Ways to Spell Winnipesaukee

[Rattlesnake Gal]

According to the Dictionary of American-Indian Place and Proper Names in New England (1909), written by R. A. Douglas-Lithgow,
there are 131 ways to spell Winnipesaukee.
(The current spelling shows up twice on this list. How do I know? I put it into an Excel spread sheet for alphabetizing. )

You may find the complete list here. The click here button for the spellings is at the bottom of the photo.

(I could have posted the direct link or just the list, but I thought we should see who took such time to provided us with this excellent information. )

The present spelling of Winnipesaukee was made official by NH legislature in 1933.

Here are two other ways I have found in my browsing travels:

Winnipifsoikee
Winnipisseoke

[SteveA]

Even Curly couldn't spell it!

"In a Three Stooges short in which the Stooges are census takers, Curly answers a query about his birthplace with "Lake Winnipesaukee." When Moe asks him to spell it, he switches course, and says "Make that Lake Erie. I've got an uncle there." "

pasted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Winnipesaukee Look in the Popular Culture section.

I actually remeber the bit and have searched the Internet for a clip... with no luck

[fatlazyless]

If I remember correctly, the New Hampshire legislature passed a law in 1931 which officially spelled it out as the now well known Winnipesaukee. A common spelling had been Winnipi-eogee, a name that this website censors as a dirty word. Whether or not the prior spelling and pronunciation was meant to be derogatory, I don't know but suspect that it was. After all up until about 1970, local rivers like the Winnipesaukee River and the Pemigewasset River were filthy rivers, full of municipal sewerage and industrial waste. Meredith was home to a waterfront asbestos shingle factory on the spot that is now home to the Hotel at Mill's Falls. Clean water was not so highly regarded in the old days.

Oh, for shame, for shame, just the thought of calling this lake a somewhat derogatory name..... the big lake of all New Hampshire property taxes that pays for everything in every town in the lakes region area makes me shudder......gasp! So, why does Winnipi-eogee mean 'the smile of the Great Spirit? Because the Great Spirit always smiles when it looks forward to its' regular six month property tax fix. Only four more months to go, oh mighty Great Spirit.....ayuh.

[MWSP]

RG,
That's an easy one! It's spelled T-H-E L-A-K-E

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

According to the Dictionary of American-Indian Place and Proper Names in New England (1909), written by R. A. Douglas-Lithgow,
there are 131 ways to spell Winnipesaukee.
(The current spelling shows up twice on this list. How do I know? I put it into an Excel spread sheet for alphabetizing. )

You may find the complete list here. The click here button for the spellings is at the bottom of the photo.

(I could have posted the direct link or just the list, but I thought we should see who took such time to provided us with this excellent information. )

The present spelling of Winnipesaukee was made official by NH legislature in 1933.


Here are two other ways I have found in my browsing travels:

Winnipifsoikee
Winnipisseoke

Make it 134...The Masonic Lodge in Alton is Winnipisaukee, and unless my old eyes have totally failed me, that spelling is not in the list.

And I was able to follow all the spellings of "winni" except :

Nikisipique

I guess in the Abenakapenacherokesioux language, the "n" is sounded like a "w" and... fficeffice" />>>

[GWC...]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

Make it 134...

Me thinks you forgot two, making the count 136...

# 135: the Lake

# 136: upthesaukee

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

Make it 134...The Masonic Lodge in Alton is Winnipisaukee, and unless my old eyes have totally failed me, that spelling is not in the list.

Your eyes have not failed you UTS! I dropped it into my spread sheet and sorted it. This spelling was not there!
(I guess was not silly for making the sorted list and your not blind! )

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

And I was able to follow all the spellings of "winni" except :

Nikisipique

R-Guy and I were scratching our heads on that one too. Maybe that Indian had a toothache and was speaking in a garbled fashion?

Just curious and would like your opinions, would it have been morally wrong for me to copy the various spellings of Winnipesaukee from the John Anderson Realty website? The information was taken from a 1909 book, which any one of us could have and really, who would have known. Other sites copy information we have gathered here at Winnipesaukee.com and often do not give us credit. What would you do?

[upthesaukee]

I would not have a problem with someone copying info from my site, especially if they gave credit where credit is due...my site and perhaps the reference book from which the data came (wow...I remembered not to end a sentence with a preposition. Mrs. Bell would be so proud! )

[Just Sold]

RG remember the photo by Carl Hielman II? Even he used a different spelling although it an oversite error. Hielman decided to leave it.
http://www.carlheilman.com/poster-winnipesaukee.html

I have the print it on a my bedroom wall in my home and it is just beautifull every time I see it.

[SIKSUKR]

This is how I spell Winni:H-E-A-V-E-N

[Seaplane Pilot]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

This is how I spell Winni:H-E-A-V-E-N

Everyone should chime in with their personal spellings.

Here are my two favorites:

1. T-i-k-i B-a-r

2. E-m-p-t-y W-a-l-l-e-t

Let the games begin.

[SIKSUKR]

F-r-a-n-k-i-e-e-e- And G-r-e-g-g-i-e-e-e And R-?-?-?-i-e-e-e

[SteveA]

N-o-w-a-k-e-t-o-s-o-c-k-m-e

..Or is that a different thread?

[Weirs guy]

Mines simple: h-o-m-e

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Winnipesaukee Indian Spellings from the Dictionary of American Indian Names* (1909) By:* R. A. Douglas- Lithgow
(Borrowed from the John Anderson Realty website)

***Please Note: The present spelling of Winnipesaukee was made official by NH legislature in 1933.***

132 variations from the book: (Minus three duplicate spellings. There may be room for error on my part. )

Nikisipique
Wenapesioche
Wenepesioca
Wenepesiocho
Wenepesiokee
Winipiscaket
Wenepesocke
Wennepesiokee
Wennepisseoka
Winassosawque
Winepesocky
Winepessiockee
Winepessockey
Winepisackey
Winepiseocheag
Winepiseoka
Winepisokey
Winepisseokie
Winepissiocke
Winepossockey
Winipasekek
Winipesoakey
Winipesocee
Winipisaro
Winipiseocee
Winipiseogee
Winipishokee
Winipisiackit
Winipisiakit
Winipisinket
Winipisiocke
Winipisioke
Winipisiokee
Winipisioky
Winipisokee
Winipisseoca
Winipissikee
Winipissioca
Winipissiockee
Winipissiokee
Winipissioket
Winipoisekek
Winisipisiokie
Winispisiokee
Winnapissaacka
Winnapissiaukee
Winnapresseakit
Winnapuseakit
Winnapusseakit
Winnepasioke
Winnepesaot
Winnepesauke
Winnepesaukee
Winnepescocco
Winnepeseochee
Winnepesiaukee
Winnepesiokee
Winnepesockee
Winnepesocket
Winnepiscockee
Winnepiseoge
Winnepiseogee
Winnepiseoke
Winnepiseokee
Winnepiseoky
Winnepishoky
Winnepisioco
Winnepisiokee
Winnepissaocoe
Winnepisseockegee
Winnepisseogee
Winnepisseohcee
Winnepisseoke
Winnepisseokie
Winnepissiacoe
Winnepissiaukee
Winnepissioke
Winnepissiokee
Winnepissk
Winnepissocay
Winnepissoegg
Winneposockey
Winnepossockey
Winnepossoke
Winnepsackey
Winnespiseoky
Winnipaseket
Winnipesaket
Winnipesaukay
Winnipesaukee
Winnipeseoke
Winnipeshokee
Winnipesocee
Winnipesocket
Winnipesokie
Winnipesse
Winnipicioket
Winnipiseoca
Winnipiseoce
Winnipiseogee
Winnipiseokee
Winnipishiokee
Winnipishokey
Winnipishoky
Winnipisiocke
Winnipisioke
Winnipisiokee
Winnipisocy
Winnipisokee
Winnipissaoke
Winnipissauky
Winnipisseoccee
Winnipisseoce
Winnipissiackee
Winnipissioca
Winnipissiockee
Winnipissiocki
Winnipissiocky
Winnipissioke
Winnipissiokee
Winnipissokee
Winnipitioky
Winnipoisekek
Winniposockett
Winnispisiokee
Winnisposiokee
Winnisseake
Winnopisseag
Winnpessioke
Winnpissacca

Most of these spellings I had never seen until this list.

Spelling from maps and other various places:

Winepeseoge
Winipifsioke
Winipifsioket
Winipiseogee
Winipisseokket
Winnepiseoge
Winnipifiokee
Winnipifsiokee
Winnipisaukee
Winnipiscogee
Winnipiseiokee
Winnipiseoge
Winnipisseoke
Winnipissiogee

[Senter Cove Guy]

I was in the D. A. Long Tavern at Funspot this past weekend and noticed an old, large map of Winnipesaukee,dated 1911, hanging on the back wall. The lake spelling is Winnipissiogee. I wrote it down and just checked it against RG's most recent list and it's already there. Thought I had a new one.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Winipifsioke


From an 1785 map

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Winipiscaket Pond


British dominions of New England in North America. By William Douglas, M.D., 1753?

[Just Sold]

Confumpy Pond - Imagine if that had stuck

[fatlazyless]

In 1933, it could be that the New Hampshire legislature was hoping to encourage tourism into New Hampshire. By proclaiming "Winnipesaukee" to be the recognized pronounciation, the state legislature was removing a perjorative pronounciation. Many state legislators could have thought the name Winnipisseogee needed to have the 'piss' cleaned away and replaced with a more respectable name.
........

Said one state rep from Londonderry:

" Replacing that Winnipisseogee name is just a solution that's look'n for a problem, and don't you tell me otherwise!"

Fortunately, more reasoned minds prevaiied. Some things just never change.

[CrawfordCentury]

Originally Posted by Rattlesnake Gal

Winipifsioke


From an 1785 map

Looks like what they call a long 's' to me. Map's prolly from the 1700s or thereabouts when initial or internal 'esses' were written out like an 'f'.

[BGB2]

After reading some of the curious posting over recent months, I'm surprised that Whinnipesaukee is one of the spellings.

[Pineedles]

Did you see the name for Squam? Confumpy Pond? Can you imagine what the movie promos would have suffered if "On Golden Pond" had to admit the name of the lake was Confumpy Pond?

[Acres per Second]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

Did you see the name for Squam? Confumpy Pond? Can you imagine what the movie promos would have suffered if "On Golden Pond" had to admit the name of the lake was Confumpy Pond?

It's that long "s" again.

With the misspellings of Wolfeboro and "Barnftead", this cartographer probably intended the name to have been the more pleasant-sounding and tourist-attracting, Consumpy Pond.

Hmmm. "Consumption" was the former name for tuberculosis.

Originally Posted by CrawfordCentury

"...Looks like what they call a long 's' to me..."

More than one ever wanted to know about the "long-s".

Originally Posted by fatlazyless

"...
Said one state rep from Londonderry:

'Replacing that Winnipisseogee name is just a solution that's look'n for a problem, and don't you tell me otherwise...!'"

My Dad, who grew up, sailed, raced powerboats and was employed at Camp Wyanoke—on the lake prior to the meeting of the 1933 Legislature, still reverts to "Winnipisseogee" when he speaks of those days.

[Boardwalk Bluesboy]

From www.weirsbeach.com/Largejpgs/winniname.html:

Here are some of the names for the Lake seen on historical maps of New Hampshire, and the date when a particular spelling is first observed. The spelling "Winnipiseogee" was most common during the middle of the 19th century, having appeared first on an 1816 map of New Hampshire by Phillip Carrigain. The spelling "Winnipesaukee" gained favor beginning in 1885 when it appeared on a map of the Lake published by the Boston & Lowell railroad. Many of the other spellings may have been accidental misspellings and were probably never in common usage.

Information courtesy of WeirsBeach.com.