Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “windigo” come from?

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

windigo (English): Alternative spelling of wendigo

Definitions

  1. Alternative spelling of wendigo

Ancestry of “windigo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwendigoA malevolent and violent cannibal spirit found in...
2OjibwewiindigooIn Algonquian mythology, a malevolent...
3Proto-Algonquianwi·nteko·waowl; malevolent spirit, cannibalistic monster
Every word from Proto-Algonquian wi·nteko·wa →