mihkwapisimôsos

Plains Cree

Etymology

Calque of English Red Deer equivalent to mihko- (“red”) +‎ âpisimôsos (“deer”), ultimately perhaps from apisi- (“small”) +‎ moswa (“moose”). The English is itself a calque of the name of the river on which the city sits, from Plains Cree wâwâskêsiw-sîpiy (“elk river”). The name "red deer" is from the closest European relative of the American elk, presumably before "elk" (originally the European name for the moose) acquired its present meaning.

Proper noun

mihkwapisimôsos

1. Red Deer, Alberta, the third largest city in that province