Indigenous loan words: Places, animals and more!

Canadian English has borrowed many words from Indigenous languages. Some of these loan words designate animals and plants, while others describe Indigenous life and culture. Brush up on your Indigenous vocabulary by taking the quiz below. You’ll be surprised by the origin of some common—and not so common—words!

1. Which British Columbian city derives its name from the Okanagan word meaning "female grizzly bear"?

Kamloops

Kelowna

Coquitlam

2. A kamik is a boot traditionally made of caribou hide or skin.

seal

wolf

bear

3. Which of the words below is of Algonquian origin?

coyote

raccoon

beaver

4. What is the correct spelling of the word that refers to a soft leather shoe or slipper?

moccassin

mocassin

moccasin

5. What does the word Quebec mean?

river with many fish

place where the river narrows

high rock above the river

6. Which animal is commonly known as an elk?

caribou

wapiti

muskox

7. Which of the words below is derived from an Indigenous word?

bannock

conch

pecan

8. Which of the words below means "the people" in Inuktitut?

Inuit

Inuk

Inukshuk

9. Which of the fruits below takes its name from an Indigenous word?

apple

pomegranate

persimmon

10. Which animal name comes from an Odawa root meaning "upside down"?

shrew

chipmunk

squirrel