MACKINAC – If you’ve ever typed “Mackinac” into your GPS and second-guessed yourself, you’re not alone.
The name is spelled at least two different ways -- and both are correct, depending on what you’re referring to.
The bridge, the island and the fort all use the “Mackinac” spelling -- with a C.
The city, the jacket and the trout go with “Mackinaw” -- with a W.
Same pronunciation. Different letters. Perfectly reasonable, right? It’s like a ketchup/catsup thing.
But why?
The word traces back to the Ojibwe name Michilimackinac, meaning “place of the great turtle.” The island earned that name because of its distinctive shape as seen from the water.
When French explorers arrived in the 1600s, they transcribed the name phonetically -- using French spelling rules. And it became Mackinac.
It should come as no surprise; the French language loves its silent letters. For example: only two letters are pronounced in Sault.
Mackinaw City came along later, after English had replaced French as the dominant language in the region. By then, English phonetic spelling took over, swapping the French “ac” ending for “aw.”
A 3rd Mackinaw has hit North America
Did you think that was it? Oh, my sweet summer child. Just when you thought the Mackinac-Mackinaw debate was settled, there’s a third contender.
About 600 miles east of Mackinac Island, in Quebec, sits a place called Mékinac. It’s not directly connected to Michigan’s history -- they apparently just liked the name and made it even Frenchier.