Manahawkin - Anyone know the derivation for this name? I did a cursory internet search and found nothing. Is it a bastardized indian word? Anyone know?
Manahawkin - Anyone know the derivation for this name?
- Thread starter PancoastDrifter
- Start date
PD:
Websites are okay for a quick and often “dirty” answer, but it will be many years before the Internet fully replaces the tried and true methods of old-fashioned research or even looking in a book. The information that Bachman’s Ivory supplied is fine, but it is only one of six different varied definitions of this toponym. A review of Donald Willam Becker’s 1964 New Jersey State Tercentnary book, Indian Place Names in New Jersey, page 32, provides the following information:
MANAHAWKIN is located on U.S. Route 9, four miles southwest of Barnegat in Ocean County; Manahawkin Bay is situated east of Manahawkin, or west of Surf City and Ship Bottom.
Sources:
A. The Origins of New Jersey Place Names reports the source as MENACH-HEN, “island”; HAWKEN, “place.”
B. The Historical Collections of the State of New Jersey lists the name (with a variant in spelling, dated 1844) as MANAHOCKING, “good corn land.”
C. The Historical and Biographical Atlas of the New Jersey Coast includes this information:
Manahawkin – from the Indian words MIN-NA-AC-UN, “a good place for corn,” or MON-NA-AC-UN, “a place where there is good land,” both definitions amounting to about the same. Soil is fertile and justifies the Indian designation.
D. Mr. Edward Ruttenber mentions MANAHAWAGHIN, in Footprints of the Red Men. The word is said to be the original name of Iona Island, located one mile north of Anthony’s Nose, (a mountain) in the Hudson River. He suggests that the origin of the word can be found in the term, MANNA-HATIN, “hilly island” [Manhattan].
E. The Algonquin prefix, MIN, is defined as an edible fruit or grain. In some words the term, MIN, means “corn.” One variation of HAKING can be AKI, “land or field.” One full word for field, defined in Zeisberger’s Dictionary, is HAGIHACAN. The letter C can be interchanged with K or G in sounding the designation.
F. The Walum Olum, (Red Score) Lenape traditional mythology, includes the MINIHACKING, translated as “corn land.” The word is used in Part IV, Line 24.
Becker’s work represents a compilation of other sources, both good and bad, but I think you can see that translating Lenape words and place names can be tricky and challenging. Much of the problems with these translations stem from the faulty knowledge of the translator combined with their own “ear conditioning” or how they heard the word pronounced by the indigenous people.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
Nothing can be simpler than the origins of "monorail" as spoken by Lyle Lanley (Phil Hartman) in one of the classic Simpsons episodes.
"Mono means one, rail means rail."
http://deadon.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/mono-rail.jpg
Sorry I was of no help with Manahawkin. I will defer to the J Man.
"Mono means one, rail means rail."
http://deadon.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/mono-rail.jpg
Sorry I was of no help with Manahawkin. I will defer to the J Man.
Having lived in Manasquan, I was always fairly on point that historically it meant a "safe place" or island to keep the womenfolk but Manahawkin?
A word that just seemed to me like someone tryin' to say "There's a dude out there lookin' to kill a bird".
Thusly, I equate Manahawkin with Scott.
but that could also mean... ManaDeerin, Manasquirlin, Manaclammin, Manaduckin, ManaStriperin, ManaTurkin, Manarabbiten, Mana... Oh damn, he's a bloodthirsty S.O.B. no matter what town is named after 'im. I'm beginning to wonder about the cow.
g.
A word that just seemed to me like someone tryin' to say "There's a dude out there lookin' to kill a bird".
Thusly, I equate Manahawkin with Scott.
but that could also mean... ManaDeerin, Manasquirlin, Manaclammin, Manaduckin, ManaStriperin, ManaTurkin, Manarabbiten, Mana... Oh damn, he's a bloodthirsty S.O.B. no matter what town is named after 'im. I'm beginning to wonder about the cow.
g.