manitou

English

WOTD – 23 July 2009

Etymology

From Pidgin Delaware Manétto, from Unami manëtu (manətːu) and Munsee manutoow (manə́toːw) (later influenced by French manitou, from Montagnais); from Proto-Algonquian *maneto·wa (supernatural being).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈmanɪtuː/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈmænətu/

Noun

manitou (plural manitous)

  1. A god or spirit as the object of religious awe or ritual among some American Indians.
    • 1819, Washington Irving, The Sketch Book, Rip Van Winkle:
      The favourite abode of this Manitou is still shown. It is a great rock or cliff on the loneliest part of the mountains, and, … is known by the name of the Garden Rock.
    • 1826, James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans, 1888 p. 319:
      If it were possible to translate the comprehensive and melodious language in which he spoke, the ode might read something like the following: "Manitou! Manitou! Manitou! Thou art great, thou art good, thou art wise: Manitou! Manitou! Thou art just."
    • 1987, John A Grim, The Shaman, p. 143:
      Each Ojibway shaman's method of communication with the manitou patron is unique and is related to a personal dream experience.
    • 2005, Joseph Boyden, Three Day Road, Penguin 2008, p. 43:
      My father strung it high in a tree for the manitous to watch over.

Usage notes

Sometimes used as a proper noun, in which case it is often capitalized.

Translations

References

  • Oxford English Dictionary, Third (online) Edition

Anagrams


French

Etymology

From Old Montagnais manito:w, Ojibwe manidoo, from Proto-Algonquian *maneto·wa (supernatural being).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /manitu/

Noun

manitou m (plural manitous)

  1. manitou

Further reading

Anagrams

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