New York State Education Department 



New York State Museum 



John M. Clarke, Director 



Bulletin io8 

 ARCHEOLOGY 12 



ABORIGINAL PLACE NAMES 



or 



NEW YORK 



BY 



WILLIAM M. BEAUCHAMP 

 INTRODUCTORY 



In 1893 I published a little book entitled Indian Names in New 

 York J zvith a Selection from other States, containing all those then 

 known to me in New York and adding to these a number of 

 Onondaga names of plants and animals, with many of their 

 primary meanings. These are not included here, and many names 

 outside of New York are also omitted. Further research has at 

 least doubled the local names in this State and increased the knowl- 

 edge of the significance of many, as now given. In the work 

 mentioned there were slight verbal errors, not materially affecting 

 sound or sense, and these have been carefully revised and cor- 

 rected. There is a larger treatment of alleged meanings, bringing 

 together the views of various writers, and a fuller reference to 

 existing vocabularies. As many names have been left undefined 

 there was a temptation to give such early Algonquin and Iroquois 

 words as might help general interpretation. Thorough students 

 would still require the larger vocabularies, and the benefit of a 

 brief compilation to others might prove very small. Instead there 

 are supplied digests of languages from reputable writers, treating 



