On the Origins of “Pickawillany”

Abstract

Abstract “Pickawillany” is the usual English name of a colonial-era Miami village located in western Ohio on the Great Miami River, near the site of present-day Piqua, in Miami County, Ohio. There have been many attempts to explain the etymology of “Pickawillany” as being related to “Piqua,” with a meaning “Place of the Ashes.” Using data drawn from various Algonquian languages, I will show that not only will this etymology not work, but I will demonstrate that the true etymology of “Pickawillany” is from the Shawnee name for the Miamis, and is unrelated to the word “Piqua.”