Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wendigo” come from?

wendigo (English) comes from Ojibwe wiindigoo, from Proto-Algonquian wi·nteko·wa — owl; malevolent spirit, cannibalistic monster.

wendigo (English): A malevolent and violent cannibal spirit found in...

Definitions

  1. A malevolent and violent cannibal spirit found in...

Ancestry of “wendigo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1OjibwewiindigooIn Algonquian mythology, a malevolent...
2Proto-Algonquianwi·nteko·waowl; malevolent spirit, cannibalistic monster

Words derived from “wendigo”

  • windigo
Every word from Proto-Algonquian wi·nteko·wa →