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Ha-Ha Wa-Kpa (Mississippi River-Dakota) (1) to laugh, to bubble, to curl, waterfalls (2) river

Dakota etymology of "Mississippi River."

Literally, "River-of-the-Falls." The name Mississippi is of Ojibwa origin, from Missi, meaning great, being akin to the more modern Kitchi or Gitchi plus Zibi meaning—the "Great River." To them, the Mississippi only becomes so below the junction of Leech Lake River, not Itasca as designated by the whites. Lake Itasca was the O-mush-kozo Sa-Gai-igan, "Elk Lake," and the stream running out, the O-mush-kozo Zibi, "Elk River." "Rivers follow the general rule of taking the name of their immediate source lake. When reaching Lake Bemidji, Cass, and Winnibigoshish, this stream changed its name three more times and not until the outlet of Leech Lake is reached does it become the Mississippi."—Jos. A. Gilfillan In 1817 Stephen Long made an enthusiastic observation. "The Mississippi above the St. Croix is entirely colorless and free from anything that would render it impure either to taste or sight. It has a greenish appearance occassioned by reflections from the bottom but when taken into a vessel is perfectly clear." The Dakota also called the river both the Tan-can Wa-Kpa (1) the body or principal part of anything (2) river, and the Wa-Kpa Tan-Ka (1) river (2) large.

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