Now rare. Forms: α. 7 wampampeag, -peage, -peague, -peak(e, wampam pieg, wampanpeage, -peak, wampompeag(e, -peke, wampumpeage, -peak, wauompeg, wompampeag, wompompeag, 7–8 wampompeak, 8 wampomeag, wampompag, wampumpeg, 9 wampumpeag. β. 7 wampompeal. (Adopted (in 16–17th c.) from the northerly dials,. of the Algonkin language. At the time of the earliest colonization these were spoken in the East of the continent from Nova Scotia to Virginia. The ultimate forms indicated are *wampampiak, *wampampial, signifying ‘string of (white) beads.’ Cf. Rasles, Abnaki Dict. (1691), wambambi, pl. -ak, ‘grain blan de porcelaine,’ wambambiar ‘chapelet’; Delaware (Zeisberger) wapapi white wampum (woapaschapiall white beads).
The word is in form a compound of two elements meaning respectively, ‘white’ and (probably) ‘bead’ with the ordinary Algonkin plural endings -ak (-ag), or -al (-ar) added. For the first element cf. Natick wompi, Delaware wapi, Abnaki wambi-, etc. white. An ending -ampi occurs in Rasles’ Abnaki Dict. in a large number of words descriptive of strings, etc. See Rasles s.v. chaîne, collier, corde, tresse.
The variations between -k, g, and between womp-, wamp-, are probably due to native dialectal differences, but the remaining variations are due to fluctuating orthography and pronunciation after the word had been adopted into English.
The division into WAMPUM and PEAG appears to be a false analysis due to Europeans.
The specific words for ‘black bead-money’ were never adopted into English, and perh. the tendency to generalize the name of the commoner white variety was already present in the native languages.]
= WAMPUM.
1631. Winthrop, New-Eng. (1825), I. 61. Mr. Shurd … sent home James Sagamore’s wife, who … writ that the Indiands demanded [blank] fathom of wampampeague … for her ransom.
1635. Relat. Maryland, v. 36. The Indian money of those parts … is of two sorts, Wompompeag and Roanoke … Wompompeag is of the greater sort, and Roanoake of the lesser, and the Wompompeag is three times the value of Roanoake; and these serue as Gold and Siluer doe heere.
1643. in Gen. Laws Massachusetts (1672), 154. Wampampeag shall pass currant in the payment of Debts, to the payment of forty shillings, the white at eight a penny, the black at four, so as they be entire without breaches or deforming spots.
1683. Poyntz, Pres. Prosp. Tobago, 22. The Cunck is a Shell Fish…; whose Shell has the tincture of Pearl colour, flame colour, and white, some part thereof being taken out, the Indians make of it their Wampam Pieg; which Shell is a staple Commodity.
1695. Locke, Further Consid. Value Money, 27. Among the Indians, when it [sc. Corn] will sell for more yards of Wampompeal, which is their Money.
1705. T. M., Bacon’s Rebellion (1835), 14. The Queen of Pamunky … having round her head a plat of black and white wampum peage three inches broad in imitation of a crown.
1760. T. Hutchinson, Hist. Col. Mass. Bay, v. (ed. 2), 472. Good store of wampompag to purchase some peculiar favors or privileges.
1875. Jevons, Money, iv. 24. The wampumpeag of the North American Indians is a case in point, as it certainly served as jewellery.
