taken from Acquehung.
Kisco. — See Keskistkonck.
Kitchawong. — Var., Kicktawanc, Kechtawong, Kichtawan (Kussi-tchuan). Croton River, denotes " a wild, dashing stream." First suggested by Schoolcraft.
Kekeshick. — A locality in Yonkers. Ketch-auke, "the principal, or greatest place," probably a palisaded enclosure.
Kitchtawan. — Var., Kightowank. A locality in Sing and in Cortlandt. Probably a variation of Kitchawong.
Keskistkonck Var., Kisco, Keskisco, Cisqua. Originally an Indian village situated on the bank of a creek. Massachusetts, Kishketuk-ock, " land on the edge of a creek."
Kestaubnuck. — Mar., Kastoniuck (Keche-tauppen-auke). " The great encampment." A village of the Indians (Van der Donek's map). Schoolcraft was mistaken in deriving Nyack from this term. Nyack signifies " a point of land," and is the equivalent of the Long Island Nyack (Kings County) Noyac (Suffolk County).
Kiwigtignock. — Var., Kewightegnack, He-weghtiquack. An elbow of the Croton River. Whquae-tigu-ack, " land at head of the cove." Compare Wiq'uetaquock, the cove at Stonington, Conn.
Laaphawachking. — Pelham. None of the components warrant a translation "as a place of stringing beads." We would suggest rather "a plowed field or plantation." Lapechwahacking, " land again broken up " for cultivation.
Maminketsuck. — A stream in Pelham. "A strong flowing brook," Manuhketsuck. Earlier forms might suggest another interpretation.
Mamaroneck. — A river, so named after Mamaronock, a chief who lived at Wiquaeskeck in 1644. Variations, Moworronoke, Momoronah, etc. (Mohmo'-anock) " he assembles the people."
Manursing. — An island. This form denotes a " little island." Minnewits, Minnefords, etc., was so called after Peter Minuit.
Myanas. — Var., Meanau, Meanagh, Medhagh, Mehanos, etc., all seem to be simply variations of the same name — a personal one, " he who gathers together." Maryanne was killed by Captain Patrick in 1643.
Meghkeekassin. — Var., Amackassin, Mekhkakhsin, Makakassin. A large rock, noted as a landmark west of Neperah. Delaware, Meechek-achsiitik, " at the big rock."
Mohegan. — The late Dr. D. G. Brinton follows Captain Hendrick, a native Mohegan, in translating the name as " a people of the great waters which are constantly ebbing and flowing." The tribe would naturally reject a term which was first applied by others. I agree with Schoolcraft and Trumbull that it denotes the " wolf nation." All the early maps corroborate it. See Creuxius's map of 1660, for " Natio Luporii."
Mentipathe. — A small stream in West Farms. Probably a personal name.
Miosse hassaky. — Var., Haseco. "A great fresh meadow or marshy land." The same name occurs in parts of New England; Moshhassuck River, near Providence, R. I.
Mopus. — A brook in North Salem. A variant of Canopus (?).
Mockquams. — A brook in Rye. A variant from Apawquammis (?), or perhaps a personal name from the possessive in s.
Mosholu. — A brook in Yonkers. This looks like a made-up name, or else a greatly corrupted one.
Muscoota. — "A meadow," or a place of rushes, sometimes applied to grassy flats bordering rivers.
Mutighticoos. — Var., Mattegticos, Titicus. A personal name, probably the same as the Abnaki MattegSess8, "the hare."
Nanichieslawack. — (Van der Donek's map.) Delaware, Nanatschitaw-ack, "a place of safety, i.e., a place to take care of," probably a palisaded enclosure erected for defense.
Nappeckamack. — Var., Neperhan, Neppizan, etc. This name has been generally translated as the " rapid water settlement," which is evidently an error. The same name occurs on Long Island as Rapahamuck. Both the n and r are intrusive. The suffix, attack or amuck, denotes " a fishing-place"; the prefix appeh " a trap "; hence we have appeh-amack, " the trap fishing-place." Neperhan (apehhan) "a trap, snare, gin," etc. At the locality where the name was originally bestowed, the Indians probably had a weir for catching fish, and this fact gave rise to the name of the settlement. On Long Island Rapahamuck was at the mouth of a creek called Suggamuck (m'sugge-amuck) " the bass fishing-place." Wood's N.E. Prospect, 1634, says: " When they used to tide it in and out to the rivers and creekes with long seanes or basse nets, which stop in the fish, and the water ebbing from them, they are left on the dry ground, sometimes two or three thousand at a set." (See Brooklyn Eagle Almanac on " Some Indian Fishing Stations Upon Long Island," 1895, pp. 54-57.)
Noch Peem. — (Van der Donck.) Var., Noapain, Ochpeen (Map 1688). This name de notes " a dwelling place," "an abode," "where we are," etc. Delaware, Achpeen, "a lodge," " dwelling."
Nipnichsen. — Indian village and castle near Spuyten Duyvil. The name denotes " a small pond or water-place."
Unox. — Eldest son of Ponus. Onux (ivonnux) "the stranger."
Ponus. — A chief; he places (something).
Patthunck. — A personal name; " pounding-mortar."
Pachamitt. — (Van der Donck's map.) Name of a tribe taken from the place where they lived, "at the unstop place." De Laet says: " Visher's Rack, that is the fisherman's bend, and here the eastern bank is inhabited by the Pachami, a little beyond where projects a sandy point." Pachanu, a sachem, takes his name also from tribe and place.
Paunskapham — A locality in Cortlandt. Probably this on exhaustive search will be found a personal name.
Pasquasheck. — (Van der Donck.) Pasquiasheck, Pashquashic (Pasquesh-auke). " Land at the bursting forth," i.e., "at the outlet of a stream;" an Indian village at the mouth of a stream.
Papirinemen. — Spuyten Duyvil Creek; also place at north end of Manhattan Island. This name has a verbal termination denoting the act of doing