Which Great Lake is known by the Ojibwe-derived name meaning “great lake”?

Lake Michigan is known by the Ojibwe-derived name mishigami, commonly interpreted as “great lake.”

The modern name developed through European spellings of Indigenous names recorded during the exploration and mapping of the region. The word is often explained as coming from an Ojibwe term meaning great lake, although historical spellings and linguistic details vary across sources.

Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake located entirely within the United States. Its shoreline touches Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, and major cities on or near it include Chicago, Milwaukee, and Green Bay.

The name is sometimes confused with Michigan’s name as a state. The state was named after the lake, rather than the lake being named after the state. Lake Michigan connects with Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac, making the two basins part of one hydrological system.