Totem Came Into English From Ojibwe
A totem is an emblem representing a group. The word comes from an Algonquian language of the Great Lakes.
A totem is a natural object or animal serving as an emblem of a family or clan. The word comes from Ojibwe *ninhdoodem*, meaning my clan, and entered English in the late 1700s. Anthropologists then applied it far beyond its original context, to societies with quite different practices — a habit later scholarship has questioned. *Totem pole* is a carving tradition of the Pacific Northwest, and *low man on the totem pole* is an American idiom with no basis in how the poles were actually read.
- A clan emblem. *A family totem.*
- Totem pole — a carved column. *A totem pole.*
- Ojibwe — *ninhdoodem*, my clan. *The source.*
- Totemism — the anthropological term. *Totemism.*
- Algonquian — the language family. *Algonquian.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | totem | A totem. |
| Plural | totems | Totems. |
| Adjective | totemic | Totemic. |
| Noun | totemism | Totemism. |
| Ojibwe | ninhdoodem | My clan. |
- The bear was the clan's totem.Emblem.
- The word comes from Ojibwe.Etymology.
- Totem poles are a Northwest tradition.Art.
About totem poles
- Carved by Pacific Northwest peoples, not by Ojibwe speakers
- They record lineage, rights and stories, not religious worship
- Position on the pole does not indicate rank in any consistent way
- Low man on the totem pole is an American coinage of the 1940s
- Traditional poles were often left to weather and return to the forest
Ojibwe *ninhdoodem*, my clan or my totem, entering English in the late 1700s.
Does low man on the totem pole reflect real practice?
No. It is an American coinage of the 1940s. Position on a pole does not indicate rank in any consistent way.
Where does the word come from?
From Ojibwe, an Algonquian language of the Great Lakes, where ninhdoodem means my clan.