First rendered by Captain John Smith as tomahack, the word “Tomahawk” first came into English through him from the Recape Indian dialect of Virginia, whose word for this all-purpose ax was tiimeihak, a shortened form of tamahakan, “cutting tool,” related to tiimiiham, “he cuts.”
Closely similar words are found in a number of other Indian dialects, for example in Pamptico (of the Carolinas), tornmahick; in Mohegan, tummahegan; in Delaware, tamoihecan; in Abenaki, tamahigan; in Micmac, tumeegun; in Passamaquoddy, tumhigen.
Captain Smith also reported the existence of a tool used as a pick-ax, which he named a tockahack, but there is no evidence that this was taken into English in general use.
