manitou

From Pidgin Delaware Manétto, from Unami manëtu (manətːu) and Munsee manutoow (manə́toːw) (later influenced by French manitou, from Montagnais); from Proto-Algonquian *maneto·wa (“supernatural being”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmanɪtuː/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmænətu/

manitou (plural manitous)

1. A god or spirit as the object of religious awe or ritual among some American Indians.
   • 1819, Washington Irving, The Sketch Book, Rip Van Winkle:

     The favourite abode of this Manitou is still shown. It is a great rock or cliff on the loneliest part of the mountains, and, … is known by the name of the Garden Rock.

   • 1826, James Fenimore Cooper, The Last of the Mohicans, 1888 p. 319:

     If it were possible to translate the comprehensive and melodious language in which he spoke, the ode might read something like the following: "Manitou! Manitou! Manitou! Thou art great, thou art good, thou art wise: Manitou! Manitou! Thou art just."

   • 1987, John A Grim, The Shaman, p. 143:

     Each Ojibway shaman's method of communication with the manitou patron is unique and is related to a personal dream experience.

   • 2005, Joseph Boyden, Three Day Road, Penguin 2008, p. 43:

     My father strung it high in a tree for the manitous to watch over.

Sometimes used as a proper noun, in which case it is often capitalized.

• Oxford English Dictionary, Third (online) Edition

• tinamou

From Old Montagnais manito:w, Ojibwe manidoo, from Proto-Algonquian *maneto·wa (“supernatural being”).

• IPA^(key): /manitu/

manitou m (plural manitous)

1. manitou

• “manitou” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

• tinamou