With Mississippi celebrating its bicentennial next year, it’s interesting to look at the origin of the word “Mississippi.”
We know that the state was named after the river, but how did the river get its name? Most histories say “Mississippi” comes from an Indian word meaning “father of waters,” but does it?
The first inland reference to the Mississippi was in the narratives of the de Soto expedition. It was in May 1541 that Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached what is the Mississippi River and called it the “Rio del Espiritu Santo” or “the River of the Holy Spirit.”
A little recognized but most important discovery was made by de Soto shortly before encountering the River. He described a small nut similar to a walnut but better tasting than any nut in Spain. It had to be a pecan.
“Rio del Espiritu Santo” appears to be the earliest European name for the river. At other times, the Spanish also referred to the river as “Rio Grande del Florida.”
Accounts by La Salle and Marquette, late 1600s french explorers, mention that the Chippewa Indians called the river the “Missi Sippi,” or “large flowing water.”
In the first decade of the 1700s, French governor D’Iberville in Mobile referred to the Mississippi as the St. Louis River in honor of King Louis XIV of France. French historian Antoine-Simon le Page du Pratz wrote a history of Louisiana in 1758. In it, he said Native Americans referred to the Mississippi as the “Mechasipi,” or “the ancient father of waters.”
From then on, the river’s name consistently appeared as a form of Mississippi.
The story of the naming of the Mississippi River that I find most interesting is a letter that Peter Pitchlynn wrote to the Columbus Whig newspaper in the summer of 1847. No copy of that paper seems to have survived, but the letter was reprinted in an Ohio newspaper in 1847.
“Origin of the Term Mississippi. Mr. Peter Pitchlyn, one of the chiefs of the Choctaw Nation who is now engaged in a search after the remains of his tribe … thus writes the editor of the Columbus, Miss. Whig., ‘I am still engaged in the business of hunting up the Choctaw, which has led me into many crooked tracks, through pine flats, canebrakes and palmetto swamps by land and by water through; villages, towns and cities; and where my journeying are to end I know not yet. I hope in short time, to be in my land beyond uk bin na Miish sha Supppukukni. You see I have used the word Mish sha Suppukni, from which I am certain the word Mississippi derived its origin. The word is thus defined: Uk hin na – river, mish sha – beyond; suppukni – old, or any age; ‘The River beyond any age.’ The white man never writes Indian names correctly, but the word Mich sha Suppukui, which we pronounce Mish sha sippi, is spelt nearer your own river. Tombigbee is like the Indian words from which it received its origin.'”
Rufus Ward is a local historian. Email your questions about local history to him at [email protected].
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.