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Why was the word totem given an inaccurate meaning by an English translator in 1791?
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Totemism
Totem fish mask from the Orokolo Bay area of New Guinea. Painted bark cloth over rattan frame with fringe of dried grass. Height 1.63 m.
In 1791, a British merchant and translator introduced the word "totem" into the English language with an inaccurate meaning because he mistakenly believed it designated an individual's guardian spirit that appeared in the form of an animal.1
This misconception was likely influenced by the observation that Ojibwa clans often wore animal skins, leading the translator to incorrectly associate the term with a personal spirit guide rather than its actual meaning. In the Ojibwa language, the term is derived from ototeman, which signifies "one’s brother-sister kin" and refers to a blood relationship between siblings who share the same mother and are prohibited from marrying one another.1