Abenaki

noun

Abe·​na·​ki ˌa-bə-ˈnä-kē How to pronounce Abenaki (audio)
variants or less commonly
ab-ˈnä-kē How to pronounce Abenaki (audio)
1
plural Abenaki or Abenakis also Abnaki or Abnakis : a member of a group of Algonquian-speaking (see Algonquian sense 2a) Indigenous peoples of northern New England and adjoining parts of Quebec
2
: either of the two Algonquian languages spoken by the Abenaki peoples

Examples of Abenaki in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to an Abenaki oral tradition, the sap of sugar maple trees used to flow as thick and sweet as honey year-round. — Nina Foster, JSTOR Daily, 28 Mar. 2025 For thousands of years, the five tribal nations of the Wabanaki peoples—the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot and Abenaki—have harvested these wild blueberries in late summer. — Kate Olson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Eastern Abenaki wαpánahki, Western Abenaki wǫbanakii, literally, dawn land people, easterners

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Abenaki was in 1698

Rhymes for Abenaki

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abeltree
Abenaki
abend
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Cite this Entry

“Abenaki.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Abenaki. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Abenaki

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Abenaki

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