Pamunkey

noun

Pa·​mun·​key pə-ˈməŋ-kē How to pronounce Pamunkey (audio)
plural Pamunkey or Pamunkeys
: a member of an Algonquian-speaking people of Virginia formerly part of the Powhatan confederacy

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from a Virginia Algonquian name of uncertain meaning and origin

Note: Early variants of the name are Pamaunck (John Smith), Pamonke (Robert Tindall's 1608 map), Pamunky (William Strachey, 1611).

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Pamunkey was in 1624

Dictionary Entries Near Pamunkey

Cite this Entry

“Pamunkey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pamunkey. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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