Massachusett Pidgin facts for kids

Massachusett Pidgin, also known as Massachusett Jargon, was a special way of speaking that helped different groups of people communicate. It was a "pidgin" language, which means it was a simplified mix of languages. This pidgin was based on the Massachusett language.

People used Massachusett Pidgin in the early days of American colonization, from the 1600s until the early 1700s. It was spoken in places like New England and Long Island. Not much is known about it today, but it had a much simpler grammar than the full Massachusett language. It was similar to another pidgin called Pidgin Delaware, which was spoken nearby.

History of Massachusett Pidgin

How the Pidgin Developed

We know about Massachusett Pidgin from writings as early as 1624. Many pidgin languages in North America started when Europeans arrived. But some people think Massachusett Pidgin might have existed even before Europeans came.

The Massachusett people were a large and powerful group in their region. They lived in fertile lands near rivers and the ocean, which helped them have a strong population. Their leaders, called sachems, were in charge of a group of different peoples. This included the Massachusett, Pawtucket, Wampanoag, Nauset, and Coweset peoples.

The original Massachusett language was understood by other Native American groups in southern New England. But it was harder to understand for groups further north or west. This is where a simpler language like Massachusett Pidgin could have been very useful.

Massachusett Pidgin and another language called Massachusett Pidgin English are important to study. This is because many Native American words that English speakers use today came from these pidgin languages, not directly from the full Massachusett language.

How Colonists Found Out About It

We learn about Massachusett Pidgin from the writings of early European colonists. For example, Edward Winslow, who was a governor of the Plymouth Colony, became friends with the Wampanoag leader Massasoit. Winslow learned some of the local "Indian language."

In 1624, Winslow wrote about meeting some Wampanoag men. He could talk to them, but when the Wampanoag spoke to each other, Winslow couldn't understand them. This suggests they were speaking a simplified version of their language with Winslow, but their full language among themselves.

Later, Winslow met another Massachusett leader, Chickatawbut. Again, Winslow could only understand a few words of their conversation. Dutch and Swedish settlers in other areas had similar experiences. They thought they were speaking the local Native language, but they were actually speaking a pidgin version of it.

Massachusett Pidgin became more common because of the fur trade. It helped Native Americans from different tribes talk to each other. They could trade items for beaver furs, which English settlers really wanted. As beavers became harder to find in southern New England, traders traveled further. This helped the easy-to-learn Massachusett Pidgin spread even more.

Over time, English settlers didn't want to learn the Native languages. Native Americans, who were becoming fewer in number compared to the English, needed English to trade and be part of the wider society. So, they started using Massachusett Pidgin English. This was like Massachusett Pidgin, but with many English words mixed in.

Native peoples continued to use their own languages, Massachusett Pidgin, and Massachusett Pidgin English. Sometimes, they would switch between these languages during conversations. For example, in 1704, during a court case, an Indian person was shown a hog's head. They were told "tatapa you" in Massachusett Pidgin, which meant "similar to this." In Massachusett Pidgin English, this would be "all one this."

Why the Pidgin Declined

The Massachusett people also started learning English, though it often had influences from their own language. The use of the full Massachusett language began to decline in the 1750s and 1770s. Massachusett Pidgin English, and then full English, slowly took over.

This happened for several reasons. One reason was pressure to fit in with the English settlers. Also, as English became more important for trade and daily life, and new settlers weren't interested in learning Native languages, Massachusett Pidgin was replaced by Massachusett Pidgin English.

Some words recorded from the Massachusett language in the 1920s were actually from Massachusett Pidgin. The Massachusett language itself died out by the end of the 1800s.

Words in Massachusett Pidgin

Words from Massachusett

Most of the words in Massachusett Pidgin came from the Massachusett language. However, the pidgin sometimes used shorter phrases or combined words in ways that wouldn't be used in the full language. People speaking the pidgin likely said the words similar to how they were said in Massachusett.

Here are some examples:

• neen: means 'I' or 'me'. It comes from the Massachusett word neen.
• nux: means 'yes'. It comes from the Massachusett word nukkies.
• squaw: means 'woman' or 'female'. It comes from the Massachusett word squa.
• matta: means 'no' or 'not'. It comes from the Massachusett word matta.
• tatapa you: means 'the same as this'. It comes from the Massachusett phrase tatapa yeu.
• nocake: means 'parched cornmeal'. This was a type of food. It comes from the Massachusett word nꝏhkik.
• squaw-sachem: means 'queen' or 'female chief'. It combines squaw ('woman') and sachem ('chief'). The proper Massachusett term was sunk-squa.
• netop: means 'friend'. It comes from the Massachusett word nétop, which means 'my friend'.
• wunnekin: means 'good'. It comes from the Massachusett word wunnégen.
• wampumpeag: means 'money'. It comes from the Massachusett word wampumpeage, which meant 'white shell beads'. Colonists mistakenly thought these beads were money. This word was shortened to wampum or peag by English settlers.

Words from Other Algonquian Languages

Some common words in Massachusett Pidgin might have come from other Algonquian languages. Or they might have been older words that were better understood by different groups.

• wigwam: means 'house' or 'home'. This word might have come from an Abenaki language. The Massachusett word for house was wetu. Even though wetu was known, wigwam became the more common word and is still used today.
• sanomp: means 'man' or 'married man'. This might also be from an Abenaki language. The more common Massachusett word for 'man' was wasketop.
• sagamore: means 'chief' or 'leader'. This word might be from an Abenaki language. It is different from the Massachusett word sachem, but both words come from a very old Algonquian word for 'leader'.
• pappoose: means 'baby'. This word might come from the Narragansett language.

Words from English

Since Massachusett Pidgin was often used to talk with English settlers, it naturally took in many English words. Hundreds of English words were adopted into the Massachusett language. These were mainly for new things like crops, farm animals, tools, and religious ideas that the English brought.

Native speakers tried to say the English words using sounds from their own language. For example, English 'r' and 'l' sounds were often changed to 'n' because Massachusett speakers were used to neighboring languages that did this. Also, extra vowel sounds were sometimes added to make English words easier to say.

Here are some examples of English words that were adopted:

• pigsack: means 'pigs'. It combines the English word 'pigs' with a Massachusett ending for plural (more than one).
• coneeko: means 'calico cloth'. It comes from the English word 'calico'.
• applesank: means 'apple tree'. It combines the English word 'apples' with a Massachusett ending for 'tree'.
• moneyash: means 'money'. It combines the English word 'money' with a Massachusett ending for plural (more than one).
• Frenchmensog: means 'Frenchmen'. It combines the English word 'Frenchmen' with a Massachusett ending for plural (more than one).

How the Grammar Was Simplified

Like other pidgin languages, Massachusett Pidgin had simpler grammar. For example, verbs (action words) were often used in a simpler form.

It is believed that Massasoit once said to Winslow, "Matta neen wonckanet namen Winsnow." This meant, "Oh Winslow, I shall never see thee again." But if you look at the words, it's more like "Not I again see Winslow." In the full Massachusett language, the verb "see" would change depending on who was seeing whom. But in the pidgin, it was simplified.

Because the verbs were simplified, people needed to use pronouns (like 'I', 'you', 'he') more often to make the meaning clear. In the full Massachusett language, you didn't always need pronouns because the verb itself told you who was doing the action.